by Quell T Fox
His lips are on mine before I realize what’s happening. The want in his kiss is nothing that I have ever felt before. I feel the passion, just as I thought I would, but more than that, the need I feel from him is intense. He needs this. He has been searching for me for so long and now he needs this reassurance that I am real and that I am here. I need this as much as he does. I think I’ve been looking for him this whole time without knowing it.
There is something about his pain that draws me in. I know that sounds fucked up, but it’s true and it’s coming from me, so I’m not surprised. I have never been wanted like this before, to heal someone’s wounds, to put them back together. His need for me makes me want to give up every inch of myself in exchange to piece him back together. I’ve been wanted before, oh, many times. He doesn’t just want me, he needs me, I feel it in his touch, his lips, his words, even the way he looks at me. It empties from his pores when he is around me. No one has ever needed me before, not like Jacob does. Filling his need is now my ambition, and I don’t give up.
I shift myself down on the couch and he moves on top of me. His hips settling right between my legs, fitting more perfectly than he should. His silky soft tongue brushes against mine, and teases my lips slowly, making me want more. His hard cock is pressing into my lady parts, and they’ve never been screaming in want more than they are right now. I feel like I would come if he would just move a little bit. I push my hips up, grinding into him but he backs off. His weight resting on his arms, his cock no longer pressing on my now not-so-happy place. I want him closer; I need more. He can’t just stop. The hunger in his eyes is ferocious, his dark eyes looking even darker than normal, almost black. He rests his head on my chest, sliding his arms under my body. I place my hands on his head and run my fingers through his hair. This though, this is just as good.
“I’ve missed you.” I’m not sure I was meant to hear it, but I squeeze him slightly, so he knows that I did. I don’t know how, but I feel like I’ve missed him too.
***
We must have drifted off to sleep like that, him laying on top of me, because I wake and he’s still here, with me. His hair neatly tucked behind his ear. I run my fingers through it, enjoying the feel of his soft tendrils on my skin. My neck is sore from the way I’m positioned on the couch, but I don’t care. I don’t want to move, not yet. Raven strides over and jumps onto the couch, settling down between our legs, her purring sending a slight vibration through the leg that she’s laying against. I listen to Jacobs slow, steady breaths. My hands move over his back, I trace the lines of muscles on his shoulders and arms, enjoying every second of it. His body is soft, firm and completely delicious. He really is a beautiful creature.
His breathing stays steady, I relax my hands in fear of waking him. He mustn’t have slept well last night, since he was here one minute and then gone the next. He should have stayed. I can deal with this.
Could this be it for me? Could this really be the road to my happily ever after? Is it this simple? Only time will tell, but I feel a sense of peace. With that, I close my eyes and wander back into sleep land.
***
The next time I wake, it’s from Jacob shifting on top of me. He pushes himself up to a sitting position and stretches. He looks down at me with his gorgeous sleepy smile, his eyes back to their normal shade of earthy brown.
“Let me make you dinner.”
“I don’t have anything here to make. We can just-”
“Then we will go to the store. I want to cook for you.”
I smile, it happens naturally but it gives away my approval. I tell him I’m going to change first, and I’ll be right down.
I pick up a pair of black leggings, a white t-shirt and my favorite maroon sweatshirt. I throw on my older pair of sneakers since it’s raining out and I don’t want to ruin the new pair. I change quickly and then brush my teeth. When I’m finished, I look around the room. The room that I share with another man, Andrew. My boyfriend. Stricken with guilt, I feel like a piece of shit.
He’s with his family, mourning the death of his grandfather and here I am, in his house, cheating on him. Planning to leave. Was I even going to tell him? I run my hands through my hair and shake my head. Some things never change. I don’t know how I end up in this situation all the time. Trying to find a way out, the most convenient way to leave. Well, I need to figure it out soon. I only have a few days before he comes back. Am I going to wait and tell him face to face or am I going to be gone before he gets back? I’m not sure which is worse at this point. Awful timing. Couldn’t Abe have waited another month or so to die?
