The Flight of Hope

by HJ Bellus

  I glance down my exposed torso. A raised scar rises up the side of my abdomen. I run the pad of my finger along it. It will always be a part of me. The accident left so many scars and marks upon my skin. It’s my story, but not my ending any longer.

  I glide my fingers along my stomach, feeling the indents and rises of the stretch marks left behind. The jangling of metal makes me look up. Jed’s twirling a set of keys around his finger as he reaches for a light. I glance around, seeing he pulled all the blinds and I’m assuming locked the doors. He reaches for the light switch.

  “No.” I shake my head.

  “Marlee, we don’t have to…”

  I close the distance between us, placing my finger over his lips. “This is me. The imperfections will remain. Time with you has helped me understand this is my armor and it tells a story. I’m ready, Jed.”

  He drops the keys on the bar top, raises his hand to my cheek slowly, making his way up into my hairline. He grips a fistful again, pulling me to him. When our lips crash we both take from each other, not apologizing for it. Our tongues tango in a heated dance, and Jed grabs me by the hip, grinding into me. His hard length is pushing through his jeans.

  I’m off my feet before I realize what’s happened. My ass hits the solid top of the bar. Jed’s hands wrap around my back, splaying out. The heat from them cause me to grind into his chest. I need friction. He unsnaps my bra with one hand. I reach up for the straps, letting them fall off my shoulders.

  “You’re gorgeous,” he whispers, never taking his stare off of me. “I’m a selfish bastard.”

  I lift his chin with my finger, making him look up at me. “Why?”

  “I’m a dying man, and all I want is you.”

  I smile. “In my book that makes you a human. A man with a huge heart that wants to be loved. I understand what you’re going through. I get it. I’m not fragile. I want you.”

  “Marlee…”

  He stops talking the second I reach down and pull up his shirt. My hands roam over his bronzed skin, relishing in the sensation. His muscles are wound taut with anticipation. I place my palm flat and run it down his chest to his abdomen.

  He throws his head back, moaning. It empowers me to go on. I flick the button of his jeans open and pull the zipper down. Jed leans forward, sinking his mouth around my nipple and reaches over, rolling the other one between his fingers. I freeze, nearly falling into an orgasm.

  My free hand goes to the back of his head, pulling on his hair, begging him for more. Jed moves from side-to-side, devouring me like he’s a starving man. I hear one of his boots drop to the floor and he kicks out of the other one. My hands are frantic, reaching to push down his pants.

  He lays me back on the bar before I have the chance to get them all the way down. His strong hands make quick work, pulling down my jeans and panties. My back arches off the bar when he runs his fingers through my folds.

  “Jed!” I scream.

  His rugged palm glides up my stomach as he dips his head. He rests his hand between my breasts. I grab onto it, clutching it as my anchor. My fingers dig into his hand as he licks between my folds. His tongue circles around my clit, making my head spin. When he bites down on it, I scream so loud my throat’s left raw.

  He cups my ass with his other hand, pulling me closer to his face, letting me ride out my ecstasy. It goes on and on, making me dizzy and hungry for more all at the same time.

  “I need you,” I beg and plead once my body is drained.

  I prop up on my elbow then use my hands to sit up. Jed places me back down on my feet. The world spins for a tick. I press both of my hands into his chest, back him up until the back of his legs hit a chair, and then push him down. I’m hungry, thirsty, and impatient as hell, not wanting to wait any longer.

  My hands dip into his boxers, wrapping around his rock hard thick length. Jed hisses, digging his fingers into my flesh. I can’t help myself and indulge in a few strokes of his cock before pulling him from his boxers.

  “I can’t wait,” I whisper, straddling his powerful thighs. “Help me.”

  Jed clutches the base of his cock, guiding me down on him. A sharp pinching pain zings throughout my body. I wince while continuing to rock on him.

  “Take it slow, baby.” Jed runs his palms up and down my spine, soothing away the ache.

  I bite down on my bottom lip, working my hips until the friction becomes delicious. He holds me tight to his chest as I move. Our bodies fit perfectly together, making me cry out his name over and over.

