Charity's Secrets

by Maya James

  "Yes, absolutely," Trisha agrees while Justin and I modestly deny them. Despite our efforts, they all raise their glasses and toast us.

  My eyes fall on Melissa and the empty chair beside her. She catches me looking and winks at me. As planned, Lena is just opposite the empty chair and fully believes it's for Melissa's date, who will actually be here soon.

  Melissa looks stunning in an abstract print, long sleeve dress from Crosby Derek Lam. I melt looking at her, hopeful for her date, and grateful for her help with Lena.

  Sam continued, "And I'd like to thank Trisha, for bringing me here with everyone and making my New Year's Eve better; my days and nights better, my whole life better. Since meeting you I haven't known a moment with sadness."

  Trisha turns crimson until she is saved by Sam cradling her face for a kiss and the rest of us cheering them.

  Under the table, Justin is caressing my leg. It's impossible to stop the thoughts of having him move his hand under my dress and touch me right here at the table. My secret warrior parts begin to demand pressure that I can't provide now. I'd like to stop my imagination, but his hot hand isn't leaving my leg. I can almost feel my hardened clit stiffly popping from under his wet touch.

  The hot jerk.

  I know what to do. Casually, I move my hand from the table and place it on his leg. His thigh muscles flex instantly. I'll leave it right here just for a moment; let him think about it.

  Sam and Trisha end their kiss with smiles and Melissa starts, "I won't make it a toast, but I'd like to really thank you guys for bringing me out here and just everything you've done for me—giving me the apartment to use, flying me in your private plane. It was as insane as it was wonderful."

  "It was absolutely our pleasure," Justin says quickly. "And you're welcome to stay or come back anytime. Just let us know and it's done."

  Trisha is shaking her head stiffly from side to side. "Don't think for a second that tonight makes up for your lies. I'm still pissed that you felt you had to lie to me and Charity about owning your own company. Insurance agent my ass."

  Justin simply let's her have that. He did lie to us, that's on him. We had to tell her some of the truth, though, or things would stop making any sense to her. He has to take the heat, so I let him dangle while I smile at him. He looks at me and sees the joy in my eyes. "No help," he says to me. "You don't have my back even a little."

  Everyone laughs.

  "Not on this one, Buddy. You dug that hole without me," I tease.

  Trisha laughs at him.

  His hand is still driving me nuts. It's time take care of that. I slide my hand around his thick leg into his groin. He's mid-word telling Trisha that he's sorry again when I squeeze the last bit of his leg that can be called thigh. I can actually feel his cock under my pinky. Justin's voice catches, only for a second, but I heard it.

  Very carefully, very slowly, he moves his hand from my leg to his own, gently grabbing mine and pulling it from between his legs. He puts it back on top of his leg and keeps it smothered comfortably under his.

  Apparently we've come to an understanding.

  Lena is smiling at everyone. I think she's glad to have people to be with tonight, but she is apprehensive about staying through the evening. Lena made that clear to me; once Melissa's date gets here, she's going to be terribly lonely—at least that's what she believes.

  Suddenly Justin's mouth is brushing my ear. "It's time. I'll be back in a few," he whispers. Justin stands and excuses himself to the bathroom. My nerves explode while I watch him saunter off through the crowded space.

  After a minute, I turn to Lena. "Lena, your dress is stunning. It looks absolutely beautiful on you. Is it from Emilio Pucci?" I ask as if I don't already know exactly who the designer is.

  "It is," she answers with a smile. "I picked it up last week just for tonight."

  I see Justin appear at the far end of the room and head for us.

  "Well, like everything else you touch—it's sexy as hell." I watch her laugh, making sure her eyes stay with me.

  Justin is more than half way to us now approaching deliberately. It's probably close enough, and tough shit if it isn't, because everyone else is transfixed with their breath held. All of their eyes are smiling, and it's obvious that something is about to happen.

  My heart races above my swirling stomach.

  Lena sees Justin coming. He's almost to us now, and when he reaches the table, he steps aside and exposes Terrence behind him.

