Melissa's hand cupped my cock through my boxers, squeezing the outline of my shaft with her delicate fingers. My eyes rolled back into my head and a shiver coursed through me like an electric current. I'd never wanted someone so bad. I'd never felt so powerful and yet so goddamn weak all at once. This woman held me in the palm of her hand—quite literally—and I found myself thinking I would do anything and everything to please her. Satisfaction wouldn't be enough. I wanted to ruin her, to exhaust her so fully and completely that she could never leave my bed.
I pulled back enough to inch her shorts over her hips and down her long legs, and Melissa kicked the fabric off once it reached her ankle. My boxers went next, and though I felt another stab of pain as I maneuvered them off of me, it seemed like it was coming from somewhere distant. The pain couldn't reach me here, with this goddess of needs and wants. It was all pleasure and only pleasure.
Melissa's gaze lowered to my turgid cock and widened. I smirked. I never had anything to worry about in the dick department, but seeing the expression on her face still felt good. Long and thick, my dick was probably my favorite thing about myself. If all went to plan, it would soon be Melissa's favorite thing about me too.
She reached for me, wrapping a hand around the back of my neck to tug my lips back to hers. I kissed her hard and deep, grinding my length up her stomach as our bodies flattened against each other. She felt so good, every inch of her soft and sweet and perfect. Her nails scraped down my back just hard enough to make my hair stand on end and my cock throb.
Another second without being inside her would kill me. I shot out a hand to the wallet on the dresser, cracking open one eye so I could fish out the condom I kept there. She snatched it from my hand and I opened my other eye to look down at her.
She read the question in my eyes. "I want to put it on," she said, pushing my shoulder until I backed up a little.
I felt another pulse of heat radiating between my thighs and gritted my teeth, watching hungrily as she tore open the packet and reached between us to start rolling the condom over the head of my cock.
Every touch of her hand on me sparked electricity that I felt deep in my balls. She made something as mundane as putting on a condom feel erotic and new, and by the time she'd finished rolling it down to the root I was shaking from the need to get inside of her.
Melissa lay back, staring up at me with half-lidded eyes and a sexy little smile that drove me wild. I found her entrance with the head of my cock and pressed inside a little, testing her.
"Fuck," she moaned.
She was tight, and my second push went a little further before I had to pull back. My forehead was sweating, arms shaking. I pressed forward again, and this time I slid down to the hilt in perfect, velvety heat.
The pleasure was indescribable. Melissa wrapped her legs around me and angled her hips up to press me inside further and I saw stars. Her body felt like it was made for me, designed to bring the purest pleasure. I sank into her heat and pulled back over and over again, dialing up the sensation each time. We kissed hungrily as our bodies writhed together. She bit my lower lip and held it and I growled, ramping up the intensity of my thrusts to show her who was boss. Of course, that was exactly what she wanted me to do, and Melissa's keening wail as she approached her climax soon filled the room. Fuck, was it a turn on.
I slammed harder, pulling one of her legs over my shoulder to change up the angle. Melissa's hands dug into my back and she thrust back against me until the room echoed with our ragged breaths.
Heat and searing pleasure bubbled up inside of me, and I knew I wouldn't last much longer. Melissa was so close though—I could feel it in the way her pussy gripped me, could see it in her glassy eyes and tense expression. She was desperate for her climax and I was just as desperate to give it to her.
I slung her other leg over my shoulder and reached even deeper inside of her. She shouted out some colorful expletives and then, like a dying star, she exploded right beneath me. The air rushed from my lungs as her spasms milked my swollen cock, and I slammed harder and harder until finally I released inside of her. My body turned inside out and the world turned upside down, and it was more than just intense.
It was heavenly.
I let Melissa's legs go and collapsed on top of her, shaking. For a while all we could do was breathe together, and the aftershocks of my orgasm rolled over me one by one.
It was light outside by the time we finally fell asleep, and the closed curtains glowed with the promise of a new day. I held Melissa tight and decided, right then and there, that I wasn't going to let her go.
Chapter 15
Melissa
I woke slowly and with a happy smile on my lips. The happiness was purely to do with the fact that I'd just slept better than I had in months. The good sleep was probably because I was more tired out than I had been in months, but I had to chalk some of it up to my sleeping companion. Some of the happiness too.
Jack was still passed out next to me, one long leg tossed over mine and his face turned to the wall. He looked different when he was sleeping, and I rolled onto my side to observe him for a little while.
The sun had passed over the window, which meant it was sometime in the afternoon. I didn't want to check my phone to find out what time exactly because I was worried of what else I might find, and I wanted to extend this pleasurable mini-vacation from reality as long as possible. Before long I would have to face the decision I made last night.
And the fall out.
Jack's lashes were long for a guy's, something I hadn't noticed until I saw how they swept his cheekbones while he slept. His hair was rumpled and his jaw unshaven, but he still looked like he belonged in a cologne advertisement or something. The tattoos that ran up both his forearms blossomed over his shoulders and chest, and I reached over to trace the outline of a skull, wondering what all of his tattoos meant. I'd never had so many questions about a person before.