I get downstairs and Jacob is waiting by the door, jacket on and keys in hand. He must have found his way to the dryer. Who am I kidding? He’s been in this house more than I’m remembering. He probably knows it better than I do. He opens the door for me, allowing me to walk out. It’s stopped raining, but it doesn’t seem like it will stay that way for long. The air is cold, biting at my bared skin as I step outside, and the sky is dark and angry. The small white truck parked on the side of my car, in Andrew’s spot, must belong to Jacob, I didn’t notice it earlier. He opens the passenger door for me, then moves around to the driver’s side. He gets in and a moment later we’re on our way to the grocery store.
“I’ve never felt like I fit in anywhere before.” I say as we hit a red light. He looks to me and grabs my hand, squeezing it slightly.
“It’s normal to feel that way when you’re lost. Even though you didn’t know it, that’s exactly what you were. Lost.”
“And you found me.”
“I’ll always find you, Asha. I promise.” He picks my hand up and kisses my knuckles, one by one. The light turns green, I feel Jacob’s leg lift slightly to move to the gas pedal.
I didn’t see the car that hit us, but I felt it. I felt it before it happened. Too bad that it was a second too late.
The hunter green Hummer slams into us from the driver’s side, causing the tiny truck to spin out and hit a tree. I’ve only just began processing what happened when I look through the cracked windshield to see the Hummer turning around. These assholes are just going to leave? I’m seeing double, either from the pain or from hitting my head against the window when the truck met the tree. I know I shouldn’t move, but I look to my left needing to see how Jacob is, only to remember that he can’t die. Doesn’t stop me from worrying though. There’s a big blob in the corner of my eye, turning my head to the front I see that the Hummer wasn’t taking off. No, they were getting in position to slam into us again. Everything is happening so fast, yet time has slowed at the same time. Knowing what’s about to come, I squeeze my eyes shut and brace for impact. Jacob is already out of his seat and moving toward me. I wait but nothing happens. Tires squealing, a loud crash. That’s all I hear. I keep my eyes tightly shut, afraid of what I will see if I open them. A few seconds pass and still, nothing happens. Opening my eyes, I look forward to where I saw the car last. It’s gone. I look to the left, noting that the Hummer is lying on its hood about ten feet from us.
“Get out of the car! Jacob, get her out and get out of here. Take my car and head to your place. I’ll meet you there soon. Go! Now!” A feminine, yet very pissed off voice is yelling orders. Her long bright-as-fuck red hair blowing in the wind as she storms towards the flipped over car.
I think I’m going to vomit. Touching my fingers to my head, I feel wetness. I pull them back and notice blood for the first time. My vision starts to go black.
Please, don’t let this be it. Not here, not now. Darkness is taking over, I have no energy to fight, so I don’t. I lay back and let it consume me.
CHAPTER 14
My eyes snap open, realizing I’m in an unfamiliar place, I frantically search the room for any hint of where the hell I am. I’m lying in an awfully uncomfortable bed. The walls covered in this horrendous shade of orange with carpets to match. A bed to the left of me identical to the one I’m in, minus the person. Queen sized, yellow and blue sheet set.
Who the hell was allowed to decorate in here? The only place I can imagine that would have such horrible decor is a shitty motel, but why would I be in a motel?
I shift to my side preparing to get up, deciding that I need to get out of this bed and find out what is going on. My entire body hurts, my shoulder and head are both throbbing. I try not to put pressure on my arm because it seems to make the pain worse. Getting out of bed with one arm is not an easy task. The pain alerts a switch in my brain and memories of the crash flood my mind, of everything that happened.
Jacob.
He saved me.
I hear muffled voices, not entirely sure where they are coming from. I sit still and focus on listening. I open my eyes and look beyond the other bed, knowing that’s where the sound is coming from. In the back corner is a door that I must have missed earlier. It’s slightly ajar, opening into the adjoining room which is probably why I missed it. There’s two people talking, one male and one female. I can’t make out what they are saying, though. I assume it’s Jacob and the red head from earlier. But what if it isn’t, what if I’ve been kidnapped? Jacob said I was in danger. The panic starts to rise, but I fight it. No, he wouldn’t let that happen. I know he wouldn’t.