  Oh my fucking Christ—her face is priceless! Its shock, love, anger, and joy all tied into one. Mostly it's shock. I see her mouth flap soundlessly as Terence casually swings around to her side of the table. He kisses her check lightly, not assuming anything, and sits beside her.

  For a moment it gets awkward. Lena not knowing what to do or say, and all of it happening in front of a small crowd that is staring at her, makes me nervous. In my mind I see her snap, suddenly dressed in leather and having an Uma Thurman in "Kill Bill" moment with guns blazing and the rest of us falling over with our heads blown open.

  Shit!

  She turns to me and Justin. So far, a single word hasn't left her mouth yet. "Seriously," she says, the happiness becoming apparent in her voice. Her mouth begins to turn up at the corners despite its quivering.

  Okay, the tears flood my eyes now.

  Justin firmly answers, "Yes."

  Lena turns to Terence. Finally, I see what Justin had explained to me, the melting. The Lena I know slides off her and leaves a different woman with us.

  "You're really here?" she asks, tears pooling in her eyes. Suddenly it doesn't matter that we're all watching.

  "I'm really here, and this time I'm not leaving—no matter what you say. I still love you, and I think you still love me," Terence replies. "When the ball drops tonight, I'm starting a new year and a new life."

  He touches her face softly. Lena surrenders, letting her tears fall while she leans in to him. Terrence meets her half way and they kiss so passionately that I can almost feel it. I think everyone can, judging by their happy faces.

  Tommy, Mellissa's date, comes to the table right on time. Fortunately Project Lena went well, but it's time to stop staring at them like a rainbow colored fungus in a petri dish.

  Justin knows the plan. "You must be Tommy," he says. "You look different without the other guys."

  "THREE! TWO! ONE! HAPPY New Year!"

  I'm quickly coiled up into Justin's strong embrace, feeling his love sink into me as we kiss. By far, it's the most meaningful New Year's Eve kiss I've ever experienced. My hands are between his jacket and shirt, kneading the muscles on his back like dough. I can't get him close enough, and his soft moan tells me he's feeling nearly the same thing. His hands are tangled in the hair around my ears.

  "I love you so much, Baby," I tell him after our kiss ends.

  "I love you, Warrior."

  Around Justin's shoulder I see Lena and Terrence entangled into each other. Their romance has been so wonderful to see all night. I don't want to say anything as silly as they are picking up or they left off, but they are certainly picking up. They've barely noticed anyone else's existence all night, except when she came to me to thank me.

  "I know this was all you," she had said. "I'm so impressed that you were able to hide this, but mostly—I'm grateful. I was to afraid to find out if he had moved on, and I would never have taken the chance to find out for myself, fearing the heartache."

  We both cried when she hugged me.

  As I watch them now, I'm learning. "I just figured out something important that I've been stuck on for months—since the moment we've been together."

  Justin leans back to look at me, and I am awestruck at his rugged handsomeness. I believe he's more beautiful to me now that I understand him than he has ever been.

  "What's that?" he asks.

  I nod toward Lena and Terrence. "She is one tough, scary bitch. She commands absolute respect, sometimes through fear, always dominating everyone else
in the room, except for you. But one look into Terrence's face and there is a different woman in front of us, someone vulnerable and real—an entirely separate personality."

  Justin doesn't see where I'm going with this yet.

  "So which one is real?" I continue. "I see it now. The Lena we see at work is a front, it’s part of her, sure, but it's not the honest part. Lena, when she's with Terrence, is the real her. Without him she is controlled and contained. There is no control right now. What we see is real and raw. This is the real Lena."

  He understands now. "This isn't about Lena, is it?" he asks.

  Not hardly!

  "She is the female counterpart of you," I say, kissing the side of his face. "I often wonder, do I soften the infamous JP, or do I release the Justin?" I kissed him again, closer to his mouth. "Now I know for sure."

  My mouth finds his as he grips me tightly. This time I feel I'm inside of him. He takes air when I breathe. My blood flows when his heart pumps.

  We are one.

