by Naomi Niles
I smiled. “No problem,” I said. “Truly, I had fun doing it.”
“You have to allow me to pay you back-”
“Not a chance,” I said before she could even finish her sentence.
“Peter.”
“No way,” I said. “That was all meant to be a gift, as well as an apology.”
Madison looked me straight in the eye for a moment. Her green gaze was so bright and so mesmerizing that it was impossible to look away. “I can’t accept all that,” she said. “It’s too much.”
“No, it’s not,” I insisted.
“It must have cost a lot,” she sighed.
“Actually, it didn’t,” I said. “No, seriously. My contribution was mostly time. I cleaned up the house a little and did some repairs on it.
“Sam helped me out with the furniture. The fire department has a bunch of forgotten and discarded items that they don’t know what to do with and he suggested we use some of those pieces for your house. We cut and polished them up for you, but they didn’t cost a thing. Really, you did us a favor really by taking the furniture.”
Madison cocked her head to one side and looked at me skeptically. “And bed sheets?” she asked. “The pillows, the rugs, and the bathroom mats? Did they come from a forgotten and discarded pile in the fire department?”
“Umm…yes.”
“Huh, funny what good condition everything is in, considering,” she said, with raised eyebrows.
I smiled guiltily. “Okay, okay, so maybe those things are new.”
“And they would have cost you at least a couple of hundred dollars,” she insisted. “And the door – my new front door. It’s beautiful, and it’s definitely not from any discard pile anywhere. That door is brand new. I can smell it in the wood.”
I smiled. “Okay, I spent…some money.”
“And, I want to pay you back for it.”
“Like I said, no way,” I said firmly. “I’m sorry, Madison, you can push the money into my hands, and I’ll only break into your house at night and sneak it back into your purse.”
She laughed. “Is that a promise?”
“Actually,” I said defiantly, “it is.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Madison
He was looking at me with finality in his eyes and I knew he wouldn’t budge from his position. I could see it in his beautiful eyes – he was never going to give in and he was never going to let me pay him back.
I couldn’t deny it: I was touched. No one had ever been so selfless towards me in my entire life. It lifted me up in a way I’d never experienced before.
“You are amazing,” I blurted out, saying the only thing I was capable of thinking at that moment.
His smile was grateful and shy, and it made me want to rip the white t-shirt off of him and throw my body on top of his. He looked particularly masculine in his plain shirt and his dirty blue jeans. He had obviously spent his day working with his hands. Automatically, my eyes fell to his hands. They were large and callused, but so capable. I felt my heart rate pick up slowly.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Does that mean you’ll accept my gift and my apology without trying to pay me back?” Peter asked immediately.
I smiled. “Yes,” I nodded.
He let out a breath of relief. “I’m glad you liked everything.”
“Liked?” I repeated and then I shook my head. “I loved everything. Seriously, Peter, you have no idea. I’ve never lived anywhere that looked as nice as the inside of my house looks right now. It’s always been crappy little apartments with the stink of smoke and booze clinging to the walls.”
“I’m glad,” he said. “I mean, I’m not glad that you had to live like that…just that you don’t have to live like that anymore.”
I laughed as he tripped over his sentence. I reached over and took his hand in mine. “And just to clear things up, you don’t need to apologize to me about anything.”
His expression ironed out into seriousness as he returned the pressure on my hand. “I shouldn’t have reacted that way,” he said. “I should have handled that situation better.”
“You walked in and you saw him grab me,” I said. “Of course, you reacted the way you did. If I had been in your shoes, I might have done the same thing. It’s just that I couldn’t see it that way for some time because he is my brother, and I do love him. Just the image of anyone pointing a gun at him is…”
“I know,” Peter said quickly as I trailed off. He bent down and kissed my hand in an old-world gesture that I wasn’t used to. “I know. I realized that if someone had pulled a gun out on one of my brothers, I would have freaked out, too.”
“He’s my older brother,” I said softly. “But the truth is, I’ve been taking care of him my entire life. He’s too much like my mother. I was scared he would go down the same path she did. But it seems like I’m fighting a losing battle there.”
“Is that why you decided to leave at last?”
“It was,” I nodded. “When I finally realized that nothing I said or did would make the slightest differences in the choices Victor made, I was forced to see that I was just compromising my own life for the sake of his. I was forced to face the fact that I couldn’t save Victor. I couldn’t protect him from making the same mistakes my mother did.
“And, when I had accepted that, I also realized that there was no point in me sticking around any longer. I needed to save myself.”
“You did,” Peter said gently.
I looked up at his warm, hazel eyes. “Kameron’s not going to forget about me, Peter,” I said softly. “I’m not deluding myself into believing that just because I haven’t heard from Kameron or Victor in the last few days, that that means they’re just going to leave me be. It’s not going to work like that.”
“There’s a difference now though,” he said.
“What?” I asked desperately, hoping he would have some magical fix for my life.
“You’re not alone anymore.”
They were simple words, but I felt my heart open out. It blossomed as though it had been closed all this time and it was just waiting for the right words to stop being shy.
