Just Breathe Series (Trilogy Box Set)

by Martha Sweeney

  I squeeze my eyes shut, duck my head behind Jared’s shoulder and grip his arm, not wanting to see anything. A scream leaps from my throat when the car jolts from being turned on. “I fucking hate you,” I shout.”

  “No, you don’t,” Jared challenges.

  “Yes, I do!” I shout.

  Jared wraps his right arm around my waist.

  Our bodies are hurled through the air and my nerves continue to tremble as I slowly begin to hear my friends laughing and shouting. No one bumps into us, and when I eventually look, I see that Jared avoids bumping into them.

  “Look out!” I scream, ducking into Jared’s chest. Nathan almost collides with our car.

  “Come on, Emma,” Jared coaxes. “I need your eyes. You got to tell me when they’re coming up behind us.”

  “Nice try,” I scold. The sound of a car colliding with something catches my attention and I yelp.

  “See,” he mentions. “I need you to warn me.”

  My eyes pop open a little and I can just barely see over the back of the car. “Maggie at seven o’clock,” I announce.

  Maggie’s car skims the edge of our vehicle as Jared jerks the steering wheel, forcing us to bolt in a different direction.

  “Don’t stop,” Jared encourages. “What else do you see?”

  Popping open, my eyes confirm Joe trailing us. “Joe’s at our six o’clock,” I reveal.

  “How close?” Jared checks.

  Joe grins at me and suddenly jerks his wheel to the right, deflecting Nathan from coming at Jared and me. I watch as Pop-Pop and Joanna, who are riding in the same car, collide into the opposite side of Nathan’s vehicle. Pop-Pop and Joe send me reassuring smiles and the tension eases a little from my shoulders.

  After a few more rounds of dodging vehicles, Jared inquires, “Who should we get?”

  “What?”

  “Who do you want to target?” Jared questions.

  My eyes scan the people around us and a wicked grin smears across my face. “Nathan.”

  “Sweet,” Jared confirms with a devious laugh.

  Jared swirls around, avoiding Maggie and Henry and corners Nathan with the aid of Pop-Pop.

  “Get him,” Pop-Pop coaxes.

  A giggle brushes past my lips as Jared and I head directly toward the front of Nathan’s car. I scream when out our vehicles collide, but the jolt isn’t as jarring as I expect it to be.

  “Who’s next?” Jared asks.

  “Maggie,” I reply.

  “I got your back,” Nathan says, still laughing.

  Maggie’s able to avoid us with the temporary help of Henry, but Pop-Pop and Nathan come to our aid to corner her. Jared and I continue to ride around, seeking out targets while getting hit just as many times as we intend to strike others.

  “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Jared says, helping me out of the car.

  My cheeks hurt from smiling and I shake my head in disbelief. Maggie, Joanna and I head to the restroom before continuing on. Right as we enter the facilities, I bolt toward the nearest toilet.

  “Emma, you okay?” Maggie inquires.

  Vomit surfaces in my throat two seconds after my face reaches the porcelain rim. I uncontrollably hurl into the bowl several times. Maggie helps by flushing the toilet to rid my nostrils of the horrific smell as she wipes my nose and mouth with toilet paper.

  “You good?” she asks once I sit back against the wall of the stall.

  “That was fucking horrible,” I shout. “How could you let them do that to me?”

  Maggie squats down to a sitting position. “Emma?”

  The back of my hand launches at her arm.

  “Ouch,” she mumbles. “Did that help?”

  “Yeah,” I confirm.

  “Here,” Joanna offers, handing me a bottle of water.

  “Thanks,” I accept.

  Once I’m able to stand, Maggie gives me room to pee. She offers some mints to help with the residual taste of vomit in my mouth before we leave the bathroom.

  “You okay, Kitten?” Jared checks with a worried look on his face.

  I nod, not wanting to expose the contrasting smells and tastes from my mouth.

  “She just needed to let out some tension,” Maggie suggests.

