Dropping to my knees in front of her, I wrapped my arms around her body, laying the side of my face on her stomach.
“Baby,” I whispered shakily, then kissed her warm skin.
“What’s going on?” she asked, concerned.
“When I couldn’t find you, I thought…” I swallowed hard, not wanting to voice my fears out loud. Every time I was away from Mackenna, I was afraid her ex would go off the deep end again. That I wouldn’t be there when she needed me. Sometimes I had nightmares about coming home to find her gone.
“Everything is fine.” She ran her fingers through my hair in a soothing gesture. “I just wanted to surprise you.”
I huffed out a laugh, not letting go of the hold I had on her. “I see that now.” Resting my chin against her belly button, I glanced up at her face. “I was scared.”
“Sorry, babe.” The last of my fear melted away at the term of endearment. She’d never called me babe before. I liked it. Then her lips pulled into a naughty smile. “Wow, you’re not even looking at my tits.”
At the mention of her breasts, my eyes drifted to the dusky pink nipples just inches away from my face. “They’re great tits. And I like it when you say tits.”
She laughed and it made them bounce. I caught one between my teeth and her amusement turned into a moan.
“I need to shower,” I told her. “I’m dirty.”
To prove my point, I rubbed my thumb over her hip bone and left a dark streak of grease behind. Picking up my hand, she studied my blackened fingertips before dragging them over her stomach. I watched the lines appear on her pale, perfect skin, marking her as mine.
Mine.
Mesmerized by the physical evidence of my touch, I couldn’t stop. Bringing my hand up to her face, I smeared my thumb over the place where her dimple would appear if she smiled. I drew lines down her neck, over her collarbone, to her left breast.
Mackenna’s breathing picked up. “There. Now I’m dirty, too.”
“I guess we both need a shower now,” I said.
She stood up and held out her hand. Without hesitation I took it, willing to follow her anywhere.
When we stepped inside the shower, steam filled the air as she poured a large dollop of her body wash onto a loofa. The suds covered my skin as she scrubbed the dirt away.
“You’re too good to me,” I murmured.
“I like being good to you.” She smiled. “As long as you give me what I want.”
“And what do you want today?” I asked, amused.
“This.”
I gasped as her hand made its way around my cock. “Baby, we ran out of condoms yesterday.” My protest faltered when she rubbed her thumb over the barbell at my tip while sucking my nipple piercing into her mouth. “I—I haven’t—shit, that feels good. I haven’t had time to pick up more.”
“I don’t care,” she said, breathless. “Just pull out.”
We almost always used condoms, but nothing compared to the feeling of taking her bare.
It wasn’t just about how her wet, silky walls felt around my dick. It was more than skin on skin. It was about the connection. Just her body and mine.
But first, there was something I needed to do. Dropping to my knees, I lifted her leg and set her foot on the ledge of the tub.
“What are you doing?”
I looked up to find Mackenna wide-eyed as she watched me move closer to her pussy.
“Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” I replied. Using my thumbs, I spread her open, revealing her swollen sex. My mouth watered before I dove in.
Flattening my tongue, I ran it up her slit. I moaned at the taste of her while she gasped at the new sensation.
Her hand landed in my hair and the pull on my scalp turned me on even more. I wanted her to guide me, to grind herself on my face, to use me for her pleasure. My tongue circled her clit before sucking it into my mouth.
Mackenna let out a loud whimper as her body went limp against the wall. My hand went to her stomach to hold her up.
“Jimmy,” she panted. “This feels really good, but…” Her sentence turned into a moan.
I lifted my head long enough to ask, “But what?” Then I lapped at her some more, unable to get enough of her sweet taste.
“I want your cock,” she managed through another gasp.
I laughed against her clit. My girl was so impatient.
“Alright, baby.” Standing up, I gave her a light kiss before giving her what she wanted.
Pinning her up against the wall, I buried myself deep between her legs. I groaned at the feeling of her tight heat.
I would never get tired of this. The way her body fit me like a glove, her breath against my neck, her fingernails digging into my skin.
As I rocked into her, the emotions of the day came to the surface—anticipation for the fight, guilt over my dishonesty, and the fear I felt when I thought something happened to Mackenna.
Needing an outlet, I let it all out in the form of fast, rough thrusts. Her tits bounced from the force as I drove into her hard.
She didn’t seem to mind, though. Panting loudly, she clawed at my chest and shoulders, probably hard enough to leave marks.
I was glad. I wanted her to mark me, too.
And when I pulled out, my cum shot onto her stomach, branding her as mine again.
Rising up on her tiptoes, Mackenna kissed me slowly. Leisurely. Like we had all the time in the world. Hot steam filled the air while we basked in the post-orgasmic bliss.
When we parted, those big stormy eyes looked up at me, so innocent and trusting. Guilt gnawed at me again.
But then I tenderly peeled some of the wet, dark strands away from her forehead, revealing that scar.
That scar was my motivation.
As I placed a kiss over it, I vowed to do whatever it took to keep Mackenna safe—even if it meant keeping a secret.
