by Alexa Riley
“You don’t know anything about me.”
I can see in the sliver of moonlight illuminating her face that there’s a challenge in her eyes. She wants me, but she’s afraid of what I might find if I do.
“I know all I need to,” I say, pressing my lips to hers softly.
The kiss isn’t like before where it was too hot, too fast. This time it’s slow and I take my time. Her hand cups me while I trail a finger down her neck and between her breasts. Her breath catches, and I can feel her heartbeat under my touch. She opens for me and gives in to the desire she tries desperately to control.
My lips move down her neck as I pull her closer to me. This isn’t the ideal spot for what I’d like to do to her right now, and I growl in frustration.
“I can’t get any answers from anyone about Brad,” I say, kissing the place below her ear. “My mind is all over the place and I can’t focus on my work because I’ve been thinking about kissing you since the second I left.” My hands go to her waist and under her ass. “On top of all of that, I got pulled into an insane meeting today where my boss informed me that I’m getting married.”
She leans back and takes her hands off me as she looks at me in shock. “What?” She shakes her head in disbelief. “You’re getting married?” She looks away from me and out the window. “I guess it was inevitable. It happens to all of us who are a little too good at our careers. They want us making as many loyalist babies as possible for the sake of continuing the Regime.”
She sounds cold and distant when she says it, but I can’t believe she doesn’t care. Not with what I felt between us today. Not when I can still feel it pulsing between us now. This isn’t all made up in my head. I’m not imagining that she wants me just as badly as I want her.
“They said it’s happening tomorrow.” She snaps her face back to me, and I can see the pain in her eyes. The unshed tears that she refuses to let fall.
“That’s sudden.” Her voice breaks on the last word, but she looks away from me like the sight of my face is too much. I can see she’s hurt, but I need her to talk to me. Anything to show me that I’m not alone in this car right now. “Why so fast?”
“I don’t know. I won’t even meet her until she walks down the aisle. The rumor is she’s pregnant by somebody on the other side. But I don’t care about that, Naomi.” I reach out and cup her cheek, and she leans into it.
“We’re not in charge of our future. Not truly,” she says, and her voice is so sad.
“But if we were? If we were free to choose?” I was half in love with her after only hearing her voice. But once her lips touched mine, I knew she belonged to me.
“We don’t have that luxury,” she says, and then I see a teardrop. I wipe it away with my thumb, and she lets out a sardonic laugh. “Who is she?”
“I think she’s a nurse. They said she’s a scholarship girl who lives on the other side but works here.” I lean back in my seat and run my hand down my face, trying to relieve some of the stress I’m feeling. “I had to tell you. I don’t have anyone to talk to now that Brad’s gone. They promised me a promotion if I go along with the wedding. You know, be a good boy. It’s the perfect cover for letting me continue to dig into Brad’s disappearance. Unless…” I say, looking back at Naomi.
Inside her tiny car, which barely has enough leg room for a 12-year-old, let alone a tall man such as myself, I’m enveloped in her scent. I want to reach out and pull her into the back seat and do all the bad things to her I’ve been fantasizing about.
“Unless what?” she asks.
“Unless you can think of any reason why I shouldn’t get married,” I answer, hoping that she is brave enough to see this through with me. “I know you feel it, too. There is something between us that I’ve never had before, and I don’t want it ripped away from me.”
I can’t marry another woman. Not now that I’ve found her. I’ll never be happy knowing she's out in the world and doesn't belong to me. The thought of touching another woman makes my stomach sick. It’s insane that I’ve only met her once, but I know deep in my soul that she’s it for me.
She wrings her hands together, and I can tell she’s becoming stressed. “There’s so much you don’t know about me,” she says, avoiding my eyes. “We just met, and this could mean nothing in a week.”
“That’s not true and you know it,” I say, touching her chin to get her to look at me.
“Kissing you was wonderful.” Her breath hitches and my chest tightens. “Is wonderful.” She shakes her head. “But it was just a kiss. You and I can’t just decide to be together. That’s not how it works anymore. We’re not free to choose.”
“And if we were?” I say, my voice low and serious.
She opens her mouth but then hesitates. “We aren’t.”
I look away, unable to watch her reject me.
“And how could you leave some poor pregnant woman at the altar? Her life is now totally out of her hands. If you don’t marry her, who knows what she will end up with. At least with you, she stands a chance of having a somewhat decent guy looking after her for the rest of her life.”
I marvel at the avalanche of words coming out of that sweet mouth. “Naomi, you keep giving me reasons why we can’t be together.” When I look back at her, she’s biting her fingernail. I take her hand away from her mouth and hold it in mine. “Not once have you said that you don’t want me.”
“What do you want me to say?” She’s pleading with herself and with me.
“That you’re mine forever. That you’ll marry me.” I lean in so close that I can feel her breath on my lips. “Until death do us part.” I take her face in both my hands and hold her steady. I want her to know how seriously I’m taking this vow between us. “As for leaving a pregnant girl at the altar, she’s not my concern.”
“How could you do that? Are you so heartless?”