As if he could sense my distress, he walks into the room carrying a glass of water. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he offers me the glass. I take it and guzzle the entire thing, not realizing how thirsty I was until I felt the water on my lips. Jacob takes the cup, goes into the other room and returns with it filled again. This time, I drink only half and put the cup on the table that rests between the two beds. His hand moves to my back and I lean into him, needing to feel comfort.
“How are you feeling, are you okay?” Hearing the concern in his voice causes guilt to rise within me. Not that I did anything purposely, but I can only imagine what went through his mind knowing that I could have died.
“I feel okay, just sore. My shoulder and head hurt, but nothing I can’t tolerate.” I say reassuringly.
“Your shoulder was dislocated, I popped it back into place. There’s a decent cut on your head, I had to stitch it up, only three. I gave you medicine to put you out before I did, if you’re feeling groggy, that could be why. You’ve been out for a few hours, you needed to sleep after the shock of everything. I was on my way out to pick up some food. “The smile that moves across my lips, causes him to smile even bigger.
As he stands, the woman from earlier walks through the door from the other room. She stops at the edge of the empty bed and her hand goes to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. Confused, I meet Jacobs eyes, giving him a pleading look, asking what I should do. He shrugs and walks off.
She removes her hand from her mouth, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I’m sorry, I just can’t believe it’s really you! I missed you so much!” She moves to me faster than I thought possible and throws her arms around me. She’s tall, and very thin. She should not have the strength to squeeze me this hard.
“Can’t…breathe.”
She lets go quickly.
“Oh my gosh, sometimes I forget my own strength. Asha, wow, just wow.”
“I’ll be back shortly. Have fun catching up.” Picking up a set of keys, Jacob exits through the door to the right, a cold burst of air entering the room as he does.
I clear my throat, shifting myself to lean against the headboard. The more I move, the more my shoulder screams in protest. Carefully trying to get comfortable, I stop when I realize the red-haired woman is crying this time.
This is awkward.
“I’m sorry, but who are you?”
She wipes her eyes with her sleeve again before answering.
“Eliza, but my friends call me Liza. We used to be best friends, before you were banished. So, you can call me Liza. I’ve been working with Jacob to try to find you. Asha, I am so glad you are here. I didn’t think, I mean, I can’t actually believe he found you. I always hoped and I went along with everything that he wanted to do, but I just wasn’t sure if it was actually possible. Not without a real hunter to help us! But then, I figured out how to replicate the windows that the hunters used. I mean, they aren’t as powerful and don’t last as long, but they worked!” She’s a little hyper, and slightly out of breath. She blurted all of that out without taking a break.
“That’s…uhm, impressive.” Unsure of what to say, I smile. Smiling is good.
“It really is though. I don’t think anyone has ever done that before. No one other than the hunters, anyway.”
“What exactly are hunters?”
“Duh!” She says, slapping her hand on her forehead. “I forget that you don’t know anything. Not that you’re stupid, I don’t mean that, I just mean about Immortalites. You look exactly as I remember you. It’s hard to keep in mind that you’re different.” She looks as if she’s about to cry again but holds it back this time. “Hunters are the Immortalites that are born with an ability closely resembling telepathy. They’re like Immortalite police.” Ending her statement with a shrug.
I’m not sure what to think of this girl, she seems kind of ditsy, to be honest. Paired with her looks, she should have been a model by cliché standards. She had to have been the one to do something to that car earlier. You really should never judge a book by its cover. This girl, no matter how she looks, is pure bad ass. I can tell.