  AROUND QUARTER TO ONE, Cipriani looks like it’s just getting started. Sam and Trisha are lost to the dance floor. Melissa and Tommy got heated with their midnight kiss, and now they desperately need to find a room and flush out each other’s piping before one of them has a burst out here in front of everyone.

  Justin finds a break in Lena's conversation with Terrence and he leans in to tell them something I cannot hear over the crowd and music. After Lena nods her reply, Justin stands out of his chair and motions for me to get up with him. He takes my hand and leads me off.

  I'm not sure why, but we fight through the crowd to a service door. Justin pushes through and the silence on the other side is impressive. I'm nervous that we are some place we don't belong.

  "My ears needed a break," Justin explains.

  I glance around the abandoned kitchen we are now standing in. "It looks exactly how I would have imagined, like something from a movie," I say in mild wonder.

  "You've never been in a kitchen?"

  I shrug my shoulders innocently. "Not one in the city; not one this big."

  "Well," he says, "you have got to see their freezer. You've probably never seen anything this size." He tugs my hand and begins to pull me through the large, stainless steel filled room.

  I tug back, laughing like a nervous teenager. "Are you crazy? We'll get in trouble!"

  He looks amused that I doubt him. "How do you suppose I know how big their freezer is?"

  Fuck! I hate when I miss the obvious!

  They must know him here. He's been back here before, and they probably won't be too upset.

  He tugs me again and I follow. "Their food service is done for the night. By now all the staff is either out in the bar or gone someplace else. There shouldn't be anyone here," he explains.

  We weave through the maze of metal counters. The smell in here is an odd mix of pine-scented cleaners and herbs.

  At the back is a small alcove with a huge, heavy door made of the same metal as its handle. Justin grabs it and pulls it open with a loud click and beyond it hangs long strips of thick, clear plastic meant to keep in the cold when the door is open.

  "This is just the cold room," Justin tells me as he drags me in. It's nearly the size of my apartment, and everything in here is stacked neatly and the shelves are labeled. "The freezer is at the other end."

  There's another of the heavy doors in front of us and Justin is heading for it comfortably. I nervously glance back behind us, still waiting for someone to catch us.

  Another loud click and the door swings open. There are more plastic strips here, and they begin to fog up almost instantly. Justin pushes some of the strips off to the left and tucks them into something that holds them out of the way. Thin fog begins to roll out of the opening, but in the brightness of the room I can see that the freezer is a walk-in the same size as the refrigerator.

  The coldness is hitting me already, prickling the skin on my arms. Justin stands behind me and begins to rub my shoulders for warmth.

  "I want you to know I did not bring you here with good intentions," he says wickedly.

  "No?" I ask, smiling.

  "No!" He grabs my arms and I feel something wrap around my wrists as he ties them behind my back.

  "Justin—"

  "Trust me," he orders. "If you can't see, I will guide you. If you can't stand, I will hold you. If you get cold, I will heat you up. Prepare that warrior in you again Charity, because I'm going to make you cum in a screaming, blind fury of hot and cold until you can't take anymore. Happy New Year!" Suddenly, a blindfold throws me into darkness.

  I feel the zipper of my dress being yanked down and his warm hand massaging my back. His lips find the nape of my neck and that ends any protest I might have had with just the knowledge of what is about to come. "Happy New Year," I say, consenting.

  Instead of pulling my dress down and having to untie me, Justin lifts my dress up from the bottom over my head. I feel him taking care not to mess up my hair completely. Once it's over, he lets my dress hang around my bound arms.

  The fog blowing out of the freezer is caressing the entire front of me, lapping at my tight skin. I try to imagine what I look like standing here, the white fog rolling out heavier by the moment and losing us in its thickness.

  My earlobe disappears into his warm mouth at the same that I feel my bra come off. My nipples were already hard and now they pucker almost painfully against the cold. His hands search my body for them, raising along my ribs, teasing the sides of my breasts until finally covering them. His fingertips feel like heaven on my cold skin.

  God damn—he's so intense!

