Stranded

by Chance Carter

  The tempo of the kiss grew. She became more demanding, pulling my face down and sucking my lip between her teeth. Electricity zapped my cock and I pushed her back, grinding into her until we were both breathless.

  I wanted her. I craved her. And now I was devouring her, giving as much as I took but always taking. Parts of me that had lain dormant for years sizzled to life. It was like turning on a room full of neon lights.

  Three years of waiting suddenly seemed like a negligible amount of time.

  For this kiss, for Dallas, I could have waited a hundred years.

  Chapter 25

  Dallas

  Shane was my first kiss, and after such an electrifying first I always assumed that the next one wouldn’t measure up, which would have undoubtedly been the case if I’d let Wes kiss me. Sure, he tried now and again, but I didn’t count it when I didn’t kiss back or when it ended with me shoving him off me.

  This kiss was everything our first had been and more, and I was glad that Shane’s were the only lips I’d kissed in earnest. I suspected nobody else in the world would be as good at it.

  It wasn’t just the way he kissed. It was the way he touched me, the way he held me, the way he moaned into my mouth and made me feel like I was the sexiest girl in the world. I had dozens of guys fawning over me several times a week, worshipping the ground beneath my six-inch pumps, but that feeling didn’t compare to what I felt now.

  I didn’t want to be sexy in front of a crowd. I wanted to be sexy right here, right now, with Shane’s hands sliding down toward my ass, his tongue spearing into my mouth and laying claim to the very air I breathed.

  His fingers dug into the flesh of my butt and dragged me closer to him. I could feel his arousal just below my naval, hard and long. My first kiss was so innocent compared to what I felt now, the throbbing need in my core that begged me to take things all the way. I’d never felt that before and it would have scared me if it didn’t feel so goddamn right.

  Shane began to kiss down my chin, my neck, stubble scraping over my skin and sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine. I dug my nails into his back and held on tight as he sucked on my throat, teasing me with his lips and teeth until I could barely stand. The husky moan that escaped my mouth barely sounded like me. I was another person now, in another place. The four walls of the dressing room fell away, and darkness enveloped us.

  “Shane,” I whispered.

  Was it a warning? Was it a plea? Even I couldn’t tell.

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  I gasped as his teeth nipped my skin. “I—I want to...”

  He pulled back and stared down at me, eyes dark. “Tell me what you want, and you can have it. Anything.”

  I licked my lips. “I want you to fuck me.”

  The words rolled out of their own accord, but I felt them with every fiber of my being. I wanted him in me, around me, crushing the life out of me. It was like my desire for him had been growing without my knowledge in the background all these years, and I was feeling the full power of it now.

  A low rasp escaped his lips, and he slammed his mouth against mine again, ratcheting up the intensity of the kiss until my toes curled. The fire in my belly burned through all my thoughts, sending them drifting away on the breeze as nothing more than smoke and ash.

  All thoughts except one.

  “Wait,” I said breathlessly. “Wait just one sec.”

  He stopped immediately and his eyes filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”

  “No, nothing’s—I guess I just want you to know before we go ahead that I’m still a virgin. Just...I don’t know. Be gentle with me.”

  Shane’s eyebrows rose, and he blinked, then he took my face in his hands. His rough thumb stroked my cheek, and I leaned into the caress.

  “Soon,” he murmured.

  I frowned. “Soon? What’s wrong with now?”

  “It shouldn’t be like this.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “I want you to have all the sweetness you never had. I want it to be special.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that. Nothing in my life was sweet or special—why should this be any different? Besides, I didn’t want him soon. I wanted him now.

  Before I could protest, the door handle jiggled.

  “Why is this door locked?” Wes boomed, banging on the door.

  Panic ripped through me and I pushed Shane toward the closet.

  “Give me a sec!” I called.

  “Fine,” he said, irritation giving his voice a hard edge. “You get five. One...”