  “You sure?” Jared searches, holding me by the shoulders.

  I nod again, but my hands begin to strike at his arms and torso.

  “Kitten,” Nathan defends.

  “Serves me right,” Jared comments, taking the weak beating that I’m inflicting.

  “Can we go now?” I ask.

  “Nope,” Nathan sings.

  “Fuck,” I mumble. Wincing, I apologize to Pop-Pop and Joanna for my language.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart,” Pop-Pop soothes. “I actually expected worse.”

  We all laugh.

  “Ready for the next round?” Nathan inquires.

  Everyone smiles and agrees but me.

  The next form of torture my friends have planned are the go-karts. Jared and I pair up again, being the only two to ride in a two-person car while everyone else rides solo. The fact that we aren’t going to be deliberately bumping into everyone helps a little, but when we take to the track, the tension returns when I realize how much faster we’re traveling over the ground. I keep my face covered most of the time, peeking out on occasion between my fingers.

  On our way back to the hotel, we stop off for a late lunch. It takes me a little while to eat, barely starting my meal until everyone else is halfway done. We shower and change when we get back to the hotel before heading out to the casino floor to gamble a little until we have dinner. Pop-Pop and Joanna return to their room not long after dinner and I decide to do the same when my friends choose to extend their evening. Jared and Nathan escort me back to my suite, double checking that I’m okay. I just tell them that I’m tired from all of the excitement of the day and want to relax and maybe hit the spa.

  What feels like five minutes later, my body begins to tremble and sob as water pours out of my eyes. I laugh at myself for my uncontrollable need to cry after the trauma, slash fun, I had this morning with my friends. Sadie is not with me, Anna is watching her, which is most likely the main reason for my outburst.

  My phone suddenly buzzes and without thinking, I answer it. “Yeah,” my voice shakes and cracks.

  “Emma, what’s wrong?” Joe asks with a worried tone.

  Sniffling, I mumble a bunch of nonsensical words explaining what’s going on and how I think it’s stupid that I’m crying. Five seconds later, there’s a knock at the door. Not thinking, I blubber into the receive for Joe to hold on while I see who’s at the door. My stinging, watery gaze falls upon Joe’s concerned face as the door opens. Without a word, he steps into my room and wraps himself around me, carrying me to the bed. We lay together not talking until my crying subsides.

  “If I knew this would have been the effect, I would never have agreed to today with Jared and Nathan,” Joe admits, wiping away my tears.

  “I’m fine,” I object.

  “Emma, no you’re not,” Joe argues.

  “It’s just a release from all the stress from earlier and other stuff too,” I sniffle.

  Joe’s lips find mine. “You sure?”

  “I really did have fun after a while,” I confess with a giggle.

  “Really?” he probes, not fully believing me.

  “Yeah,” I agree. “I kind of regret not trying to drive the things myself. Not that I know how. That’s what I think I’m more upset about, really, than anything else, other than Sadie not being here.”

  “Would a late night run help?” Joe asks.

  “Yeah, actually,” I admit.

  “Good,” he says. “Get dressed and I’ll be back as soon as I’m done changing.”

  “Okay,” I agree.

  Joe kisses me several more times, hesitant to leave.

  “I’m good,” I assure.

  I clean up my face and change quickly, eager for a run. Joe knocks o
n my door just as I’m getting my sneakers on. When we make it to the lobby, Joe turns and looks at me.

  “What?” I ask, confused by the expression on his face.

  “I had and idea, but I’m not sure if you’ll like it,” Joe replies.

  “What?”

  With a smile, he questions, “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes,” my mouth says faster than I would have preferred.

  Joe takes my hand and leads me to a car that is sitting at the far left side of the hotel driveway. When we get closer, I see Hunter and Taylor standing next to it.

  “Where are we going?” I inquire.

  “Do you still trust me?” Joe checks.

  I nod.

  About twenty minutes later, Hunter pulls up into a dark parking lot. My eyes squint to read the sign that is lit by a dim light at the far end of the driveway. Though it’s dark, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as the surroundings start to become vaguely familiar.

