“He looked intimidating from a distance, but Jay seems cool,” I tucked my hair behind my ears since the wind kept whipping it in my face.
“Yeah, Jay can look scary but he’s just a big teddy bear. I really don’t know how he ever fought; the dude can’t stand to swat a fly.”
I laughed at the image my mind conjured of big, burly, Jay, refusing to kill a fly.
“Jason and his fiancé are over there. You wanna go meet them?” Jared asked, nodding to a couple sitting close together, a little ways from the bonfire.
I bit my lip in nervousness; they looked like they wanted to be alone, and so I told Jared that.
He laughed, “They won’t mind, kitten. Stop making excuses.”
I groaned as he pulled me up from where I was sitting in the sand. I brushed my jeans off, before taking his hand.
Jared approached the couple, clearing his throat.
“Hey, Jare,” the blonde guy said. He had clear green eyes and a nice smile. He had the typical look of a surfer.
“Jason, long time no see,” Jared sat down. Instead of having me sit beside him, he pulled me onto his lap, cradling me against his chest. “Eva,” he nodded at the woman with pretty chestnut hair. She smiled pleasantly at me.
“I’m Katy,” I said, not bothering to let Jared introduce me to them.
“We figured,” Eva said. “Whenever Jared talks to Jason anymore, he’s always talking about you.”
I looked up at Jared. Even his dark stubble couldn’t hide his flaming red cheeks.
“It’s nice to see Jare finally find someone,” Eva looked between the two of us. “He deserves it.”
“Yeah, you do man,” Jason, said. “Katy,” he nodded to me.
“Are you enjoying the beach?” Eva asked.
“It’s lovely,” I said.
“It’s even nicer when it isn’t so crowded,” Eva looked down the beach where more bonfires and people were visible.
“What are you two doing over here by yourselves, anyway?” Jared asked.
“Eva wanted to watch the sunset,” Jason took a sip of his beer.
Eva looked at me. “I always think there’s nothing better than watching the sun set over the ocean.”
“I completely agree,” I smiled, feeling completely at ease. I could see myself becoming friends with Eva.
“Are Kane and Lacy coming?” Jason asked.
“Kane said they were,” Jared shrugged, jostling me.
Jason snorted. “They’ll probably get here once everyone’s packed up for the night. Kane never could be on time for anything. He’ll probably miss the birth of his kid.”
“That’s not nice,” Eva smacked Jason’s shoulder.
“It’s true, babe,” Jason kissed her.
At that moment, we heard a booming voice cry, “The par-tay has arrived.”
“Kane,” Jared and Jason said simultaneously.
I turned to see a tall, lanky guy, with a spiky black faux-hawk approach us. His arm was slung across the shoulders of a pretty, very pregnant, blonde.
Behind them, I could see Holden talking to Jay. Piper and Rollo were roasting marshmallows.
“Hey, Kane,” Jason raised his beer in greeting.
“Where can I get one of those,” Kane pointed to the bottle.
The blonde tapped his chest. “No drinking, Kane. You have to drive us home. You know I can’t fit behind the steering wheel anymore.”
“Baby, one beer won’t make me drunk,” he pleaded.
“I don’t care,” she crossed her arms over her chest, standing her ground. “If you take one sip of a beer, I’ll get someone else to drive me home and change the locks on the door. We’re about to have a baby, it’s about time you grew up.”
Jared leaned forward, whispering in my ear, “They’ll be at it all night, now.”
Kane made a face and stomped forward like a petulant child.
The blonde shook her head, waddling forward.
“Kane! You didn’t bring my chair! Go back to the car and get it! If I squat down in this sand, I’ll never get back up.”
“Fuck!” Kane threw his hands in the air. “I can’t wait for this kid to pop out already.”
“Maybe you should have thought about that before you knocked me up!” she yelled at him as he walked away.
