by Andria Large
He then goes to Jack and claps him on the shoulder. Jack jumps and yelps, the knife clattering to the counter. Finlay frowns and moves to stand next to him. “Ya all right, mate? Did you cut yourself?”
“No. No. You just scared me,” Jack replies, swallowing hard.
“I’m sorry, mate. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I-It’s okay. I’m okay,” he replies, giving my brother a tight smile.
“Okay. See you later, yeah?”
Jack nods jerkily. “Yeah.”
I walk Finlay to the door.
“Damn, he is bad, isn’t he?” Finlay whispers.
I nod sadly.
“See you later,” he says.
“Right. See you later.”
Finlay leaves and I go into the kitchen. I step up behind Jack and peer over his shoulder. His hands are trembling as he tries to continue to cut the veggies. I place my hands on his shoulders and give them a gentle squeeze. Jack pulls in a deep breath and blows it out, his body leaning against me.
“You’re okay. You’re safe. He’s not here,” I whisper in his ear.
He nods, his hands pausing.
“I will never let him hurt you again.”
He takes another deep breath, some of the tension leaving his body as he blows it out. I lean down and tuck my face against his. My mum makes a comment about giving us a minute before she leaves the kitchen.
“You okay?” I ask softly.
Jack nods and licks his lips. “Yeah, I think so,” he rasps.
“Good.”
I start to release him, but he stops me. “Wait. Stay.” The vulnerability in his tone kills me.
I wrap my arms around his waist and tuck my face in his neck. He hangs on to my forearms and melts back against me.
“It feels good to be hugged,” he whispers.
“Mmm, it feels good to be the one hugging you,” I muse.
A little chuckle escapes him, and it makes me smile.
“I told you before, you can hug me anytime you want to,” I say.
He spins in my arms and places his hands on my chest. “I’m not trying to tease you.” He frowns.
“It’s not teasing. Just affection. Something everyone craves and needs.”
Jack looks up at me and my heart skips a beat. His blue eyes search mine for a moment before he pushes up and presses his lips against mine. It only lasts a few seconds; then he pulls away and turns around to start chopping vegetables again.
“Now that, that was a tease,” I grumble and give him a peck on the cheek before letting him go.
“That was a thank-you,” Jack replies with a soft laugh.
“I might need another wank after your little thank-you,” I harrumph.
Jack throws his head back and laughs. I love it when he laughs. It’s contagious, and I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. I love these little glimpses of a different, more confident Jack.
JACK
WARWICK BRINGS me to his friend’s tattoo shop about a week later. I used Libby and Hugh’s computer to print out pictures of what I want. It’s going to be a phoenix with his wings spread, rising from ashes. I found a watercolor-style drawing I really love, so I’m excited to have it done.
Warwick introduces me to his friend, Harry. I give him the picture I have, and he says it’ll take a few minutes for him to get the stencil ready. So Warwick and I wander around the waiting area, looking through the posters on the walls of all the tattoos the shop has done.
“These are awesome,” I murmur.
Warwick hums his agreement.
“Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo?” I ask him.
“Nah. It’s not my thing. I don’t mind if other people have them, but I don’t want one.”
I nod in understanding. “Yeah, they’re not for everyone.”
“How old were you when you got your first tattoo?” Warwick asks.
I smirk. “I started as soon as I turned twenty-one and moved out. That’s when my mom told me I was allowed to get one. It’s true that you become addicted. I was getting a new one whenever I could afford it. I’ve been itching to get a new one for over a year. This is the longest I’ve gone between tattoos.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re getting to scratch that itch.” He chuckles.
“So am I!”
Harry calls me back, so we both follow him to his room, where he’s got everything set up. He has me take off my shirt, and then he shaves me before placing the stencil. After having me check it to make sure it’s good to go, I lie down on the table. Warwick sits in a folding chair in the corner across from me, so I get to stare at his gorgeous face the whole time.
It takes a good four hours for Harry to complete the piece. But when he’s done and I get to see the finished product, I’m in love. I even get a little choked up. This is a symbol of my new life. I’m reborn, rising from the ashes.
“I absolutely love it. You did a fantastic job, Harry.”
“Thanks, mate. Glad ya like it,” he says.
We finish up with him washing it, then covering it with plastic wrap. I put my shirt on, then pay him before Warwick and I leave.
“I’m starving,” I say.
“Me too. Let’s stop and get something to eat,” Warwick agrees.
“Okay.”
Chapter TEN
JACK
A COUPLE of days later, I try my hardest not to ogle Warwick as he bench presses who knows how much weight, but the effort is futile. He looks freaking delicious. I can’t help it, though; he’s stunning. I know I’ve been through a lot, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be attracted to someone else. I mean, it’s bound to happen eventually, right? I’m not going to spend the rest of my life being celibate.
The one thing I will need to go further is trust. I trust Warwick, I do. I’m just hesitant to get into anything sexual with him because I don’t know how I’m going to react when he goes to touch me. What if I freak out? That would be so embarrassing.
Warwick pushes out two more, and then his spotter helps him put the bar on the rack. I’m running on the treadmill. I’m not much of a weight lifter. I mostly stay in shape with cardio and calisthenics. He sits up and glances at me, sending me a smile and a wink. I roll my eyes and shake my head as I fight off a grin. He’s too cute.