  Taylor opens the door for me and Joe offers his hand. As we get closer to the building, the lights suddenly come on and I understand where Joe has taken me. A small smile creeps across my face and my body shakes with excited anxiety. Looking to Joe, I nod my willingness to move forward.

  “Welcome back,” the manager greets, pushing the door open. “I’m glad to see you’re willing to take another shot at it.”

  “Thanks,” I hesitantly greet.

  “Which one did you want to start on?” the older man asks.

  My attention is drawn to his name tag. “Let’s get this over with, Bradley.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he says with a smile.

  As we wait for Bradley to get a two person go-kart out from the line, my fist hurls through the air and jabs Joe in his chest. He doesn’t flinch, but I see a small flicker of pain in his eyes when he looks down at the spot where I hit him and back at me.

  “That’s for earlier,” I mention. “For not stopping Jared and Nathan.”

  “Feel better?” he checks.

  My arm punches him again in the same spot. “A little, yes.”

  Joe takes the hit like a man, but I can see that I really did hurt him and wince a little after the fact.

  “You sure you’re ready?” Joe asks, buckling me into the contraption.

  “No,” I reveal. “But, I know I need to.”

  Joe nods and then fastens his belt. “I’m going to go slow at first. Let me know when you want me to go faster.”

  “Okay,” I agree.

  “Gas,” Joe says pointing at the pedal closest to me. “Break.” His hand gestures to the pedal on the left.

  “Okay,” I confirm.

  “You only use your right foot,” he instructs.

  “Why?”

  With a sweet smile, Joe says, “If you use both at the same time, you won’t go anywhere and just burn gas and potentially damage the vehicle.”

  “Got it,” I comment.

  “Hunter will be following us just in case,” Joe mentions. “Count down and I’ll go on one.”

  I nod. My gaze stares blankly at the narrow winding road before us. Joe takes my hand and kisses it. Our eyes meet and his expression calms my nerves and shifts my emotions into pure desire. I lick my lips and begin the count. “Three . . . two . . . one.”

  Wind whips mildly through the loose strands of hair that don’t fit into my pony-tail as my gaze stays fixed on Joe’s face. My heart races from the adrenaline surging through my veins and heat gathers in my groin. Joe looks over at me on occasion, smiling when our eyes lock.

  “Faster,” I instruct.

  My hair dances around a little more and I force myself to look forward. “Faster,” I command, guiding Joe’s hand between my thighs.

  Joe’s head sharply turns in my direction.

  I quickly look behind us to see how close Hunter is, finding that he’s a good distance away and then press Joe’s hand closer to my sex.

  “What are you doing?” Joe questions with intrigue.

  “Trying to associate good emotions and memories,” I inform. “Faster.”

  Joe’s foot presses down more on the pedal, sending my back into the seat. “You okay?” he checks after hearing me yelp.

  “Mmm hmm,” I agree, biting my lip. I direct his fingers up and down the outside of my pants and I can feel the moisture spread around between my lips.

  The go-kart abruptly springs forward. “Sorry,” Joe apologizes.

  “Keep going,” I command.

  “With my hand or the speed?” he inquires.

  “Both,” I inform with a grin.

  Joe nods and speeds down a straightaway. He slows a little as we’re about to hit a turn, but picks up the speed again after rounding the corner. We dart around the track several times as I continue to direct Joe’s fingers over my clitoris. The paired emotions of anxiety and arousal grow and I feel my body wanting to cum. My left hand clenches Joe’s thigh as the climax builds.

  “You okay?” Joe checks.

  “Mmm hmm,” I moan, biting my lip. “Fuck.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” I say.

  “Are you close?”

  “Yes,” I admit.

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “No,” I confess.

  The orgasm swells inside me faster than I anticipate, drenching my underwear.

  When my breathing returns to normal, I say, “I want to drive.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes.” My body still quivering from the rush.