  Guttural moans are already escaping me in throaty gasps when he gently pinches my nipples, rolling them with his thumbs. Maybe it's the alcohol from the evening, but I want him to make me feel it. "Harder," I beg in a whisper.

  "Watch what you ask for, Warrior," he snarls happily.

  Then he practically grabs me by the nipples, pulling them upward into the air. His tongue slides along my neck, leaving a trail of wetness that quickly changes from warm to bitter cold. It hurts just enough to make me gush into my panties, squealing "Christ!" into quiet room.

  Justin suddenly lets go of me and runs his hands to my waist, hooking his fingers into my panties and ripping them down my legs. One hot hand envelopes an ankle, pulling my panties off it and then the other.

  There's no warning before he slips a finger through my vulva into the secret wetness inside. He pulls the wetness out over my clitoris and strokes it viciously. I hear him hiss with excitement into my ear while I spread my legs to give him access. He stops and slips his fingers in me carefully, tickling my G-spot while I drip onto his hand.

  There's no mistaking what I hear when he removes his fingers, the sound of him sucking them clean. "Fuck! You taste so good," he growls.

  He puts them back in me for more and this time when he removes them he runs them across my right nipple. My juices turn icy in an instant but his mouth is right behind it, licking the taste of me from my chest.

  Once again, his fingers stroke my insides, desperate for more wetness that my body cannot deny him. "Open your mouth," he demands. I obey eagerly, sticking out my tongue slightly. He whips his soaked fingers from me and quickly fills my mouth with them as I swirl my tongue over them, teasing him into a frenzy. His mouth is on mine the very moment his fingers move, drinking my juices from my lips and tongue.

  Justin's hardness is undeniable against my hip, even through his suit, as he grinds against me. "I always want you, Warrior, to the point where it's maddening."

  His fingers have gone back to my clit. It's only a tease; I know he has just begun. My legs shake and I worry that I don't have the strength to hold myself up. "Sometimes you're more than I can handle," I confess.

  "Trust me, Warrior, it's never more than you can handle."

  He was right, of course, and he brings my orgasm closer, a pulsing deep inside of me. His hands smacks my bare ass stiffly. The sounds of
it in here, the echo of his flesh off mine, is intoxicating. "Oh God, yes!" I scream as he brings me to my toes.

  Justin leaves for a second, and when he's back at my side he has something for me. I don't know what it is, but its ice cold frozen. He rubs it on my stinging skin. He slides it around to my side and I'm convinced it's a sliver of ice. "Christ!" I jump out of the way, but he was ready for that, keeping it on me.

  Before long its coldness is biting my nipples. They ache viciously, and I feel them tighten all the way down in my pussy. "Touch me," I beg. "Please, I need your fingers in me."

  The warmth of his hand settles over my vulva, and his fingertips dig through my folds, exposing my wet clit to the bitter air. Whatever he is using is now sliding through the cheeks of my ass. One side of me is icing over, and the other is being jerked off under his hot hand. My moans fill the room, separated only by my panting and begging.

  I'm going to cum. I expect Justin to tease me now, pulling his hand away, but he doesn't. He tortures my clit with his steady whipping. My insides throb until I feel like I'm going to explode.

  "Cum for me," he breaths. "Cum on my fingers and then I'm going fill you with my hard cock and make you cum again."

  I rupture. "God! God! Oh God!"

  A river of cum floods out of me as my knees work to keep me up and steady. I can barely stop the thrusting of my hips and I feel my face turn flush as parts of my body try to run warm against the flow of cold coming at us.

  Justin slows his hand as I finish catching my breath. He grabs the knot of my blindfold and moves my head with it, directing me where he wants me. Beside me, his hands fumble and then I hear his zipper and feel his hardness on my ass.

  Suddenly he is folding me to the ground. The floor is icy, but he doesn't have any concern for that. My puckered nipples and breasts flatten under my own weight onto the freezing tiles, but Justin keeps my hips and ass pointed up at him, spreading me for his access. He does take the time to flip my hanging dress over my back out of his way where it offers me some warmth.