“Really?”
“You have me now, Madison,” he said. “And I’m going to make sure that no one ever hurts you.”
“That’s a big promise to make, Peter,” I pointed out.
“I know that,” he nodded solemnly. “And, I wouldn’t have made it had I not intended to keep it. Do you trust me?”
I looked into those safe, brown eyes and instinct gave me my answer. “Of course, I trust you,” I said, and my words took me by surprise. Here I was, trusting a man I had only known for a few weeks. Here I was, in the middle of a foreign state, in a foreign town, and I was putting my trust in a stranger.
“You know…it was kind of hot watching you bust into my house,” I said, feeling my fingers ache to touch him.
Peter broke into laughter. “Was it?”
“Extremely hot,” I nodded. “If it weren’t for the fact that the guy you were beating up was my brother, I might have jumped on you right there and then.”
Peter’s eyes met mine. He grabbed me around the neck and pulled me to him. His lips hit mine with a burst of passion, and my tongue explored the softness of his lower lip as he pushed me down onto his bed. There was no gentleness about the way he touched me this time. His hands left burning trails up and down my skin, and I longed for their heat.
I didn’t want him to treat me gently, not in this one aspect. I wanted him to take me roughly, ravage me and devour me. I wanted him to fuck me hard, until I was screaming his name and clinging to the sides of his bed.
And in this case, I didn’t care if I woke John up.
Peter ripped my shirt off me ,and I heard the tear of buttons as they came loose from the thread. I was past caring. I wanted to be free of my clothes and that seemed to be the quickest way. I scratched at his clothes, trying to remove the layers of material separating our b
odies. I could see the burn in his eyes, and I felt myself moisten at his obvious desire.
He pulled off my pants and underwear in the same breath and finally, I was naked and free. He was kneeling on the bed, and I sat up so that I could unbuckle his pants. The moment I pulled them off, I was faced with his impressive erection. I wanted him inside me immediately, but the sight of his cock in my face distracted me. Without thinking about it, I slipped the tip of his penis into my mouth, and I heard him gasp at the unexpected move.
“Fuck,” I heard him gasp again, and it sent a little thrill of pleasure shooting straight through my body. I sucked him hard, taking more and more of him into my mouth with each suck, until he was deep inside my throat and his body was going into throes of shivers. When I knew he couldn’t take it anymore, I pulled away, releasing his cock.
Peter’s eyes opened, and I saw how undone he was by the force of that blowjob. I liked knowing I had done that to him, but I was equally sure he could do that to me.
“Fuck me,” I breathed, as I turned my back to him so that he could enter me from behind.
I gave a little scream of pleasure when he jammed his cock inside me. It seemed as though my mind and body were no longer mine. I had no control over anything. He was the one in control. He was the one who was holding the reins and I was happy to let him ride me for as long as he wanted.
His hand grabbed my ass as he fucked me, slamming into me with new force in each thrust. I tried to stifle the gasps and screams escaping me, but it was just no use. I had already relinquished control to him and now I was at his mercy. He didn’t slow his pace, he didn’t relax his movements, and he didn’t reduce the pressure. He barreled into me as though he had something to prove.
I orgasmed violently, clinging to the bed as though my life depended on it. But he was still not done. I was amazed at his stamina and at his longevity. I had never had a man fuck me this hard, for this long before.
He only flipped me over and entered me again. My body was aching, still recovering from the first orgasm, but he prompted another wave of euphoria to come over me in a matter of minutes.
“Peter,” I screamed, as he rammed into me with force. “Peter!”
He bent down to my breasts and sucked on my nipples as I gripped at the headboard behind me. I could feel the full length of him inside me, and it was amazing. It made me feel whole, complete, as though I had finally found my other half. I hadn’t even realized I was missing something until he was inside me and I felt that completeness. It was more than just a sexual experience; it was a spiritual one. And it was as I came the second time that I realized what I had been missing my entire life.
Seconds after I came, Peter orgasmed, too. His body shivered in satisfaction and then he collapsed on top of me. Beads of sweat clung to his body and the moment his chest made contact with mine, his sweat fused with my own. I slipped out from underneath him and settled into the crook of his arm by his side as he lay there with his eyes closed. His chest was rising and falling in steady beats, and I bent my head down to lick the sweat off his pecs.
My body felt like jelly. It felt like I was made up of little particles that could blow away at any time. It felt like Peter had fucked the tension, the worry, and self-consciousness out of me.
And without all those heavy emotions weighing me down, I was as light as air. I could float away if I chose to. I could fly away if I wanted to. But the point was, I didn’t want to fly away, especially if it meant leaving Peter behind.
I had never understood what people meant when they spoke about spirituality. It seemed like a strange and vague concept to me. But now, I was beginning to understand. It was that sense of peace you got when you realized contentment was better than happiness and trust was sometimes more important than love.
“How are you?” Peter asked. His voice was low and soft. His hazel eyes had the hazy calm of spirituality about them, too, as though he was feeling exactly what I was feeling.
“Great,” I replied, matching his dreamy tone of voice. “I’m going to need the night to recover, though.”