That thought reminded me of how little I knew about Jack. I knew he had a sister and that he grew up in Bell Springs. I knew that his mom had passed away a few years ago, and I knew without him having to tell me that it had been a truly devastating loss. He was kind and compassionate, but Donnie had seemed that way to me too at first.
What was I doing?
I pulled my hand back but stayed watching him, listening for the rise and fall of his breathing in the dimly lit space.
How did I know that this guy wasn't just using me too? We'd never talked about what this was or what we wanted, and I was in serious danger of having my heart broken by him. He waltzed into my life out of nowhere, magically possessing every quality I longed for in a partner, and that was dangerous. It wouldn’t take long for me to fall for him, even if I hadn’t already begun the process. And make no mistake, I had. I was one stiff breeze away from tumbling right down that crevasse and I knew better than anyone that falling was a helluva lot easier than climbing back out.
I turned onto my back and stared at the ceiling, frustrated. I wanted to trust Jack. I wanted to let myself want Jack. I felt this profound connection to him that I couldn't put into words, and I wanted to think that he felt that too. Bad experiences had taught me that pinning your hopes on a person only ever ended in disappointment.
"Good morning," came a gravelly voice from beside me.
I let my head fall to the side, where Jack was looking over and smiling at me. His eyes were warm and I couldn't help but return his sleepy smile.
"It's definitely not the morning anymore."
He laughed, grunting as he reached over me to grab his phone from the bedside table. He sighed and lay back. "It's 1:30."
That wasn't so bad. I didn't have to start my shift until four.
"Go back to sleep if you're tired," I told him. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't, crazy girl." Jack slipped an arm under my shoulders and rolled me, bringing my face to his chest. I was careful not to prod his injured rib, though he seemed like he was able to deal
with the pain.
Me, on the other hand, I couldn't deal with pain. Not of the emotional variety, anyway. And this felt too good. Being with Jack felt too fucking good for me to deal with.
"I should go." I tried to pull out of his hold but he held me tight. "Jack, let me go."
"No."
"Why not?"
I looked up at him. He was smiling down at me, those lips curled into a deliciously devious smirk.
"I'll let you go if you can tell me that you honestly want to go," he offered. "Say the words and mean them and you're free to leave."
That wasn't fair.
"This isn't a good idea," I said. Those were words I could mean. "It was fun, but I need to get back to my life now. What's left of it, anyway. I've got lots of work to do if I'm going to set out on my own."
"I can't disagree with you there," he replied, stroking my head with his gigantic hand. "These next few days are going to suck. I disagree about this not being a good idea, on the other hand."
I opened my mouth to fight him on it, to find some way to communicate what I was going through without having to admit how deeply I felt him in my bones and how much that scared me, but he silenced me with a chaste kiss on the lips. My body liquefied.
"It's crazy," he whispered, lips brushing across mine in a feather soft touch. "This whole thing is crazy, but there's something between us, sweetheart, and I want to explore that. Don't you?"
How could I argue with that? I literally didn't even have the power to speak and so just kissed him back.
"I feel that too," I admitted afterward. "And it scares me."
"I know." He was quiet for a moment, and I listened to his heart thump in his chest. Jack reached over and tipped up my chin until our eyes met. "Why don't you come with me?" he asked. "You can leave all this drama behind. No strings."
It was tempting. The part of me that loathed confrontation would've been quite happy to just never show up for work again, to never have to worry about running into Donnie or seeing any of his goons. What a relief it would be, knowing that I could go the rest of my life without seeing Donnie's watery blue eyes narrowed with hate.
But it wouldn't be real. And it wouldn't be right.
"I know it's not much of one, but I've got a life here," I told him. "I can't run away from that. I've never known anything other than Cannon and the thought of leaving is too much, too soon. I'm sorry."
His face fell a little, but he nodded. "I understand." With a curl of his lip, he added, "Would it be alright with you if I hung around for a while then? I just don't see how I could physically walk away from you."
Something hot bloomed in my chest and I let my face fall against his shoulder, breathing in his manly, musky scent.
"I would like that," I said.
"Maybe you could even stay with me," he suggested. "For as long or as little as you'd like, of course. I don't mean to be too forward, I just know that you probably don't have anywhere else to go."
Reality hit me like a ton of bricks. Shit. I really didn't have anywhere to go, did I? I'd been living with Donnie for so long that I forgot what it was like to be on my own, and I didn't even have a clue where to start in terms of finding a place. If it wasn't this motel room, it would be one just like it but without the benefit of a resident sexy man. My only other option would be going to stay with Naomi and, while I knew she'd take me in like an injured puppy in a heartbeat, I couldn't ask that of her. She had two kids to worry about already, not to mention enough drama with her own exes to fill up a daytime soap.
"That would be great, actually." I kissed his chest and propped my chin up to look at him. "Really, really great."
"Oh yeah?" He grinned and ran a thumb across my cheek. "And how do you intend to pay for your room?"
I bit my lower lip, letting my eyelids flutter over my cheeks. Then, in a husky voice, I said, "Do you accept..."
I swear to god his breath hitched.
"American Express?"
Jack let out a burst of laughter. "Cheeky little minx."
