Bound Together

by Marie Coulson

  My hand was on fire. Not literally of course but the feel of his skin on mine was like an explosion of heat on my flesh. I pulled it away gently and nodded in thanks at his gesture. My heart was pounding every time he spoke and now it was practically thrashing inside my chest. Megaphone in hand, it was screaming at me to get out before we got hurt again but my ass stayed firmly in my seat. I could get through this.

  As the evening went on, I began to relax a little. Jared was strictly hands off after that hand holding and aside from his little disclosure about seafood, nothing out of the ordinary happened at all. Mr. Kent was delightfully funny and I would often find myself grinning at his jokes. He and Jared clearly had a good business relationship and they appeared to be almost friends. My phone buzzed in my purse and I slipped it out beneath the table. There was a single text from Jared. I glanced up at him and catching my eye he smiled at me.

  I haven’t swam in the sea since I was twelve and saw the movie Jaws for the first time. That shit was scary.

  Received: 19.57

  From: Jared

  I had to stifle a laugh. Putting it away, I gave him a mock sympathetic look. The corners of his mouth curled up and he nodded. I was almost having fun. Sipping a little more of the delicious white wine Jared had selected for us, I was beginning to feel a little tipsy. Jared’s hand reached out and gently taking the stem between his finger and thumb, he moved it out of my reach and replaced it with a glass of water. I stared at him, irritated for spoiling my fun. “Don’t pout Layla. You’re a glass away from landing on your ass the moment you stand up.” I rolled my eyes at him but truthfully I was fully aware that I was reaching my limit as far as my bodily coordination went when drinking wine. Arthur excused himself and headed for the bathroom, leaving the two of us alone and me slightly inebriated. “I once got so drunk in college I stole a rival college’s mascot. I was on the soccer team and we had a game against the other team on the Friday. So at the pre-game party, a few of us got into several bottles of tequila and stole their sheep. Now that wouldn’t have been much of an issue except when I woke up the next morning to find a two hundred pound ball of fluff in my room, I hadn’t considered where exactly we were going to hide it. Not just that, those things make a god awful mess and they fucking stink.” Spraying my water across the table I laughed, hard. “It was bad. I ended up hauling it to the dean’s office and leaving it there. I figured he’d find it, give it back and no one would know it was me. Wrong. Apparently in my drunken state I’d written the words ‘you just got Garrett’d’ on the side of their team bus with a can of spray paint. Needless to say I got caught and punished. I had to clean the damn team’s bus and go there every weekend for a month and apologize to the sheep!”

  Tears were filling in my eyes as I pictured him speaking sweet nothings to a sheep. I’d learned more about him in one evening than I had our entire relationship. The thought suddenly made me a little sad and my laughter dissipated. Why couldn’t we have had this conversation before? Why did it take us falling apart for him to finally open up and confide in me? He sat gazing at me across the table and I felt my cheeks warm. “You seem a little flushed Layla. Perhaps we should call it a night and I’ll take you home. I think that wine has gone to your head. I’ve never seen you laugh so much.” I gave him a rueful smile “I haven’t had much to laugh about recently.” Hanging his head, he looked at the table and I was sure he was thinking the same as I was. This was hard, so hard I wanted to scream. My heart was so confused and my mind was swimming with the complexity of the emotions I was feeling. I was hurting from our harsh words in the car, happy to have discovered new things about him, sad that it had taken so damn long to get there and now guilty that I was actually enjoying his company.

  Rising to my feet, I stumbled slightly but Jared’s hand caught my arm as he jumped from his seat to stop me from falling over on my heels. “I think you should go home. You look a little pale.”

  “I’m fine, just a little woozy.”

  “It wasn’t a request Layla. We’re leaving. Now.” Arthur was just returning to the table when Jared informed him we were leaving. Giving me a warm hug and a peck on the cheek he thanked me for my company and I wished him well on his project. Jared’s hand never left my arm as he escorted me to the car which was waiting for us curbside. The cool air made me feel giddy as the wine went straight to my head. I swayed a little but with his arms wrapped around my waist, Jared lifted me into the car and off of my unsteady feet. Sliding in beside me, he watched me like a hawk.

  “Layla? Are you alright? You’re white as a sheet right now.”

  I swooned and I felt incredibly tired. “I’m fine, I just feel a little sleepy.”

  Without thinking I shifted and rested my head against his shoulder. Drifting into an alcohol induced sleep I felt his lips press against the top of my head as he inhaled my scent.