“You’re my number one concern now. No one else will ever come before you. It’s crazy how hours ago I never thought about marriage or even a relationship. Then I heard your voice and now it’s pounding through me. I need to make you mine so that you can’t be taken away from me.”
“But how?” I see her wall of refusal beginning to crumble. But then she closes her eyes and pushes me away. “I don’t think you came here tonight to propose marriage. I think you came here to see if you could get me out of your system. I think you’re just acting like a typical man who’s been given his marriage papers.” Suddenly there is rage in her eyes. “One last fling before the ring? Isn’t that what all the elite bachelors say? I should have known you were just like every other privileged man here.”
“That’s not why I’m here,” I say, clenching my jaw. “You mean more to me than that, and I’m not talking about one night with you. I’m talking about a lifetime.”
She looks away and waves her hand at me dismissively. “I don’t believe you.”
“You’re lying. There’s more than that between us, but you’re not willing to admit it.”
Her green eyes are cold in the dark as she turns them on me. “I admit that we have a spark. But I’m not going to marry you, Ryan.” Her words are mournful as if the possibility has already died in her heart. She leans forward and takes off her glasses and rubs her eyes. She looks tired.
“Fine. You win,” I say, watching for her reaction.
She glances up and eyes me suspiciously. “Then what do you want?”
“A kiss goodbye,” I say, smiling at her.
I don’t wait for her to give me what I want. Instead I move on her and take it. I don’t know why Naomi is so goddamn insistent on denying what’s between us, but when our bodies come together her argument is gone. There is nothing she can say to erase the way I feel when my lips are on hers.
“Ryan,” she moans as her hands go to my chest and her lips part for me.
“I can’t get enough,” I say as I taste her sweetness and devour her cries. “I need you.”
My hands move lower, cupping her breasts
over her jacket, then moving down to unbutton it. I lean back to look at her perfect breasts in a silk bra. Her hard nipples push against the thin fabric.
“Fuck,” I groan as I lean down and open my mouth over the material. I suck her nipple and tongue the silk covering her there as she moans my name.
When I pull back there’s an obscene wet spot over her breast, and I grow harder as I move to her other breast.
“I thought you wanted a kiss,” she moans, but doesn’t ask me to stop as I pull her over to my side of the car.
“I didn’t specify where,” I say, and I make her straddle me in the passenger seat and bring her tits to my mouth. I yank down the expensive material and see her tight peaks already glistening from my attention.
I kiss each one like I would kiss her mouth as my hands go to her thighs and push up her skirt. I feel the edges of a garter belt and groan when I glance down.
“Fuck, you’re like my wet dream come true,” I say as I push her skirt up farther, exposing lace panties. “Speaking of wet.” I run my finger against her pussy and feel the soaked material against it. “Is this all for me?”
Even in the dark I can see her cheeks turn red as she nods.
“Show it to me.” I remember the thoughts I had from earlier today about her being a tease. I grab her hand just as she’s about to expose her pussy to me and stop her. “If you let me see how pretty it is, don’t expect me to stop.”
I let go of her wrist and play with her nipples as I wait for her to decide what she wants. There’s only a second of hesitation before she pulls the lacy material to the side and shows me the heaven she keeps secreted away.
“Goddamn, sweet girl, that’s the prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen.”
She’s about to let go and I shake my head. “I told you what was going to happen. Stay just like that.”
I undo my belt, then my jeans, and I pull my straining cock free. He’s fat and long as he springs out between us, the head covered in cream. I hold him out in front of her pussy and help her rise up a little.
“I want you, Naomi. Only you,” I say, looking into her green eyes. “Forever.”
She lowers her sweet pussy down on the head of my cock and she’s barely able to open for it. I run my finger around her pussy, rubbing her clit and soft lips. Slowly her slick entrance takes more of me, and I feel her barrier try and keep me out.
She’s already so fucking tight that it’s almost painful, but I can’t stop. “You’ve kept your body pure for your husband, haven’t you?” I ask, and she nods. “For me?”
“Yes,” she says as her hips rock and she slides down further.
I clench my jaw when she slowly works her way onto me, but I try and remain still. I give her praise and tell her how much I need her as she wiggles through the pain. Her body is small and not meant to take someone as large as me, but she’ll learn. Soon enough she’ll be taking me all the time, anytime I have the urge to be inside her. I smile to myself, thinking she’s going to have to get used to my dick being in her for most of the day.
I can’t share all my plans with her. Not yet. But I’m going to make it happen. She might think this is a way for her to say goodbye, but this is only the beginning for me.
“That’s it, sweet girl. All the way down,” I say, kissing her forehead when I feel her bottom against my thighs. “You did it.”
She sighs happily and then lets out a small laugh at seeing what we’ve done. “Ryan, I—” she begins to say, but I cut her off with a kiss.
I grip her hips and move her up and down as she wraps her arms around my neck. I take her in shallow thrusts at first, getting her used to being on a man’s cock. It’s her first time, but she learns quickly, and soon she doesn’t need my help. She uses her thighs to raise herself up and down, taking every inch of me slowly.
I glance between us and see my cock is slick with her pussy. The sight is almost enough to send me over the edge, but I reach down and grip the base to stop myself.