  Shane’s jaw tensed and his fists clenched at his sides. He looked like the closet was the last place he wanted to be, but I forced him in with an angry look and pulled it closed as Wes continued to count. I pulled on a robe just as he finished counting.

  “Five!”

  I hastily unlocked the handle, and Wes barged in and stood, grinning. He was in a good mood tonight. Ordinarily, I’d make a concerted effort to spoil his mood in these instances, but tonight it worked in my favor.

  “You were amazing tonight, baby girl.” He approached me, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me close. I could practically hear the steam screaming from Shane’s ears in the closet and knew that if I didn’t get Wes out of there soon, there would be trouble.

  “Thank you,” I said. “Uh, have you seen Sasha today? I had a question I wanted to ask her.”

  Preston was at the club tonight, which meant Sasha would be around somewhere. She was never far from him, and I’d even once overheard Preston calling her his “slutty lamprey” to one of his friends. Whether Sasha knew how little he thought of her or not was up for debate, but it wouldn’t matter if she did.

  “Yeah, she’s up in my dad’s office.” Wes grabbed my hand, and I let him, internalizing the cringe it evoked. “Let’s go.”

  I stumbled after him as he led me from the room. I was glad that drawing Wes away would keep Shane safe, but Preston’s office was the heart of the danger zone for me. I tried my damnedest to avoid Preston when I could. He was unpredictable at the best of times and had a ruthless edge to him that so far his son was unable to match. Since our first meeting at that fateful party, he’d gone through periods of seemingly forgetting I existed to near obsession, and I could always tell which state he was in based purely on Sasha’s level of warmth toward me.

  Wes was chatting excitedly to me the whole way up, but I only caught snippets of it. Something about how he nearly stabbed some guy in the crowd for looking at me the wrong way, and how he was going to take me out to the fanciest restaurant in town tonight and treat me like a real lady. I was too distracted to listen. I could still feel Shane’s mouth on mine like a brand. I could still feel his hands on me, holding me, grabbing me. Wes had no idea that all this was going through my head but if he felt my pulse, he’d find my heart still racing. I worried that he might somehow read my thoughts, that I’d give Shane away just from the glassy expression in my eyes. I had to rein myself in before we reached Preston because if anybody was going to be able to tell, it would be him.

  Wes knocked on Preston’s door, and a second later it opened. Rob peered at us and nodded, permitting us entry.

  Sasha was there, sure enough. She was on her knees behind Preston’s desk, wiping white powder from her nose. Preston held a rolled up bill in one hand and was about to lean over the remaining line on the table, but instead paused as we came into view. His eyes were hard and focused as they took in my robe and heels combo. I could always tell when he was on coke because his gaze cut like knives down to the deepest part of me. He was looking at me like that now, and it couldn’t have been a worse time for me to have a secret.

  Sasha barely noticed that we’d entered. After she finished rubbing her nose, her hands disappeared under the desk and Preston, still looking straight through me, smirked. Thankfully we stopped far enough away from that I couldn’t see what she was doing.

  “How nice of you to visit us,” Preston said. “Would you care for a refreshment? A little n
ose candy, perhaps?” He held the makeshift straw aloft.

  I shook my head. “No thank you.”

  “Why not?” He grinned malevolently.

  “I’m watching my figure,” I replied in a flat tone.

  Preston laughed.

  Sasha rolled her eyes. “You’re such a bore.”

  “I agree. Why not have fun with us?” Preston asked. “Just this once.”

  White-hot irritation flashed through me.

  “I’m not interested, Preston. And for the record, no amount of cocaine would make me hate you less.”

  Sasha, determined not to let me hog the spotlight, dropped her head into Preston’s lap. He glowered at me for a second, then grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her away. “Go make me a drink.”

  Sasha eagerly rose to her feet and hurried over to the bar while Preston adjusted himself.

  “Dad, we actually—“

  “Shut up.” Preston’s gaze flicked to his son for less than a second before returning to me. I didn’t like the look in his eye but refused to look away.