Nodding my head in acknowledgement, I look around the room. Have they been staying here together? Jealousy rises again. For the second time in such a short amount of time. Calm down, Asha. Even if they were, there are clearly two separate rooms. Or did they get that extra room only when I showed up? Okay, this jealousy stuff has got to stop. If this guy has been looking for me for over a century, I doubt he’d be sleeping with someone who’s supposed to be my best friend. And why do I care? I have no right to be jealous, angry or anything else. Technically, I still have a boyfriend. His name is Andrew and he’s currently mourning the death of his grandfather. Speaking of, how am I supposed to explain all of this to him? Maybe I should fake my own death, that would be the easiest thing to do. Apparently, that’s a talent of mine. I can’t remember if that was before or after the ceremony…
The door opens, bringing me back to reality. Jacob walks in carrying two large boxes that are shaped perfectly to hold pizza.
“I hope that’s pizza in those boxes.” I say as I hold my arms out, wiggling my fingers. “Pizza is my favorite!”
He walks directly to me, placing the boxes on my lap. Setting the keys back onto the table, he sits to take off his boots.
The taller than average red head stands up. “I’m going back to my room to do more research. Don’t have too much fun, you guys.”
I open the box on top, bacon and extra cheese. Yum! Moving it to the side, I start to open the second box.
“Asha?”
I look to my left.
“I really am glad you’re back.” She pops through the door, without another word said. I can’t help but smile at the sincerity in her voice.
Jacob scoots up to sit on the side of me. Opening up the last box of pizza, I find bacon and pineapple. Double yum!
“How’d you know I liked bacon?” I bump his shoulder, with my good one.
“Who doesn’t like bacon?”
“Good point.”
Reaching for the paper plates that Jacob left on the side table, I hand one to him and keep one for myself. I take one slice of each for now, he does the same.
We eat in silence. I don’t have anything to say right now and I think he feels the same. When I’m done with my first two pieces, I grab another. Finishing the water that I left earlier, I place the empty cup back on the table by the digital alarm clock. Once we’re both finished eating, Jacob brings the pizza over to Liza, in case she’s hungry. When he comes back into the room, he shuts the door completely. Causing my heart to beat a little faster.
Pulling his shirt over his head, he drops it onto the floor. Unbuttoning his pants, he pulls them off, leaving him in nothing but his
well-fitting, dark grey boxer briefs. My lady parts start to tingle. This traitorous body is going to be the death of me. I can’t help but stare, but he doesn’t seem to notice. Is it getting hot in here?
I was right about the tattoos. He has one on each of his upper arms, a large piece across his chest, and a few on his legs. Leg tattoos on guys, I think I’m drooling. The light in the room is dim and he’s too far away for me to make out what they are. When checking out the bottom half of him, my eyes stop on the rather large bulge that is perfectly outlined between his legs, thanks to those perfectly fitting briefs he is in.
Lowering the lights completely, he moves towards the bed and climbs in. He settles himself to a half-sitting, half-laying position and moves his arm out for me to lay with him. Cautious of my shoulder, I scoot down and rest my head on his chest, noting a nipple ring that I missed earlier. Oh my, this guy! I would love to feel that between my teeth. He closes his arm around me and rests his hand on my shoulder, careful not to put any pressure. I move my hand over his stomach, my fingers brushing over the muscle definition. It’s not a six-pack, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s fucking sexy exactly how it is. His skin is firm, but not so much that it’s uncomfortable. And he has that sexy-as-fuck V that I would love to run my tongue over. Along with a happy trail that I know leads to a place that would make me very, very happy.
Why am I like this?
I’m so caught up in his body that I don’t realize he’s turned the TV on, the sound of a woman speaking pulls me back to the here and now. My eyes move to the television that’s placed on the dresser in front of both beds. It’s not a flat screen and definitely is not HD, not that I would expect something like that in a place like this. Hell, the dimmer on the lights shocked me. He’s looking through the guide and settles on a comedy about the world ending. I’ve seen this before and it’s one of my favorites, only problem is that it’s on cable so one of my favorite scenes will be cut out. A good choice to lighten the mood after the day I’ve…we’ve had.
