by Theresa Papa
In her quest to kill the wind chimes, she never even notices me here. She climbs up, slaps at them, and the chimes tumble from their hook.
“Yes!” she exclaims, proud of her agility to reach and destroy the metal bells to send them to their silent grave below. I can feel my body’s reaction to the sight of her. She’s surprised to see me but doesn’t seem embarrassed at all. I love a woman who embraces her body and is not ashamed of her nakedness. It just reinforces the strength within her. Elizabeth’s eyes travel the length of my body before she answers. I can see she approves. When she jumps down from the bar, her lush breasts bounce, making me wish my mouth and my hands could caress them. The memory of how they feel and how she tastes is front and center as the tent in my shorts grows. I just want to make her happy and hopefully get her to loosen up a little, so we can be close again. My internal craving to finally be inside her takes over. I come up with a plan to ply her with a lot of wine tonight, so she’s relaxed.
Chapter 34
Liz Pope
“How about we have breakfast and do a little snorkeling afterward?” he asks.
“That sounds great! Let me wash up, change into a swimsuit, and I will meet you in the kitchen. I’m not very domestic when it comes to cooking, though, I must confess. But I want to help any way I can.”
“It’s all right, I love to cook. Especially when I cook for someone as pretty as you.” He gets up from his seat.
By the time I get to the kitchen, he’s already almost finished cooking bacon and waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. He motions for me to sit, and he pours coffee into my cup. He’s put a button-down shirt on over his swim shorts, but he’s left it open. When he serves me the waffles and bacon, I can’t help but notice that his cologne is delectable. His scent along with the vanilla in the air from the waffles makes my mouth water. The way he looks at me across the table with his silver-gray translucent eyes adds to my stimulation. We eat the delicious breakfast as we flirt with our eyes, not speaking at all. When a spot of syrup escapes onto the side of my lips, he reaches over to wipe it with his thumb and licks it off.
The sun beats down on us, and the beach is course white sand with rounded edges that make it feel like a bed of jewels beneath your feet. First, we sit on a big fluffy beach blanket and enjoy the breeze cooling our skin from the sun beating down. Jake and I seem comfortable in each other’s company.
“You look sexy and gorgeous in that bikini, just like I imagined.”
“Thanks, I like it.”
He slides his index finger under the string on my hip, rubbing my skin. The lustful look in his eyes is enough to tell me his intentions. I am not ready to give him what he desires, so I change direction quickly.
“Let’s get out there and snorkel, I can’t wait to see what kind of colorful fish are in the reef.”
“You know it’s funny that we seem to have bonded around a fish theme.” He smiles.
I pop up off the blanket and begin to don the fins and snorkel. Jake does the same. Once in the water, the fish and plant life are breathtaking. Jake wants to stop for lunch, but I convince him to stay in the water to explore.
As the sun dips low in the sky, we drag ourselves from the beach into the house. After my shower, I’m so relaxed I just want to wear something loose-fitting and comfortable. I find a gauze maxi dress that ties at the neck, halter style. This will do the trick. The teal green color shows off the tan I acquired in the sun all day. It also allows me to go without underwear so the spots of sun burn on my back from snorkeling can be untouched to heal.
Jake grills some steaks on the top deck while I make the salad and potato dishes in the kitchen. He pours me a glass of merlot, and the effects of the alcohol are strong on an empty stomach. After our lovely meal, Jake takes me by the hand and leads me to the hammock strung up on the far side of the deck. He lies down inside the swing and holds his arms out to beckon me. This is the point of no return. If I get this close to him, I may not be able to resist when he makes a move on me. I have been attracted to him from the first time we met. The fact that he played the game is a moot point now since he has rescued me and kept me safe and hidden from the other players and Richard. I don’t want to take the chance of him feeling rejection or anger. If I sleep with him, it’s just sex. There will never be another Tony for me. Every time will be just sexual gratification for the rest of my life without him. My heart breaks then, while I down the wine in one gulp. Feeling no pain after my third glass, we snuggle together in the hammock, letting the breeze wash over us.