CHAPTER 35
MACKENNA
When I was a kid, summer always seemed to fly by at lightning speed. All year long, the school year dragged while I waited for it. Then, when it came, those couple of months disappeared in no time at all, leaving me with fond memories and the anticipation of next time.
This summer was kind of like that.
Only, there wouldn’t be a next time.
It was hard to believe we only had a little over week before Jimmy was supposed to go back to Ohio. The past few weeks went by so fast. During the day, I stayed holed up in my house making music. Sometimes I spent time at Beverly’s. Then at night, Jimmy was all mine.
I was so selfish when it came to him. Maybe part of that was because I knew we didn’t have much time left.
So, when he told me he was going out with a friend tomorrow night, it took me a few seconds to recover from the disappointment of being without him.
Geez, Mackenna. Dependent much?
“Oh,” I said, trying to keep my tone light as I gazed down at the rooster-covered table cloth. “I didn’t realize you knew anyone around here.”
“Yeah. You know Jay Langston?” he asked, taking a bite of chicken.
“Not really. He was a year or two behind me in school.”
As Jimmy explained how they hung out while he was in Tolson when they were younger, I tried to put a lid on the ‘crazy girlfriend’ that wanted to burst out. Jimmy was a grown man. He didn’t need me to warn him about rumors I’d heard about Jay.
But I did it anyway.
“Just be careful, okay? Jay gained a certain reputation in high school. People said he was trouble.” If my memory was correct, the Jay I remembered didn’t have a lot of respect for authority and spent a good portion of his time in detention. “I mean, I know more than anyone how inaccurate rumors can be, and maybe he’s grown up since then,” I said optimistically.
“Hey.” R
eaching across the table, he rubbed the back of my hand. “I don’t want you to worry. Why don’t you spend the night at your parents’ house?”
I shook my head. “I’ll just stay here. I’m not five, you know,” I joked. “I can spend a Friday night by myself.”
“Well, hopefully I’ll be back before midnight.”
“Okay.” I forced a smile before pushing my mashed potatoes around my plate.
Jimmy looked like he wanted to say something else, his mouth opening for a second, but he didn’t. Giving me that sexy smirk, he went back to eating his dinner.
And I went back to remembering that, soon, I would be spending every night alone.
Maybe tomorrow would be good practice for me.
CHAPTER 36
JIMMY
Blood sprayed as my fist connected with Jaxon’s face, the crunch under my knuckles satisfying. He staggered backward, holding his hand over his face.
Yeah, his nose was definitely broken.
I was winning by a landslide. He might’ve had more muscle mass than me, but I had revenge on my side.
What was his motivation? Money? Sport? The satisfaction of getting to inflict pain on another person?
My reason was better.
Obviously, he spent time lifting weights. His arms and shoulders were massive, making him appear as though he had no neck. But while he might’ve had me beat at bench pressing, I was taller and faster. His lack of agility would be his downfall.
The fight had been going on longer than people expected, and I could almost feel the anxiety and excitement coming from the crowd around us. Most assumed it would be over within ten minutes. Although I’d lost track of time, I had to guess we’d been going at it for at least twenty.
I could’ve ended it a long time ago but, like a predator playing with its food, I was toying with him. I enjoyed watching him struggle. I liked seeing his energy slowly dwindle. But most of all, I reveled in the flicker of helplessness in his eyes.
I knew I was going to win and so did he.
Every injury I’d sustained was worth it. If I could make him feel a fraction of the pain he’d caused Mackenna, I would do this all night.
Miles from the nearest town and surrounded by tall cornfields, the abandoned farmhouse was the perfect spot for a fight. A couple trucks were pulled up around us with the headlights on, making sure everyone could see the action.
I wiped at the blood coming from a split in my eyebrow, and braced myself as Jaxon righted himself and came at me again. He crouched low and plowed me around the middle.
We both went down with a grunt. I took a hard blow to the ribs, but I got the upper hand when I flipped us so I was on top. I landed a quick punch to his cheekbone.
The faint wailing of sirens snapped me out of the zone I was in. When I glanced up, red and blue flashed far off in the distance. Jaxon took the opportunity to shove me off and we both staggered to our feet.
“Shit. Shit!” Jay shouted from somewhere off to my left. I could hear him yelling at Colin, the organizer of the fight. “Call it, man! We gotta get out of here.”
Colin started to reply, but I tuned them out as I collided with Jaxon, taking him back down to the ground. Hard.
Too concerned about the possibility of getting caught, he’d just made the mistake of taking his eyes off me as he looked to Colin.
With panicked shouts, people fled the scene.
But I wasn’t done yet. If I only had a minute to finish this, I was going to make it good. I didn’t show any mercy as my fist slammed into his face again and again.
Someone grabbed my shoulders to pull me off, but I elbowed whoever it was in the face.
“That’s it!” I heard someone say. “I’m out. Let the cops break it up.”
“Fuck you, man! You can’t just leave your own fight,” Jay yelled in response.
I pinned Jaxon’s arms down with my legs as I wrapped my hand around his throat, but I didn’t squeeze hard enough to cut off his air.