My phone buzzes in the cup holder of the treadmill, so I pluck it out and look at the screen. I almost fall off the fucking treadmill when I see the number. I know that number like the back of my hand. How the hell did he get my number—that’s the question. I move my feet to the sides of the belt as I stop the machine. I continue to stare at my screen, willing the number to go away.
“What’s wrong?” Warwick asks, appearing next to me.
“It’s Greg. He’s calling me,” I wheeze.
Warwick’s eyebrows crank down. “That’s not possible.”
I show him the phone screen. “That’s his number.”
“How did he get it?”
I shake my head. “No idea.”
“Don’t answer it. When it ends, block the number,” Warwick says.
I nod jerkily. My whole body is trembling now. Warwick gently takes my arm and guides me off of the treadmill. “Come on. Let’s get outta here,” he says and leads me into the locker room so we can grab our things.
Five minutes later, we’re out the door and in the car. My phone chimes with a message. With shaky hands, I go into my messages and hit Play, putting it on speaker so we can both hear it.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t find you, Jack? I thought you knew me better than that. Hope you’re having fun in England. Just remember you have to come back sometime. I’ll be waiting,” Greg’s voice says, sending chills down my spine.
“How the fuck does he know where we are?” Warwick huffs, shaking his head in disbelief.
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
“Fuck,” he barks and slams his palm on the steering wheel, making me jump. “Dammit. Sorry, Jack.”
; “It’s okay,” I murmur.
“Block the number,” he says and starts the car.
Hugh has been letting us borrow his car, which is nice of him. As Warwick pulls out of the gym parking lot, I block Greg’s number. His menacing voice keeps replaying over and over in my head. The panic rises, and I’m having trouble breathing.
“Hey, hey, listen to me, Jack. You’re okay. He’s not here,” Warwick says in a calming tone.
“He knows where I am,” I whisper.
“He just knows you’re in England. He doesn’t know exactly where we are.”
“He has my number,” I wheeze as spots dance along the edges of my vision.
“Breathe, love. You’re hyperventilating.”
“I can’t go back.” I swallow and press a hand to my chest. “I can’t breathe.”
“Bloody hell,” Warwick bites out and pulls the car into the parking lot of a convenience store.
I noisily try to suck in air as he throws the car in Park. Warwick reaches across the center console and cups my face, turning me to look at him. “Jack, look at me,” he commands.
I flick my gaze to him.
“Breathe with me,” he says gently and pulls in a deep breath.
I follow suit and do my best to take as deep a breath as I can.
“Again.”
Another deep breath, and I feel my heart rate begin to slow. We take three more breaths before Warwick tilts his head slightly and brushes his thumbs across my cheeks.
“All right?”
I lick my dry lips and nod. “Y-yeah.”
“You’re safe here.”
I nod again. “Yeah, okay.”
Warwick slowly pulls his hands away and turns in his seat. “Are you okay if I start driving? I don’t want you passing out on me.”
“I’m okay.”
“Right,” he replies and puts the car in Drive.
It only takes five minutes to get to his parents’ house. Once we’re there, I race right upstairs to my room. I go to shut the door, but Warwick is right behind me and stops it. His worried gaze locks on mine.
“Can I come in with you?”
I nod and step away from the door. Warwick enters and shuts the door behind him. I go over to the bed and curl up on my side with my back to him.
“I can never go back to Baltimore. He’ll always be there, waiting for me,” I rasp and hug a pillow to my chest.
Warwick sighs. The bed dips behind me, and a second later, his big hard body is wrapped around me. “Then you have to either stay here or move to a different state,” Warwick says, and I can hear the sadness in his tone.
“I feel like I’m going to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life,” I say, feeling an awful emptiness inside of me. This is my life. Being scared and paranoid is going to be my life.
Warwick nuzzles my neck and places a soft kiss there. “Everything will be okay.”
I turn in his arms, tossing away the pillow I’m holding. I snuggle against his chest, tucking my head under his chin, and twine my legs with his. “How can you say that when you can’t possibly know for sure?”
“I can feel it.” His big hand smooths soothing circles around my back.
I snake my arm around his waist and under the hem of his shirt. The skin of his lower back is warm and smooth. I can feel his muscles flex and relax as I move farther up. Warwick hums low.
“Mmm, what are you doing?”
“Touching you,” I whisper.
Fuck, it feels good to be able to touch him and want him and not be afraid of him.
“You mean teasing me?” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice.
I pull my head back and look up at him. Yep, he’s smiling.
“I’m not trying to tease. It’s just really nice to be able to touch you and not worry about doing something wrong.”
Warwick’s smile fades, and he leans his forehead against mine. “You can touch me all you want. It will never be wrong.”
“Greg raped me almost every night the last six months we were together. He did whatever the hell he wanted, didn’t matter if I wanted it or not. He didn’t even use lube. He wanted to hurt me. I don’t know if I will ever trust anyone enough to be a bottom again.”