“You have to excuse me a moment to visit the restroom,” I announce with a slur.
“I’ll be right here waiting for your return.”
When I stumble into my room, I’m a little more intoxicated than I usually let myself get. I steady myself with one hand on the bedpost. With the other hand, I untie the knot at the base of my nape. The halter dress falls to the ground, leaving me naked, and I fall across the bed face down haphazardly. The breeze from the ocean flows through the room and cools my heated, sun-baked body deliciously. Little hairs on my skin respond and stand at attention. I squeeze the down pillow under my head, get comfy, and gently let go into a soft slumber.
I can feel him before I hear or see him. Jake’s warm hands wrap around my ankles. The warmth glides upward, first over my calves, then to massage my thighs. With no hesitation, his palms knead my ass, thumbs caress the apex of my core to manipulate the flesh and expose me to him further. My body is wilted from the wine, but also, I remember somewhere in my foggy mind that he’s not my Tony, and I make no move to give him easier access. My body betrays my mind and still responds with lubrication for his ministrations. Jake takes a deep breath in admiration and blows it out slowly. He spears me with one finger then two, coating them with my wetness and then drags them to palpate the bundle of nerves at my front. Now, my movements are beyond my control when I ride his fingers. He thrusts them in perfect synchronicity as he brings me to a shuddering climax.
Jake’s strong arm wraps around my waist and lifts me up to a kneeling position. The sound of his zipper being lowered causes my booze-soaked mind to approach a crossroads. I desperately want to be filled right now, but not by Jake. He’s sexy, sweet, and he rescued me though. So, I owe him, kind of. What? No! Do I close my eyes and pretend it’s my Anthony like I will have to for the rest of my life? How long will I live if Richard Harrington finds me? Will Jake turn on me if I refuse him?
The feeling of his warm, firm manhood as it slides up and down my slit jolts me from my reverie. It’s really the point of no return, and somehow, I gain the strength to move. The choice is made for me when I look down at my wrist to my bracelet. I just can’t let him in. I crawl away from him on the bed and sit up to face him.
“Jake, I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to go this far … um, right now.”
He grins and comes around the bed to stand in front of me. “It’s all right, baby. We can just do other stuff for now.”
My eyes take in the splendor of Jake in all his nakedness. He is a fine specimen of a man. Normally, before I was with Tony again, I wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of what Jake offers. But it’s too soon. How do I appease him without total rejection? I don’t want to burn my bridge with him in case I need him or time heals enough to make me want to open myself to a relationship again. My brain is muddled, and my mind uncertain.
“I drank so much wine I gave myself a headache. I’m sorry if you think I’ve led you on by lying here naked. It was simply because I’m sunburned and wanted the coolness against my skin.” Please understand and maybe just cuddle for tonight.
Jake’s head tilts, and he smiles down at me. His hand extends toward my face, his fingers caress my jawline.
“Elizabeth, it’s all right. I want to make love to you, but I can wait until you’re ready.”
He turns and walks proudly around the bed like a strutting rooster to show me what I’m missing by turning him d
own. And don’t get me wrong. It’s magnificent. But I’m not ready to become what I once was.
After Jake leaves me, the adrenaline wears off, and the tears fall in torrents. The devastation within takes over, and grief overwhelms me once again. He was my savior. My Tony was the dragon over my heart and the fire that dwelled within it. The only reason in this fucked-up world that I had to become a good person. His love made me shed all the darkness that followed me since I was five years old. All the self-deprecating sexual encounters that fed the itch I could never fully scratch were demolished from my conscience with one night in his arms. The pain of my loss is acute and incising. It makes me wonder if it’d been better never to reunite with him. The guilt that accompanies the pain enlarges it tenfold. Tony would be alive still, if not for me.