He rolled me onto my back, jamming his body between my legs. He was hard against my stomach and my body responded instinctively, heat flaring in my core. I remembered how hot the sex was the night before and warmth stained my cheeks.
Jack rested on his forearms above me, mouth brushing lightly against mine as he spoke.
"I'm afraid we don't accept American Express," he murmured.
"What about Diners Club?"
His tongue swiped over my lower lip and I shuddered with pleasure. "No credit cards. And before you ask, cash isn't an option either."
"Then how am I expected to pay you?" I asked sweetly. "What is it you want me to give?"
"Everything."
His lips claimed mine, passion unfurling around us like golden starbursts. I sighed and let him take me, let him guide me to new, pleasurable heights. He was a better lover than Donnie ever was, and I couldn't recall ever coming as hard as I did in his arms the last time.
He fucked me slow and gentle. Hard and fast was incredible, but slow and steady made me feel like he was sampling my body like a fine wine. And the buildup of pleasure? Fucking explosive.
By the time we pulled our sweat soaked bodies apart for good, it was nearly time for me to go to work. I couldn't believe we'd spent the afternoon having sex, and what's more I couldn't believe that I still wanted more.
"I don't want to go to work," I said, sitting up. "I don't know what I'm walking into."
"What do you mean?" Jack sat up beside me, pulling me against him as he pressed his lips to the top of my head.
I sighed. "Donnie's Uncle Hank runs the Alibi. I don't think breaking up with his nephew is a fireable offense, but then again everything in this town more or less works the way the Beringers want it to. Labor laws be damned."
"Do you want me to come with you?" Jack asked.
It was tempting, which shouldn't have surprised me. Jack was walking, talking temptation, and if I could have him at my side at all times to chase away the bad guys and hold me close when I was feeling sad, I would be over the moon. That wouldn't solve any of the problems, though. It would just sweep them under the rug.
"Just another one of those things I have to deal with alone," I said regretfully.
"I respect that about you, you know." He kissed down to my shoulder, holding his lips there as he spoke. "Nobody would blame you if you asked for help. In fact, I would rather be with you from now on, just to make sure that nobody fucking touches you. All the same, you're fearless and you've got principles."
"If I was that fearless I would've broken up with Donnie a long time ago," I muttered.
"But you still did it." He nuzzled against my neck. "And you did it on your own terms."
"I guess so," I said. "I just hope I don't end up regretting it."
"You won't."
He said it with such conviction that even though I was doubting myself, at least I could believe in him.
Chapter 16
Jack
Much as I tried to convince Melissa to just stay a little while longer, she eventually had to go to work, leaving me alone. I had no idea what to do with myself. If I were at home and didn't have any work to do, this was usually the time that I'd do some work on the house. It was an old place, and probably wasn't worth the frustration of fixing it up, but I couldn't just let my mom's house rot. It wasn't right. Even if I ended up leaving Bell Springs for good, I would never let that house fall to pieces.
But I wasn't in Bell Springs right now, and therefore had nothing to do. I also didn't know how long I was going to be here, but I figured it was long enough that I should find something to occupy my days.
I stretched down to pick up my jeans from the floor and fished the business card out of the back pocket. Then I tossed the jeans away and leaned back against the pillows.
Neil Buckins, it read. Project Manager.
"Fuck it," I muttered. "Worth a shot."
I grabbed my phone from the side table
and punched in Neil's number. He picked up after only a couple of rings, sounding every bit as bright and cheerful as he had when I spoke to him at the bar.
"Hi Neil, this is Jack. I don't know if you remember me but—"
"Jack the fighter!" he roared. "It's great to hear from you. Heard about that mess last night...awful, just awful. That Beringer boy can be a real villain when he wants to be. I thought after that I wouldn't be hearing from you."
"Yeah, well I decided to stay in Cannon for a bit." I scratched my head, second-guessing myself on whether this was a good idea. "You said you had some work—"
"Fuck, do I ever have some work. You'd be surprised how few guys there are in this town who know which side of the hammer to use, if you know what I mean. Can you come by the job site tomorrow?"
"Sure," I said. "And thank you. I appreciate you taking a chance on me."
He laughed, and I could just picture his ribald face filling with cheer. "I bet on you once and I'll bet on you a dozen times more. See you tomorrow, Jack."
I hung up the phone and stared up at the ceiling. I guess I had a job. A real one. If everything went as smoothly as Neil seemed to think it would, then it might be a while before I needed to fight again. It was a comforting thought. I couldn't imagine having someone lay into me right now, not in the state I was in. Plus, I needed to save up all the strength I had in case Donnie or his friends tried anything while I was staying here. I would find it strange if they didn't.
I had a couple missed texts from my sister asking if everything was okay, and I decided to call her just to keep things simple. Even as the phone was ringing I still didn't know how much of what happened yesterday I was willing to reveal to her. She hated me fighting almost as much as mom did, but for now it was what I needed to do if she was going to stay in school. She worked part-time making coffee as it was, and full-time during the summers to save up money. Education didn't come cheap, but I refused to let her pass up on the opportunity to better herself.
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