I can’t believe I just blurted all of that out. No one knew what Greg had been doing to me, especially that part of it. I guess I’m comfortable enough with Warwick I felt I was able to share that with him.
He cups my neck, just under my ear. I sneak a peek at his face to see him frowning hard, his eyebrows deeply furrow as his eyes flit over my face.
“I would never make you do anything you didn’t want to do. You know that, right?”
I nod. “Yes. I do.”
“Good.”
After a moment of silence, I ask, “Warwick?”
“Yes?” he asks a little breathily, which sends a rush of desire through my body.
“It’s been so long since I touched a man because I wanted to. Would you be okay with letting me touch you but not touching me back? I don’t think I’m ready for that.”
A barrage of emotions flick across his face as he nods. “Sure, Jack. Whatever you want.”
Warwick rolls over and tucks his hands behind his head. I smile softly at his unspoken gesture. I move to my knees and climb between his legs. His blue eyes darken with lust, but he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t command me to touch him, or do things to him that I don’t want to do. I bunch his T-shirt up and pull it over his head so it’s resting at the base of his neck.
I let my fingers trail over his chest and nipples, making his breath catch and my cock swell. I’m not looking to get off right now, though. This is about trusting Warwick, and he knows it.
Moving farther down, my fingers rise and fall as they move over the swells and valleys of his six-pack. His skin is smooth and taut over his hard muscles. His abs bunch as I get closer to his hips. His body starts shaking and when I look up at his face, I can see he’s trying his hardest not to laugh.
“Are you ticklish?” I grin.
“Yes, and I hate being tickled, so don’t even think about it.”
I chuckle, then lean down and place a kiss just under his navel, before moving to place some open-mouth kisses over his hips.
“Does this tickle?” I purr.
Warwick moans low. “No,” he rasps and squirms under me.
This is so far from what Greg had forced me to do. I’m in control this time. I’m not going to be choking and unable to breathe because a cock is being shoved down my throat against my will. This is going to happen my way.
I pull at Warwick’s waistband. He understands what I want and lifts his hips so I can pull his shorts and briefs down. I toss them to the floor and take a moment to admire a very naked Warwick.
His hard, uncut cock lies on his stomach, the tip reaching to just below his navel. I smooth my hands up his muscled thighs until I reach his hips. His cock jumps, making us both laugh.
WARWICK
JACK IS killing me with his wandering touches. I want nothing more than to grab him and take control, but there is no way in hell I would do that to him. He’d never trust me again.
Jack’s hand finds my cock, and I can’t help the moan that slips from my lips. It’s been a while since I’ve been with anyone. With my schedule, it’s damn near impossible to find time I’m not at the hospital, working out, or sleeping to go find someone to hook up with.
He lifts it off my stomach and gently lowers the foreskin. His eyes meet mine and my breath catches. I watch his tongue swirl around the flushed head. Bloody fucking hell. Jack keeps his eyes locked on my face as he takes more of me into his delectable mouth.
It takes everything I have not to buck my hips and shove my cock farther into his mouth. He takes his time exploring, and the slow burn he’s creating is going to drive me insane.
My breathing picks up, and my heart starts to race. He’s barely doing anything, and I can feel the beginnings of my orgasm take hold.
>
Jack grasps the base of my cock and focuses his efforts on the head, swirling and flicking his tongue. His blue eyes are darker than normal as he watches me. He seals his lips around the tip and sucks hard. I damn near jump off the bed.
“Fuck!” I cry and clutch the pillow under my head.
Jack’s mouth pops off and he gives me a sinful smile before twirling that naughty tongue of his around the tip again.
Bringing his hand into the mix, he starts pumping it while sucking me. I moan and bite my bottom lip, my hips rocking of their own accord.
“Oh fuck. Jack, you’re gonna make me come,” I pant.
“That was the plan.” He grins.
Instead of taking me into his mouth, he continues to pump his hand, and then he uses the tip of his tongue to flick over the sensitive spot on the underside of the head.
I dig my head into the pillow as my whole body tenses. I come hard, a guttural moan bursting up my throat. Warm jets coat my stomach in waves.
As my body slowly relaxes, Jack takes the head into his hot mouth and sucks lightly. My body twitches and spasms with aftershocks.
Jack lets me go, and I feel like a puddle of mush. I’m so relaxed as I lay there catching my breath. Jack crawls up the bed and lies down on his side next to me, a pleased smile curling his lips.
“I do okay?” he asks even though I know he knows the answer.
“That was fantastic.” I sigh contently and close my eyes.
The bed moves next to me and then I feel his warm lips on mine. Reaching over, I cup his jaw and deepen the kiss. He just gave me the best blowjob I’ve ever had; I think he can make out with me. I slip my tongue into his mouth and twine it around his. Jack moans and moves closer so his body is pressed against my side.
Not wanting to completely overwhelm him, I keep the kiss short, slowly pulling away and leaving him with a few lingering pecks. Jack pulls in a deep breath and rests his forehead against mine.
“Do you want me to—” I start, but he cuts me off.
“No. No, I’m good. I’m not ready for you to touch me like that yet,” Jack rasps and quickly pulls his head back. I can see the fear lingering in his gaze. Not fear of me, but of what happened to him.