She looked down, realizing that I was a stranger to her and blushed. “I’m sorry, I’m not normally like this. It’s these damn pregnancy hormones. One minute I want to ride the man, the next I want to strangle him. And I’m so hot all the time,” she fanned herself. “And my feet are swollen!” She looked down at her flip-flop clad feet.
Kane came back with a folded up chair. He opened it up, digging it down into the sand for stability. He surprised me by helping her into the chair. Kane had brought himself a chair, and fixed it next to hers.
“Thank you,” she said, leaning over and kissed his cheek.
“Damn mood swings,” Kane grumbled, but his words had less bite, because of his smile.
She laughed. “Oooh, the baby’s kicking,” she grabbed his hand, putting it to her stomach.
Kane grinned. “This never ceases to amaze me.”
Jason chuckled at his friend. “Did ya’ll find out if it’s a boy or girl?”
“It’s a girl,” the blonde smiled.
“Can you believe it guys? I’m going to have a daughter,” Kane said.
Jared chuckled. “You were the last one of us I ever pictured having a kid.”
“Do you have a name picked out?” I asked.
“Lilly,” she smiled. “Oh, how rude of me, I’m Lacey, and you’re?”
“Katy,” I answered.
“My girlfriend,” Jared kissed my cheek.
“Awww, you two are so cute together!” She cried.
“I’m Kane,” he leaned out of his chair to wave at me.
I laughed. “I kind of figured that out.”
Kane chuckled. “Yeah, all the yelling probably tipped you off there.”
“So, when’s the baby due?” I asked.
“Two more weeks,” Lacey frowned. “I don’t think I can stand this for one more day, let alone two more weeks.”
“Well,” I shrugged, “at least at the end of it, you’ll have a baby in your arms.”
“That’s very true,” she smiled. “I can’t wait to see her. I hope she has Kane’s dark hair and not my blond hair.”
“I just hope she likes me,” Kane said and we all laughed.
“Of course she’ll like you,” Lacey patted his cheek. “You’re her daddy.”
“Are ya’ll prepared for all the crying, diaper changes, and no sleep?” Eva asked.
“Kane’s a night owl, so he gets that shift,” Lacey giggled.
“By myself?” Kane looked scandalized.
“You’ll do fine,” she said.
“That’s easy to say now! There’s no baby yet!”
“We’ll discuss this later, Kane. Tonight, we’re having fun with our friends,” Lacey smiled.
We all stayed relatively quiet as we watched the sun set.
The sky turned from orange, to red, to the deepest purple, before the night sky completely took over. The stars twinkled above and the bonfire roared behind us.
Someone started playing music and the people around us started dancing.
Jared kissed my neck, sending tingles down my spine. “I want you to dance with me,” he crooned.
A part of me wanted to say no, but I pushed it down.
“Okay,” I gulped.
Jared pulled me up and we joined the crowd of dancing couples.
He turned me around, so that my back was against him. His hand gripped my stomach and he whispered huskily in my ear, “Move with me.”
He started rotating his hips and I froze.
His hand on my stomach slid down to my hip, his other hand reached out for my other side. I was completely flush against him, my breath coming out in stutter gasps.
“Just like this,” he started mov
ing my hips with his hands. His chin rested on my shoulder. “You’re safe with me, Katy,” he assured.
“I know,” I reached my hand back, wrapping it around his neck as he continued to move my hips.
“You’re a natural,” he growled, lightly biting my earlobe.
I smiled as he removed his hands; I kept circling my hips to the song.
I knew then, that I wanted Jared tonight, in every way.
As we danced, fireworks broke out across the night sky in celebration.
The reds, blues, and whites, looked beautiful as they reflected off the ocean.
The firework show lasted for thirty minutes.
When it was over, the bonfires were extinguished.
We said goodbye to Jared’s friends, and I exchanged numbers with Eva and Lacey.
Holden, Rollo, Piper, Jared, and I headed back to the hotel.