  Joe slows the vehicle down and we stop at the opposite end of the track from the main building. He studies me for a moment. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

  I nod.

  “I need a minute before standing,” he reveals.

  “Why?”

  Joe’s eyes lower to his lap and when mine follow, I giggle at the tent he’s pitched in his track pants.

  “Another first,” I mention.

  With a laugh, Joe confirms, “Another first.”

  About five minutes later, we swap seats.

  Once buckling us both in, Joe lifts my hands and places them on the steering wheel. “Think of it as just riding a bike with a motor,” he instructs. “The only difference is the way the bike is propelled forward.”

  “Okay,” I nervously reply.

  Joe lifts my right leg and presses it onto the break. “Once I hit this button, if you take your foot off the break, the vehicle may roll slightly. When you’re ready, take it off of the break and ease your foot onto the gas.”

  “Got it,” I say, barely confident that I can handle all of this.

  “You can do this, Emma,” Joe encourages. “I’m right here with you.”

  My knuckles turn white from the iron-clad grip I have on the steering wheel. I take several deep breaths, steadying my shaking body.

  Joe’s warm hand rests on the middle of my thigh. “You’ve got this, beautiful.”

  My foot lifts from the break, but the go-kart doesn’t move. Tension releases a little in my shoulders. I count down in my head — three — two — one. The ball of my foot shifts onto the gas, immediately snapping back when the car jumps forward a little.

  “Ease into it,” Joe instructs, guiding my foot back onto the pedal, gently pressing down on my knee.

  The vehicle moves forward again at the same speed as before, but I don’t remove my foot after understanding what it feels like.

  “There you go,” Joe coaxes. “Nice and easy.”

  The go-kart is easy to steer as we travel at a snails pace compared to Joe’s previous speeds. My foot gradually presses harder on the pedal, making us move faster along the track. Joe’s hand reaches out on occasion, helping me steer. When I’ve made it one time completely around the track, my foot pushes down more.

  “There you go,” Joe comments.

  Instinctually, my head turns to face him and I suddenly panic. My foot comes off of the gas and I remember that there’s more to what I need to do to get the car to stop. By
mistake, my foot hits the gas pedal again, launching us forward before I slam down on the break which causes our bodies to jerk in response.

  “What’s wrong?” Joe questions with a worried voice.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, staring at his phone that is pointed at me.

  “Thought you might want to have evidence of your first time driving,” he suggests.

  “Turn it off,” I command.

  “No,” he chuckles.

  “Joseph,” I scold.

  “Fine,” he concedes.

  I purposefully wait for him to slip it back into his pocket before driving again. My gaze darts to Joe several times as I resume the speed at which I was driving before I caught him.

  “Faster,” Joe encourages with a laugh.

  The competitive side of me takes the dare and my foot advances further down. After a successful lap, my leg pushes forward and the go-kart rushes down the track.

  “Speed demon,” Joe teases.

  “Shut up.”

  “I dare you to go faster,” Joe challenges.

  I maintain my current speed.

  “I dare you to pass Hunter,” Joe says.

  “He’s practically on the other side,” I remind.

  “So?”

  My foot bears down on the pedal until it touches the floor and we zip around the track. Joe instructs me when to slow down for the corners and when to punch on the gas while assisting with the wheel.

  “Come on, slow poke,” Joe yells at Hunter as we zoom past him. “You drive like an old man.”

  Joe and I giggle like children as we hurl over the road. When we catch up to Hunter again, he lets us pass him, but he’s quick to catch up.

  “It’s a race now, beautiful,” Joe comments. “Don’t let him pass you.”

  “How?”

  “Stay out front and don’t give him the opportunity to sneak by on the corners,” Joe instructs.

  “I can’t do that,” I say.

  “Sure you can,” he suggests. “With my help.”

  Several times around the track and my body is finally relaxed. “Is that all you’ve got?” I shout back to Hunter.

  “Come on, Taylor,” Joe baits when we pass where he’s standing.