  Jed drops his head to my chest, digging his fingers into the flesh on my back. He holds me with a force that promises he’ll never let go. I mirror the same action, wrapping my arms around his neck, clutching on with everything I have. I’m offering up what’s left of me. It’s all his forever. And may that include an endless count of days.

  “Marlee,” he growls.

  I feel his dick pulse inside of me. It’s my final undoing. We roll, tumble, and somersault into our own orgasms. My fist full of his hair tightens, my knuckles turning white, and my promise deepening, never to let go. Now it’s time to smile.

  27

  “What’s meant to be will always find a way.” -Unknown

  “There’s a little cabin behind the restaurant tucked away in the pine trees…”

  I cut him off. “Take me there.”

  Jed stands with me in his arms. We ignore the mess we made as he dresses. His hands are roaming every inch of my skin as he does his best to put my clothes back in place. I relish each touch and lingering graze of his knuckles. We walk hand in hand back to the cabin with the glow of his cell phone.

  Jed gave up looking for his shirt. His tanned skin glows under the full moon. I gaze up at the brilliant, perfect round object in the sky, staring at another sign, urging me on. I’m already a goner. The moon’s light reflects off the bottle of Jameson clutched in Jed’s hand. He needs it tonight. I’ll give him that, but refuse to let him fall victim to the bottom of the bottle.

  He was spot on about the little cabin hidden by the tall trees. A door creaks open, Jed flips the light on, and a quaint interior comes into view. It’s simple with all the essentials. I run my hand along the back of the charcoal gray couch with hints of navy blue mixed in while Jed flips on lights and a shower.

  “Where is the bed?” I ask, peeking into the bathroom.

  My jaw drops, coming into view with Jed in the middle of dropping his boxers. The light is showcasing his perfect ass.

  “The couch has a hideaway bed.”

  I nod.

  He holds out a hand to me. I place mine in his. He tugs me to him. I go easy and free like an elastic rubber band snapping, giving into the force behind it. He guides me into the stone-walled shower. There’s barely enough room for the both of us. His towering body damn near swallows up the space on its own. He keeps me cradled to his chest. His hands roam all over my body in a sensual and romantic fashion, easing my tense muscles. It’s natural, not forced in the least.

  Jed cleans me while the shower does its best to erase away the memory of tonight. Thing is, it’s etched on my heart in permanent ink. He towels me off, then himself, and leads me to the couch. I watch his naked figure strip away the cushions and pull out the bed.

  I study the one-room cabin, recognizing his handiwork. Jed built this place. The Fender leaning up against the wall seals the deal. This is his haven, and he invited me in. When I glance back to the bed of soft sheets, piles of pillows, and a thick sleeping bag comes into view. Jed guides me down to the bed and shuts off all the lights.

  The mattress dips as he climbs toward me. His encompassing body wraps around mine, pulling my back to his chest. The silence wraps us up in an everlasting hug.

  “I’m scared, Marlee.”

  I lace my fingers in his draped over my hip. “I am, too.”

  “I was a dick when I first saw you. Seeing Fender with you in our family store did something to me.” He kisses the inside of my neck. “I flipped. Th
e tug and pull you brought out of me couldn’t be ignored. I like to build things, and that’s what I did to pass the time.”

  “You built this.” It comes out as a statement instead of a question.

  I feel him nod against my over-sensitized skin. “When I can’t be on the stage, my hands have to be busy. When I’d visit my parents over the last six years, I’d work on it. They were always short visits.”

  “You’ll be on the stage again. I do not doubt that.”

  “I want to believe that.”

  “You will. I’ll make certain of that.”

  “Tonight was…” He pushes his body closer to mine.

  “Perfect.”

  Jed’s lips graze my skin, soothing me to sleep. The force overwhelms me, making my eyelids heavy. So heavy they shut in the arms of the man who brought me back to life. Dreams of happily ever after with Jed and Fender highjack my dreams. It’s the sweetest of sweet.