He smiled and closed his eyes. I leaned in a little closer and traced my fingers along his golden-brown eyelashes. Realization dawned on me in small, sharp bursts. I was starting to fall in love, maybe for the first time in my life – and it was far more intoxicating, far more chaotic, and far more uncontrollable than any orgasm could ever be.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Peter
I woke up and rolled over, hoping to find Madison’s warm body lying next to mine. But all I landed on was empty space and flat sheets. I opened my eyes instantly to find that she had left. I sat up in bed and sighed with disappointment. She hadn’t even said goodbye. I felt a little deflated as I headed into the bathroom to brush my teeth.
Was it possible that all she really wanted was sex? Was it possible that I was a good distraction from her life? I wanted so badly to believe that Madison’s interest in me was deeper than that, but it seemed as though she was always in a hurry to leave. I had a quick shower, pulled on some work shorts and an old t-shirt, and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast for John and myself.
The moment I stepped out into the hallway I heard the sound of voices, raised in laughter and conversation. Wrinkling my brows, I headed towards the kitchen where the sound was emanating from. I turned the corner and found Madison and John, sitting at the table together with plates of bacon, egg, and toast lying between them. Polo was sitting at Madison’s feet, with his nose pointed towards the smell of bacon.
“Hi,” I said in surprise.
“Hi,” Madison replied, with a brilliant smile. John gave me a subtle wink that Madison missed.
“What’s happened here?” I asked.
“I woke up early,” John said. “And, I ran into Madison when I came to the kitchen. You didn’t tell me we were having guests over.”
I shot him a look.
Madison laughed. “I didn’t exactly tell him I was coming over,” she said. “I kind of invited myself. So I thought it only fair that I made breakfast for you guys.”
“You made breakfast?” I asked. “I thought you didn’t cook?”
“I don’t usually,” she nodded. “But I just felt…like taking a risk today.”
“And, it certainly paid off,” John told her, stuffing some egg and bacon into his mouth.
She laughed and shook her head at him. “John’s just being kind. It’s a breakfast any layman could make, but I wanted to play it safe today. Come join us.”
I slipped into a chair at the table between John and Madison, and I felt my spirits lift immediately. “Hi, boy,” I said to Polo, as I bent down to pat him on the head.
He cringed a little at the sight of my approaching hand, but he stood his ground. I petted him for a few seconds and he actually seemed to relax after the initial contact.”
“I hope you don’t mind that I brought him over,” Madison said. “I heard him whining when I walked out this morning.”
“You went out this morning?”
“I got up really early,” she nodded. “That’s how I got the idea to get breakfast together. I went to the grocery store to get a few things.”
“We have a fully stocked fridge now,” John informed me.
I turned to Madison. “You shouldn’t have bothered with that.”
“You filled my entire house,” she reminded me. “It’s small repayment to fill your fridge.”
She passed me a plate and started loading it with food. “Everything smells great,” I said.
“Maybe you should taste first?” Madison said, a little nervously.
I dug in and chewed slowly, as though I was trying to form an opinion. Then I swallowed and turned to her with a smile. “It’s amazing,” I said. “You might have a few hidden talents, after all.”
“Good to know I have options.”
Fifteen minutes later, John scraped his plate clean and headed for the sink. “Thank you, Madison, for a wonderful breakfast and t
he wonderful company. It’s nice to have some feminine energy around here for a change.”
“Aw, that’s sweet of you to say, John,” Madison said with a smile. “Are you off to work now?”
“Yes, I am,” he nodded. “And, I have a full day, so that meal really helped boost my energy.”
We waved John off and then I turned to Madison, thankful to have a few moments alone with her before she too had to leave for work. She was gazing over at me with a soft, dreamy smile on her face.
“What?” I asked, suddenly self-conscious.
She laughed. “I was watching you this morning while you were sleeping,” she admitted honestly.
“Oh, boy,” I sighed. “Did I snore? Did I drool? Please tell me I didn’t drool.”
Madison laughed louder. “Of course not. I was just admiring you…”
“Were you?” I asked with one raised eyebrow. “I’m flattered.”
“The gunshot wound is…a little scary, though,” she continued in a softer voice.
“Ah,” I nodded. “You didn’t notice that before?”
“I did,” she nodded. “But it never really registered. And, I was a little too distracted with…other things before to really pay much attention to it. It looked like a scar. It’s healed well.”
“It has,” I nodded.
“Was it painful?” Madison asked tentatively, as though she were scared to offend me by asking the question.
“It’s strange really,” I tried to explain. “There was this great burst of pain at first, the most awful pain imaginable and then…it faded.”
“It faded?”
“You go numb in a way,” I continued. “It’s like your body’s trying to shield your mind from feeling the pain, so it cuts off that feeling. I can’t remember much that happened after the gunshot sounded. I have little bursts of memory, but they’re really vague…almost dreamlike.
“I remember being in the ambulance with Talen’s face hanging over me. I remember waking up in the hospital in unbelievable pain. I remember that my body was like a foreign thing to me for some time.”