Rollo grabbed my elbow and pulled me away from the group. Jared looked back for me, but when he saw that I was with Rollo, he continued on his way.
“You’re glowing,” Rollo looked me up and down. “Have you…?” He cleared his throat.
“No, but I want to… tonight,” I blushed at my admission.
Rollo grinned, waggling his eyebrows, “Go get him baby cakes, and give him the best night of his life.”
I quickly hugged Rollo before jogging to catch up to Jared.
Jared smiled at me. “You were amazing tonight, with my friends.”
“They’re awesome,” I replied, smiling up at him. My heart was racing a mile a minute as I thought about what I was about to do.
“And thank you for dancing with me,” he kissed me, “best night of my life.”
He had no idea how much better it was about to get.
We were quiet as we stepped into the elevator with the others.
I watched the numbers grow higher.
With each level that we went up, my heart skipped a beat.
“See you in the morning,” Rollo squeezed my hand in passing.
“See ya,” Piper smiled, knowingly.
“Later,” Holden muttered.
Jared slid the key card into the door. It beeped merrily.
As soon as it was closed behind us, I jumped into his arms, kissing him like I was starved.
He gripped my waist so I didn’t fall.
We fell onto the bed, a tangle of limbs. It might not have been graceful, but I didn’t care.
This was Jared.
“Katy,” he pulled away, hovering above me, his chest heaving with every breath. He stared into my eyes, searching for something. His tongue flicked out, wetting his lips. “Are you sure?” he asked. He bent so his forehead was pressed to mine, nose to nose. “Once we start… I don’t think I’ll be able to stop,” he bit his bottom lip.
I swallowed, and said the words I knew he needed to hear. “Touch me, Jared. All of me.”
With a growl, he ripped his shirt over his head. The muscles of his chest rippled and I traced them with my finger. His skin was so soft, but hard, at the same time.
“I can’t resist you,” he kissed a trail down my neck to the curve of my breast that swelled in my shirt. “I never could.”
I ran my fingers from the edge of his jeans, over his stomach, before wrapping my hands around his neck and pulling him to my lips.
I pushed all thoughts of Preston and what he did, to the back of my mind.
This was different.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling his hips against mine, I moaned when I felt his hardness.
“Katy,” he panted against my lips, “please, I have to take this slow. I don’t want to hurt you, and if you keep doing things like that, I won’t be able to control myself.”
“Jared,” I pleaded, but he silenced me with his lips. He kissed me thoroughly before raising me up, pulling his jacket off of me, and then, my thin cotton shirt.
He traced the curves of both of my breasts with his finger, before skimming that finger down my stomach, around my belly button, stopping at my jeans. I held my breath, waiting for him to remove them, but I jumped in surprise, when his tongue made a trail up my body, following the same path his finger had just taken. I couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped me.
“You like that?” he growled.
I nodded, having lost my voice.
He moved back down my body, lavishing me with his tongue. When he reached the top of my jeans, I arched. I needed them off.
With a gentle hand, he pushed me back down to the bed, holding me there. “Slow, kitten, we take this slow. I want this to be perfect for you.”
I nodded. He held my eyes in his steady gaze as he popped the button on my jeans and slowly slid the zipper down. I whimpered.
“Do you want me to stop? If you want me to stop, it has to be now,” he paused.
“Don’t stop,” I begged. “Please, don’t stop.”
“Oh, thank God,” he crashed his lips against mine once more. I wiggled my jeans down to my hips. With a mighty yank Jared had them completely off and on the floor. “You’re mine,” he growled, devouring me.
“I’m yours,” I tangled my fingers in his short hair. “I have been since the moment I met you.”
He lightly bit my shoulder and growled, “You have no idea how good it is to hear that.”
“Please, Jared,” I thrust my hips against his, “I need you.”
“You’re impossible woman,” he nipped my chin.