Far beyond the empty chasm of loss I’m feeling is the missing half of my soul that plummeted from the rooftop. The other half exploded into a million tiny fragments, and the remnants have disappeared into the atmosphere.
Chapter 35
Jake Balcom
Elizabeth’s rejection is a blow to my ego. There’s always tomorrow to try again. Many ideas form in my brain as I sit on the balcony in the night overlooking a rough sea. A storm moves toward us as the wind violently whips the sheer drapery around the deck. The one idea that would make sex with Elizabeth a sure thing comes to mind. I gulp the last of my wine and head downstairs to look for the prop that will facilitate my plan. In the early stages of the game, if I wasn’t tracking Elizabeth to kidnap her from Club Beta, I would have never even known this little gem of a drug existed. So, even though another player got to her before me, I still didn’t come out empty-handed.
“Amyl nitrite, an inhaled drug used to intensify a sexual experience,” I read out loud from the bottle to no one but myself. The whore I fucked in Club Beta gave this little piece of gold to me. She loved the multiple orgasms she was able to achieve with it. She just wanted nothing else but to fuck until it wore off. If Elizabeth is unresponsive to me without it, desperate times call for desperate measures. Once she sees how I can make her feel, she will want it all the time. I won’t need a house on the beach to have her. She will be mine. I want to own every inch of her, inside and out. Time and money are running out, and this will speed up things considerably. The drug is inhaled, so it will be simple to administer.
The next evening, I put my plan into action. I decide to order flowers for Elizabeth and have them delivered. When they arrive, I place the drug where she will sniff the flowers. When she comes out of her room dressed in another sexy halter dress, this time hot pink and sassy, I can’t wait to have her.
“Who was at the door?”
“A surprise for you, my lady,” I announce with a swish of the flowers from behind my back.
“Oh, Jake, they’re lovely!” She leans in to enjoy their fragrance. I make sure she gets a good whiff as I hold them under her nose a little too long. She backs up and gives me an inquisitive look.
“Are you sure we should have deliveries here? What if the players watch for that kind of clue to where I am? Hopefully, you haven’t compromised our location,” she chastises.
My eyelids drop and a crease forms between my brows knowing I may have fucked up. My obsession with Elizabeth having sex with me has made me reckless and stupid. But I refuse to let her know that, so I lie through my teeth.
“Don’t worry. I used a fake name when I ordered them, so we’re safe.”
“What about the name on the credit card?”
“Um … I paid cash to the delivery guy,” I fib.
She’s not listening to my lies anymore. The effects of the drug take over. Her shoulders are pink, and the flush rises to her neck and finally her cheeks.
“Elizabeth, let’s sit here on the sofa,” I suggest as I coax her over to sit down next to me.
“I’m so warm,” she complains. “I want to go out on the beach where there’s a cool breeze.”
She walks out the French doors to the pool deck and kicks off her shoes before she heads down the path to the beach. I stay close behind so I’m as near as possible to take advantage of the drug-induced euphoria. Her giggles are infectious as she twirls the full skirt on her sexy short dress. The fabric rises to reveal her creamy thighs, making me even more anxious and aroused.
“Come here, precious!” I wrap my arms around her and kiss her passionately. She is pliable and willing in my grasp. Her reciprocal desire excites me further. Her hands unbutton my shirt and rip it off me. She kisses my pecs, and then she takes me over the edge when she raises up onto her tiptoes and licks my neck up to my ear. I pick her up into my arms and carry her back to the pool deck where it’s more private. Our lips never separate, and her fingers run through my hair.
“I’ve wanted you for so long, Elizabeth. Let me make love to you.” Her forehead rests against mine when she nods her head to give me the nonverbal permission to take her. I immediately release her to slide down my body until she stands on her own two feet. With one arm around her waist still holding her close, I use the other to untie her dress from the nape of her neck. Both my hands glide over her breasts, my thumbs grazing her nipples. She shudders at the stimulation, and I continue my assault until she lies naked on the round lounge sofa.