I gently rub my knuckle against her clit with every roll of her hips, and she cries out at the contact. The little nub is hard and begging for release as her pussy squeezes me.
“Oh god!” she cries when I bring my finger to my mouth and taste her pussy.
I kiss her and let my tongue trail along her bottom lip so she can taste her sweetness, too. Next time I’m going to drink straight from her pussy. But I don’t tell her that. Soon enough she’ll be all mine and we won’t have anything else to worry about.
She grinds down on me, desperate for relief. I rub her clit hard and fast, and it only takes a second before she’s clenching around me and shouting my name.
I grab her hips and thrust in as far as I can when my orgasm begins. I feel pulses of cum spread all around my cock, and warm wetness creams between us as we release together. The two of us fit perfectly together, and I know in that moment that I’m completely in love with her.
I wrap my arms around her back and pull her close to me as we both ride the waves of pleasure. I don’t want to let her go, and I don’t want her to move off of me, but I want to take her home. Maybe there I can convince her that this can work, and we can have a future together. I don’t want to keep her in the dark about my plans, but she’s ready to run away from me at any second, and the thought terrifies me.
“I can’t move,” she mumbles against my chest, and I laugh.
“You don’t have to,” I say, kissing the top of her head.
She wiggles on me, and I’m still hard, ready for another round. But instead of sliding back down on my cock, she comes all the way off and goes back to the driver’s seat.
She won’t look at me as she buttons her jacket and pulls down her skirt. I tuck my cock back in my jeans and then hold her chin in my hand and make her eyes meet mine.
“Hey. Don’t pretend that wasn’t beautiful,” I say, pointing between the two of us. “What we just did, that meant something to me.”
“Ryan,” she begins, but I see a light out of the corner of my eye.
The flashing lights intensify and I look over to see a police car coming our way. They park and I watch two of them get out of their cruiser. I let out a sigh of relief when I recognize them.
“Oh god, it’s after curfew,” Naomi says, and I look back to see the panic in her eyes.
“Shit. You’ve got to get out of here. Go straight home and let me handle this,” I say, and she nods.
“Okay, but meet me in the sprinkler room tomorrow if you can get away,” she says and tells me where to find it.
I give Naomi a reassuring kiss and tell her not to worry. Then I make sure she’s fully covered. “I’ll call you,” I say, and she nods as I step out of the car.
“Hey, Sharp!” one of the cops says in the distance and waves a hand at me. He’s smiling, but I see the look change to confusion as the car I just got out of drives away.
I glance at Naomi’s car one last time as she pulls out of the spot and drives away from me and the cops. I wish I had more time with her to convince her we are perfect together. Though it doesn’t matter now. One way or another, she’ll be mine.
Chapter Seven
Naomi
I stare at the television in disbelief. This cannot be happening.
My legs give out and I fall back onto my couch as the image of the wedding on the screen is blown apart and only smoke and fire remain. The news feed goes black, and I drop my face into my hands and begin to sob.
Ryan was there on the screen one moment and the next he was gone.
I should have stayed with him last night. I was so afraid of the cops catching me, but I should have stood my ground and stayed with him. Part of my mind is trying to reason with me that they would have made me leave. If Ryan was supposed to get married today to someone else they would’ve known about it. I could have risked everything by staying with him, but it would have been worth it. And now I’ll never have another chance.
The bride was a young scholarship nurse from the other side of th
e wall. That much the news feed said before the explosion. But I could tell she was pregnant. Ryan had mentioned that she might be, and it was apparent she was hiding something under her dress. It was ridiculously big, with tulle covering her stomach. She was hiding her growing baby bump, but not well.
Suddenly the phone beside me rings and I glance at the screen. It’s not a number I recognize, but I have to make sure it’s not someone from The Regime who needs archived documents. I clear my throat and take a breath before I answer it.
“Hello,” I say and clear my throat again. There’s silence on the other end. “Hello?”
“Check your mailbox,” a woman’s voice says before the line goes dead.
I stare at the phone then look at my front door before I walk over and open it up. The mailbox is attached by the front door, so I step out and open the lid. When I look down inside there’s a white envelope with my name on it. I glance around to make sure none of my neighbors have seen me. I close and lock my front door before I open it and scan the letter inside.
My heart leaps in my throat when I read it.
Naomi,
Wait. I’m coming for you.
You’re mine,
R
I hold the letter to my chest and feel the tears of relief begin to fall. Last night he tried to tell me, didn’t he? There is so much more at play than I’ve ever realized. I have my own secrets with helping the other side, why should it be so surprising that he has secrets, too? The letter only contains those few words, but it’s all I need to know.
I should have trusted my instincts with Ryan. I knew from the moment my lips touched his that I would belong to him, heart, body and soul, until the end of time.
In the days that follow I watch the news and find out as much as I can. I learn that a few people were injured in the bomb blast, but no one died. The Leader’s wife was lucky to come away with a few scrapes and non-life-threatening burns, while The Leader himself remained unscathed. When I watched a replay of the events I saw how he ducked under some chairs but pushed his wife in front of him. He was a coward. I know that if I were there with Ryan, he would have given his life for mine. Without question he would have protected me from harm.