  Fuck. I’d pushed him too far. Preston was obviously in a mood, as well as high and most likely drunk. The more fucked up he got, the more he felt like a god. And gods demanded tribute.

  Preston stood and stalked toward me, grinding his teeth. I felt like slinking behind Wes but held my ground.

  “Dallas, my patience is wearing very thin. We’ve been doing this dance for long enough now, don’t you think?”

  Before I could say anything, he snatched me by the arm and yanked me toward the desk. I stumbled and slammed my palms down on the edge of the desk to keep from falling into it face first. Preston dug his fingers into my hair and dragged my face toward the line of coke. I tried to stand, but his grip was too firm. He shoved the rolled up bill just below my nose.

  “We can do this the hard way or the easy way, dearest,” Preston growled. “Make your choice before I make it for you.”

  “Why are you doing this?” I shrieked, fighting back tears. I was powerless against him, and nobody was going to help me. Unless Shane busted through that door with the A-Team at his back, I was about to get my first taste of cocaine. That wasn’t what terrified me the most. Preston was enjoying this, and my ultimate submission would please him even more. He already had a taste for it. Who knew what Preston might force me to do next?

  “Get off of her!” Wes cried. “She’s mine!”

  Preston pulled me upright, hand still tightly wound in my hair. He turned until we faced his son, who looked positively murderous.

  “Is she?” Preston sneered. “You haven’t even sealed the deal with her yet. The way I see it, she’s up for grabs.”

  I was wise enough to stay silent, even though I despised them talking about me like a piece of property. I was too rattled to form a sentence anyway. This was the closest I’d ever been to seeing Preston snap, and I wasn’t out of the woods yet.

  “That’s none of your fucking business,” Wes snarled.

  “Isn’t it? Everything you have you owe to me, including this little piece. I’ve watched her drag you around by your balls for long enough. When are you going to man up?”

  “When I’m good and ready!” Wes spat. “That doesn’t change the fact that she’s mine and what I say goes.”

  “I think somebody’s in love,” Sasha cooed from behind me.

  Wes’s jaw ticked, but he didn’t respond. He just glared at his father, who finally released me, and shoved me toward him. Wes wrapped a protective arm around me and it was the first time I’d ever taken comfort in his touch.

  “Fine. Fly away then, lovebirds.”

  Preston’s booming laughter filled the room, but Wes was already leading me away, his hand rubbing gentle circles on my back.

  Chapter 26

  Shane

  I woke up to the sound of the office door opening and cracked an eye just as Jake lowered a steaming cup of coffee onto the table beside my head.

  “Good morning,” he said in a sing-song voice. “It’s a beautiful March day! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the homeless guy on my couch is snoring.”

  “Good morning to you too.” I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “What time is it?”

  “It just turned seven.”

  I was surprised I’d slept in so long since I was used to waking up at six or earlier without having to use an alarm. It must’ve had something to do with kissing Dallas. That kiss had finally fed a three-year-long craving, and not having that gnawing at me sent me into a deep and restful slumber. Even with a lumpy couch at my back, I suspected the only way I could have slept better was if she were beside me.

  “What kind of trouble did you get up to yesterday? I came around last night to see if you wanted to play Super Smash, but you were gone.”

  I grinned and picked up the coffee cup, letting it warm my hands. “I went to Satan’s Perch,” I told him.

  “Idiot.”

  “Trust me. It was worth it.”

  “Did you figure out a way to free Dallas?”

  My good mood stumbled. “No. Not yet.”

  Jake’s ginger brows knitted together in concern and he leaned back in his executive chair, hands folded together in thought. His Rowland’s Hardware uniform contrasted with the polished black leather, giving the scene a comical air.

  “Did you at least come up with any ideas?” Jake asked.

  “Still at a loss,” I admitted. “Neither Dallas nor her father are willing to put the other in danger, and there’s no way for me to get my hands on that kind of money.”

  “You could ask Preston nicely,” Jake suggested, curling his lip.