He stood up and I mewled in protest. He grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and pulled a small foil packet out, tossing it on the bed next to my head. I watched as he undid his belt buckle and his jeans fell to the floor.
His erection was clearly visible in the outline of his boxer-briefs. My eyes widened in wonder. How the hell would that fit inside of me?
Before, I could freak out completely, he was back on top of me, holding himself above me. He lifted me up, flicking the clasp of my bra apart. It fell down my arms and he pulled it away, promptly kneading my breasts. “God,” he moaned, “when will I stop being surprised that everything about you is perfect?”
His mouth closed over one of my nipples and I cried out. “Jared!”
His mouth swirled over the tightened bud. “I don’t know if I can stop, Katy.”
“I’m not asking you to,” I panted as his hand skimmed down my stomach to my panties, ripping them from my body. I now lay completely bare to him. I thought for sure I would feel embarrassment, or panic, but instead I just felt love. This was Jared and I was ready to give everything to him.
His mouth moved to my other breast as his hand slid lower. His fingers flicked at my entrance, before one slipped inside.
I cried out in surprise, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck so that he wouldn’t stop.
“You’re so tight,” he kissed my neck. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”
“You could never hurt me,” I told him.
He growled, removing his finger, before I could cry out in protest he was back inside me, with two fingers this time.
My eyes widened as he moved his fingers in and out of me. It hurt, but it felt good at the same time.
“I want you to be good and ready,” he whispered low in his throat, making it sound like a growl.
He moved down my body, his fingers leaving me again.
“Jare-” I started and then shrieked when his tongue touched my sensitive flesh. “Oh God,” I moaned.
I closed my eyes, breathing heavily.
Little moans escaped me as the pleasure of what he was doing coursed through my body.
A finger joined his tongue and I came undone, screaming and panting.
He pulled away and I kept my eyes closed. I heard the foil packet rip and my heart rate accelerated. When I felt him over me once more, I opened my eyes.
I could feel his length hovering at my entrance but he didn’t move.
“Katy,” he breathed. “Are you ready?”
I gripped his arms in my hands, staring into his
chocolate brown eyes. “I’m ready,” my voice was surprisingly steady.
His muscles flexed as he slowly started to slide into me.
My nails dug into the skin of his arms hard enough to draw blood. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. It hurt, the stretching, but I didn’t want him to stop, and knowing Jared, if he thought I was in pain, he would.
He inched back out and then back in, going a little further this time.
“Just do it!” I screamed. “Please!”
He growled and did just that.
His moan filled the room, drowning out my whimper.
He didn’t move for a moment. “Are you okay?” he asked.
I nodded. “It hurts a little, but it feels good too. I know you won’t hurt me, Jared,” I cupped his jaw. “Please, make love to me.”
“I love you,” he said, rocking gently in and out of me. “You know that, right.”
“I know,” I moaned as he stretched me. “I love you too,” I stared at him, with passion filled eyes.
“It’s always been you, Katy,” he kissed me, “you’re the one I’ve been waiting for.” He took my hands in his, entwining our fingers together, and holding them beside my head.
As pleasure consumed me, words left me. All I could focus on was the feeling of him inside me, and the love I felt for this man. He’d changed my world.
Who knew that so many months ago, the guy who rescued me in the club would truly become my savior.
“Katy!” he cried out my name as he came and I did the same. I repeated his name over and over again like a prayer.
He got up and disposed of the condom and then came back to the bed, spooning my naked body against him.
He kissed my neck, whispering sweet words in my ear as his fingers rubbed up and down my arm.
I would never get used to the small touches from Jared.
The way he would press his lips to my neck or skim his fingers down my arm.
Maybe that was the problem with most relationships. People didn’t appreciate the small things; the small touches and glances, when they should, because those small things add up to bigger things. Those small things are what make life worth living for.
EPILOGUE one year later
I don’t know when I stopped being a victim.
It wasn’t something that happened over night.
Unraveling Page 33