“I will ruin you for all other men! My body will be your obsession just as yours is mine.” I unbutton my pants and let them fall to the floor.
From my standing position, all I can see is this wanton woman who can’t stop touching herself now that I’m out of reach. She is oblivious to my words, rendered into an erotic stupor from the drug. Her hands squeeze and pinch her breasts, and then what she does next almost has me fall over while I step out of my shorts. Elizabeth licks her fingers and glides them down her body to the apex of her thighs. Then she spreads her legs wide open unashamedly to reveal her glossy pink petals, plunges them inside her, and moans at her ministrations. That little maneuver almost makes me lose my composure.
“Fuck, Elizabeth! You look so hot! I can’t wait to have you. It’s all I’ve thought about since we were together at the lake house.”
Sometime later, after I lose count of how many times I skillfully provide climax after climax with my mouth and fingers, I push up to get into position for entry, and there’s a loud click next to my ear. When I look up at Elizabeth, she is still languid with her head back and her eyes closed.
“Get up slowly, Romeo,” a gruff voice orders.
Liz screams and covers herself with the pillows. I raise my hands and rise up to a kneeling position, the gun still at my temple.
“Sorry to interrupt your night of pleasure. But I got a million reasons to stop you, and I’m taking her with me. Now get up slowly to your feet and keep your hands up,” the voice says from behind me.
I suck in a shaky breath and straighten my spine to follow his orders. My eyes are locked with Elizabeth’s wide-eyed stare. She hasn’t moved except to cover her nakedness. It seems like the drug still affects her flushed coloring, but she is in a state of shock. There are many scenarios that run through my head. I will never let him take her. Over my dead body as they say. I try to remember the last movie I saw that showed me how to take the gun away from him. There have been fights where I have overcome my opponent but never with a gun. I decide to talk to him first.
“Listen, buddy, just put the gun down, and we can talk about this like rational people,” I suggest.
When I’m on my feet and turn to face him, I can see his amused facial expression. And recognition floods my mind. This is the same guy I pulled off Liz in the parking lot of the Greek restaurant on the day she and I met. He’s about six feet two and maybe two hundred and fifty pounds to my six-foot height, one eighty-five frame. The man is strong, but I was able to overtake him that day using the element of surprise. Today, I don’t have the luxury of that advantage.
“You’re Shadow Walker in the game. Why haven’t you brought her to Harrington and collected th
e money? Don’t tell me you’re pussy-whipped cuz there’s no fucking woman on earth who’s worth that much money,” he sputters condescendingly.
I make a decision that will give me time to throw him off guard. I decide to make him think that I still intended to take Elizabeth to Harrington after I’ve had my fun with her.
“I wasn’t going to give up the money for her. I wanted to just enjoy the merchandise before I collect. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of doing that, too? She fucking tastes like heaven, man. Why don’t you put down the gun, and we can talk more comfortably?” I lie.
Elizabeth moans like she’s about to be sick. Both of us divert our attention to her. She now sits with her feet on the deck and her head down, vomiting. She took what I said as the truth. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt her. But I have no choice if I’m going to have a chance to get us out of this.
“I don’t feel so well,” Liz whines as she uses the back of her hand to wipe her mouth. She has picked her pink dress up from under the lounge and has it draped over her while she lies back down and closes her eyes.
“She’s not sick, buddy. I gave her a drug that makes her horny. Put down the gun and give her a go. She’ll respond eagerly just like she just did for me,” I encourage him.
The big mountain of gun wielding flesh gives me a toothy smile as if he contemplates my offer. I’m relieved to see he’s bought it when he puts his gun inside his belt behind him, and he moves toward Elizabeth. Sick fuck wants to sample my woman. Now I’m even angrier, and it fuels me to do what I have to do next.
Chapter 36
Elizabeth Pope