  I rolled my eyes. “To which I’m sure he’d nicely pump me full of bullets.”

  “If only bravado counted as a currency,” Jake mused. “Do you think Preston would accept store credit? He seems like the kind of guy who appreciates a good saw.”

  I grimaced and shook my head, taking a drink of coffee. As I swallowed, a thought hit me.

  “Hey, maybe you’re onto something.”

  Jake raised his brows, genuine surprise spattering his face. “I’m not sure I could get my dad to sign off on giving away that much store credit...”

  “No, no. That’s not what I meant.” I sat forward, cogs whirring in my head. “I wonder if there’s anything Preston would accept instead of money to pay off the debt. Maybe I could work for him or...” I trailed off, trying to think of what I could offer Preston that would be as tempting as over a hundred grand in cash.

  “If working for him was enough, Dallas would be out debt right now.”

  “I know. That was just an idea,” I replied. “There’s got to be something though, don’t you think? Preston’s got a lot of money already.”

  “But what have you got?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, shrugging. “I guess I’ll just have to ask.”

  “You’re joking right?” Jake shook his head. “You wouldn’t get within five feet of Preston without having your head blown off.”

  “I never said I was going to ask Preston.”

  “Then who the hell are you going to ask?”

  I scrubbed a hand through my hair, face pinched in thought. “I dunno. Someone close to Preston, but who maybe doesn’t idolize the jerk the way the rest of his goons do.”

  Jake cocked a quizzical brow and then laughed. “Good luck with that. Can’t you just ask Dallas?”

  “I don’t think she would know. It seems like Preston and Wes keep her in the dark about most things. Besides, I don’t want her to know what I’m up to until I have a solid plan. I’d like to keep her out of this as much as possible.”

  I dug through the couch cushions to find my phone, intent on texting my mom to make sure everything was groovy down in Oregon. I was surprised to see a text from an unknown number. It was from Dallas and had come in after I fell asleep. She wanted to make sure I made it out of the club okay. I texted back and said that I had, and asked if things wen
t okay with Wes, then went back to brainstorming.

  “What about—“

  Jake’s sentence was cut off by the abrupt beeping of my phone. It was Dallas’s reply.

  “Who’s that?” Jake asked.

  I scanned the message, frowning. She was fine, it said. Wes turned out to not be the problem. Preston and Sasha tried to make her do cocaine with them, and Wes had to intervene.

  “Dallas. Apparently, Sasha’s turned into a real piece of work.”

  “Right, I forgot that Sasha followed Preston around like a lost puppy.” Jake’s eyes lit up. “What about asking her? She would probably know.”

  “That wouldn’t be a bad idea except Sasha hates me, and if she’s that obsessed with him, I doubt she’d do anything to help us.”

  He frowned. “It’s a better idea than any you’ve come up with.”

  “True. But I think you’re on to something,” I said thoughtfully. “Everyone from Wes’s clique in high school seems to be involved in the Gromley empire somewhere. I’ve already seen Rob and Nelson...” The thought was at the tip of my tongue, and I grasped at it, finally victorious. “Paul! Is Paul still around?”

  “Paul Chesterfield?” Jake questioned.

  “Yeah.”

  He nodded. “He’s still part of the crew, yeah. You think he’d talk to you?”

  “I do,” I replied. “I always got along better with him than any of the other guys.”

  Jake nodded thoughtfully and shrugged. “Sounds like your best shot.”

  “Do you know where I can find him? I haven’t seen him yet.”

  “Probably because he doesn’t hang out much at the Perch. I’ve seen him here and there at the Buck’s Head when football’s on.” Jake pulled out his phone and fiddled on the screen a little bit. “And it looks like there’s a game on tonight. You might be able to catch him there.”

  I lounged back and drank some coffee, thoroughly satisfied. Meeting with Paul would be the first step on a road that I’d been told time and time again was unpassable. After that kiss the night before, there was nothing I couldn’t or wouldn’t do to help Dallas. That kiss had brought me back to life.