  “Baby, I got you.”

  A husky, rich voice sings out. The words continue to serenade me with the sweet harmony. I pry open my eyes, the dull light taking a few beats to adjust to. And the view is sweeter than the man’s voice. His perfect, sculpted ass clad in black boxers comes into view.

  Good morning to me.

  Jed sways his hips as he sings. I don’t miss his carefree nature as he belts out the song. It’s his passion. He turns around with two buttered Pop-Tarts in his hand and smiles. Those damn dimples. Broad chest. And that man.

  “Perv,” he taunts me.

  I cover my mouth, keeping my giggle in.

  “Breakfast in bed.” He places a knee on the mattress, tossing one leg over me until he’s straddling my midsection. His rich cocoa eyes are staring down at me with a mischievous twinkle in them and his hair standing on end reminding me of yesterday.

  “You know Fender was in this same position yesterday morning.”

  “Trained him well.” He winks, juggling the pastries in his hands as he tumbles over to his side.

  “So, you do have a bit of Caleb in you.” I roll to face him.

  “Yeah.” He takes a bite out of the Pop-Tart. “Used to be a bigger smartass, carefree, and loved life until the…”

  “Cancer,” I finish for him. “I may be the one person who understands how life changes you, morphing you into a new person. One that you don’t even recognize.”

  He nods, brushing his cheek against the pillow. “This fucking sucks. I’m scared, but can’t crumble. I have to stay strong for Fender.”

  “You do. But fall into me.” I reach forward and take a bite out of his Pop-Tart he hasn’t offered to share. “You intrigued me the first time I saw you. Warmed up my heart and opened my mind to more with our silent coffee dates. But yesterday when I saw those pictures in your room and that smile you used to have, it sent me over the edge. I want you to smile like that again.”

  “Me, too. Me, too,” he murmurs.

  I lean in for a soft kiss, but snatch the Pop-Tart at the last minute and bolt out of bed. It’s three long lunges before I’m safely behind the bathroom doors.

  “You little shit,” he bellows out, followed by laughter.

  “Learned from the best.”

  I glance around the bathroom, finding a roll of paper towels then wrap up my Pop-Tart, placing it on top of the water heater. I pull open the door enough to peek out of it. Jed is stretched out on the bed, legs spread wide and arms propped behind his head.

  “How do you feel about sharing your toothbrush?” I raise an eyebrow.

  He shrugs and winks. “Not usually, but considering my mouth was in your…”

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” I shut the door before he finishes.

  The chorus of laughter floating into the bathroom warms me from head to toe. This place is stocked with all the essentials. Jed’s an organized man and has everything lined up in neat rows in the medicine cabinet. After brushing my teeth and tying my hair up, I open the door with my Pop-Tart in hand. Jed’s in the same position.

  “You know what’s weird?”

  “What’s that?” He pats the pile of blankets next to him.

  “I know little to nothing about you. Shit, I can count it off on one hand.” I jump into the bundle of blankets, snuggling close to Jed’s side. I take a bite out of the pastry and hold up one other hand, starting to tick them off. “You’re a famous, drop dead, gorgeous country star, you make phenomenal turkey sandwiches, you have a huge heart even though it’s hidden behind your fear, you’re raising the most lovable boy I’ve ever met, and Caleb is cuter than you.”

  “No, you didn’t.” Jed leaps from his relaxed state where he was soaking up each of my words and has me pressed into the mattress. His body covers mine. “Take it back.”

  “Fine, your turkey sandwiches are so-so.”

  “Marlee.” He dips his head, nipping at the tender skin on my neck. I roll into a fit of laughter, struggling to push him away. The Pop-Tart crumbles between us, creating a mess.

  “Fine. Fine.” I push up on his shoulders. “You’re way more handsome than Caleb, but don’t tell him that. And that wasn’t my fifth one.”

  “Go on.” He rubs his nose against mine.

  “I’m falling for you.”

  “Much better.” He rolls us over until I’m sitting on top of him, my palms planted on his chest.

  “Your turn,” I urge him on.