I needed him to be conscious for what I was about to say.
“You will never contact Mackenna again,” I growled low, not even recognizing my own voice. “Do you understand me?”
His eyes widened as he struggled to breath. “What the fuck,” he wheezed. “I haven’t seen that bitch in years.”
“I know about the letter you put in her mailbox.” My hand squeezed tighter. “And the damage you did to her car.”
He tried to shake his head but couldn’t. “I just wanted to scare her. I don’t need that slut anyway,” he rasped. “I’ve already got a new piece of ass.”
Before I even knew what I was doing, I reared back and brought one more blow to his face, effectively knocking him out.
A high-pitched sound repeatedly caused pain to radiate through my skull, and it took a second to realize it was more than just the sirens from the nearing police cars.
A screaming girl stood off to the side, wringing her hands. Tears flowed down her face, leaving dark tracks from her mascara. As I backed away from Jaxon’s unconscious body, she rushed forward and fell to her knees beside him.
She glared up at me.
“What did you do?” she sobbed. “Why wouldn’t you stop?”
With the long dark hair and light eyes, she had a striking resemblance to Mackenna. Only this girl was young—too young—probably not even seventeen. No amount of makeup could disguise her innocence, lack of developed curves, or the child-like roundness of her face.
“You’re a pretty girl. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you,” I told her, hoping she would listen. “Don’t waste it on this loser. Do you even know why he was in jail?”
The sirens were getting closer and Jay was damn near frantic, but I couldn’t walk away without warning her. If I could prevent this girl from ending up in the same situation as Mackenna, it was worth a shot.
“You don’t know me,” she snapped.
“No, I don’t. But I know what guys like him do to girls like you. Get out before you end up stuck in a bad situation.”
Her hard stare wavered as she looked down at the ground, and I got the feeling she’d already been a victim of his abuse in one way or another.
“I’m having his baby,” she said quietly.
Fuck.
Jaxon had been out of prison for less than three months and the first thing he did was find some young, vulnerable girl to prey on. Then he knocked her up, tying her to him for the rest of their lives.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I closed my eyes and gave her the only advice I had. “If you have supportive family members or a friend… Let them help you. You’re going to need it.”
Jay’s red Corolla pulled up next to us and he rolled down the window. “Get in the fucking car!”
I hopped into the passenger seat and he hit the gas, tearing down the gravel driveway. In the rearview mirror, I watched one of the cop cars turn on to the deserted farm. My shoulders relaxed when I thought we might actually get away, but the second car kept going straight.
And he was gaining on us quickly.
“Pull over,” I told Jay, already trying to figure out how I was going to explain this to my parents.
Shaking his head, he pushed the pedal down. “No.”
“You can’t outrun a cop,” I reasoned. “Pull over and we’ll just have to hope he’s cool.”
Jay started to hyperventilate. “I can’t get pulled over.”
“It was a fight, not a prostitution ring. Plus, you weren’t involved.” I pointed to my bloody face. “I’ll take the blame for this.”
“No. I’m high as a kite right now.” He raked a hand through his reddish-brown hair. “I’ve got shit in my car. If they find it, I’m gonna be in so much trouble.”
Shocked, I looked over at him. “What shit?” When he didn’t answer, I asked again. “Wha
t shit, Jay?”
“No, no, no,” he muttered before he hit the brakes and veered off into a ditch.
We came to a bumpy stop. Flinging the car door open, he took off, disappearing into a cornfield.
Sonofabitch.
The police car pulled up behind me, and I winced when the bright headlights reflected through the mirror.
Now that the adrenaline from the fight had worn off, I had one hell of a headache and I was becoming very aware of the bruises on my body.
As the officer approached, I stayed put in the vehicle, knowing that running wasn’t going to do me any favors. Despite my previous encounters with the law, I had respect for cops. I just had to hope he would be understanding and cut me a break.
There was no way he wouldn’t do a search after the way Jay took off.
Whatever he had stashed in the car was going to be a big deciding factor in the outcome. Alcohol? Not too bad, even though he was underage. Pot? Also not terrible, depending on how much he had. Coke, meth, or heroine? He was fucked. And I might be fucked, too.
I’d suspected Jay was into certain activities, and now I felt like an idiot for not being more cautious. Jay always seemed fidgety, nervous, and either hyped up or totally mellow.
I’d been so focused on getting the opportunity to beat Jaxon’s ass that I overlooked all the signs.
And now I was going to pay the price.
CHAPTER 37
MACKENNA
I woke up to the sound of ringing, and when I rolled over I almost fell off the edge of the bed.
No, not the bed.
I was on the couch. Why was I on the couch?
Then I remembered waiting up for Jimmy, and realized I must have fallen asleep at some point. The phone was still ringing, vibrating on the surface of the coffee table. Picking it up, I squinted at the flashing screen.
“Jimmy?” I answered groggily.
“Mack,” he breathed out, sounding relieved to hear my voice.
“What’s going on? It’s—” I pulled the phone away and looked at the time. “—after 3 o’clock in the morning.”
Dropout (The Good Guys Book 3) Page 22