  He raises his hands, running them through his hair. That familiar intoxicating sensation courses through my veins, making me drunk on him.

  “Wait. I forgot one. When you run your hands through your hair, it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.” A fiery flush floods my cheeks admitting it out loud.

  “Good to know.” His hands come down to my waist, gripping tight.

  “Your turn.” I tap his chin.

  He groans. “You’re right. I have no idea of the basics. Don’t know your favorite color, foods, or anything, but what I do know is you’re a survivor, curious, and have a big heart.”

  I worry my bottom lip, not sure about the last one. It’s felt like my heart has shriveled up and drifted away over the last two years. Jed brings his hand up to my chest, splaying it over my heart.

  “It’s in there, baby. I can feel it beat. The rhythm sweet.”

  “I’m in awe, Jed. I never thought this was going to happen.”

  “That’s the thing about life, you never see it coming.”

  “It’s brutal and unforgiving.”

  “It is.”

  “I’m ready for my second chance.”

  Jed tenses and his expression falls.

  “Don’t. I’m in, by your side.”

  “Fuck.” He throws his arm over his forehead. “I feel like shit for putting you through this.”

  “Stop.” I reach down and kiss his lips, twisting my head, maneuvering around his arm. “I’m here. Done. End of. It may not be the perfect circumstance, but you’re helping me live again, Jed. I want this. It feels liberating, and for the first time in what has felt like forever I’m not drowning anymore.”

  “Color?”

  “Uh?”

  “Favorite color?”

  “Peach,” I reply. “You?”

  “Black.”

  I pull his arm away from his eyes, lace my fingers in both his hands, keeping them held out to the sides.

  “Food?” He raises an eyebrow.

  “Dessert. Anything chocolate.”

  “And you?” I wrinkle my nose, waiting on his answer.

  “Prime Rib. Rare.”

  The question-answer goes on and on, covering everything from allergies to favorite hobbies. Jed has an appetite for all sorts of food, but this is something I already knew, loves the outdoors, which I could’ve guessed, and his biggest fear is falling in love. Life hasn’t been kind to him.

  “I hit the music scene right out of high school. We grew up in a small town in Oklahoma. The day after graduation I drove to Nashville, and it started from there. Seems since then everyone has used
me, besides my family that is. The women wanted my body and access to my bank account, and so-called friends wanted to use me as a stepping stone.” He brushes the loose bangs dancing in my face to the side. “I became hard and protected my heart especially after Fender was born, knowing true love and friendship would never come as long as I was seen as Jed Bryant.”

  “I recognized you when I first saw you, but then could’ve kicked myself for not placing Caleb.”

  “Yeah?” he growls.

  “You two are twins after all. I see the differences, but still, you’re Jed Freaking Bryant,” I squeal and wiggle around on his midsection.

  “Shit, turned you into a groupie. Gonna ask me to sign your titties next?”

  My mouth falls open. “They really ask that?”

  “Oh, yeah, among other things.”

  “What’s the strangest thing you ever signed?” I shake my head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

  “Last question and I think we have all of our bases covered.” Jed rolls us over again with him hovering above. “Favorite sexual position?”

  A heated flush creeps up my spine; I duck my head. “Doggy.”

  “Dirty girl.” Jed throws his head back, roaring in laughter.

  “What?” I slap his chest.

  “It’s adorable how easily you embarrass.”

  “I should be used to it. Bentley was a dirty talker.” I slap my hand over my mouth.

  He pries my hand away, shaking his head side-to-side with a gentle smile. “It’s okay. I want to know about him and your life before. You share as much as you feel comfortable with.”

  I nod and whisper. “Thank you.”

  “Mine is reverse cowgirl.” He shrugs a muscular shoulder. “I’m an ass man.”

  “Last night was amazing,” I whisper, brushing the pad of my finger down his breathtaking jawline.

  “It was.” He kisses my forehead and then stands. “Want more than anything to go back to the bar and not for a drink either, but gotta go check on my boy. I’m sure Mom and Pops are smothering him by now.”