  The sound of a door slamming woke me. My head was pounding and as I began to try and sit up I scanned my surroundings with blurred vision. The blue and green marble coffee table in front of me immediately told me exactly where I was. Scrambling to my feet I felt woozy and found myself falling back down onto the plush cushion of his couch. “Whoa, don’t get up so fast. Here, drink this.”

  Sitting beside me, Jared handed me a glass of water. “Why am I here?”

  “You passed out in the car and I didn’t want to leave you in that state alone. You’ve been out a couple of hours.” I rubbed my hand over my eyes and drank the cool and sobering water.

  “I should get home.”

  “It’s almost midnight. Daniel’s off for the night. I’ve been drinking so I can’t drive and I don’t like the idea of you taking a cab alone. You’re staying here. It's not up for debate. The guest room is just how you left it so there are things for you to get washed up. I’ll take you home in the morning.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t. Ollie will be back in a few hours and I have to be there when he does.”

  “I said no Layla. Stay here and I will drive you home in the morning. If you’re that concerned then call and tell him you’re staying here. He does know we had dinner doesn’t he?” It was a loaded question and one I didn’t want to answer but the words were flying from my mouth.

  “No, I didn’t feel the need to bring it up when he has a long drive back on his motorcycle. I need him level headed and concentrating.”

  He raised an eyebrow at me.

  “Don’t give me that look. I’m keeping him safe. The moment he’s back and safe with me I’ll tell him.”

  “Have you slept with him?” What? Where did that come from?

  “Jared that really is none of your…”

  “It’s a straight question. Have you had sex with him?”

  “I care about Ollie, very deeply and I’m not willing to make the same mistakes we did Jared. There’s a lot to be said for taking things slowly, so not that it’s any of your damn business but no, we haven’t had sex.” The corners of his mouth curled up and it irritated me. “Yet.” That wiped his smile clean off as his head snapped up and he glared at me. Rising to my feet, I skirted around him and headed to the kitchen. I needed something to eat to calm my churning stomach.

  Jared followed me, keeping his eyes on me as I moved about the kitchen. Standing in the doorway, arms folded across his chest he leaned into the frame. He had a slight smirk on his face and seeing it I rolled my eyes. “I noticed you didn’t say you loved him.” I tried to think of a plausible excuse to give him. There was no way I was getting in to this with him. He had no right to question my feelings for Ollie. It was none of his damn business. “I don’t have to profess it all the time to know exactly how I feel about him. Ollie knows how much I care and that’s all that matters.” He chuckled and it infuriated me. “So let me get this straight. You’ve been dating for four months now, you haven’t had sex and you don’t confess that you love him. You sure it’s an actual relationship you’re having Layla? Because it sounds to me like the same relationship you had w
ith him when you were just friends.”

  He walked up to me, his lips were mere inches from mine and his breath warmed my lips, causing me to lick them involuntarily.

  “Admit it Layla, you’re still completely, uncontrollably and entirely, in love with me.”

  I stood, silently staring at his lips as he spoke.

  “Say it.” It was a command and I couldn’t help but respond. “Fine. I still love you. Happy now!?”

  “No, but I will be.” Wrapping his arms around me he kissed me fervently. My mouth opened obediently and my tongue darted into his mouth seeking his own delicious tongue. Rolling, thrashing and stroking together it was a sweet and familiar sensation, one I thought I’d long forgotten but there in his arms, I was falling apart at the seams.

  Gripping the countertop behind me, he caged me in, breathing heavily into my ear. “I won’t give you up without a fight Layla. I hope he’s ready for one, you belong with me. I love you and I always will.”

  Reaching beneath his slightly unbuttoned shirt he pulled out his pendant. “You’re still the only love of my life Layla. Your heart belongs to me and I won’t let him steal it away.”

  I stared at him as his words ate away at my emotions. I was so confused. The feelings I had swarming inside me and the pure unbridled lust I experienced whenever he was around was driving me crazy. “You love me Layla, and you know we belong together. I’ll do whatever it takes to get you back. I won’t let you slip through my fingers again.” Ducking beneath his arm I panted as I hurriedly walked away, my heart pounding like a bass drum in my ears. I needed to get some distance between us and the guest room would ensure at least four inches of wall would do just that. “Where are you going?”

  I yelled back at him over my shoulder. “To bed. I need to sleep on this.” He didn’t follow me and stepping into the room I had frequented only a few months ago, I slammed the door behind me and leaned against the cool wood, trying to catch my breath.

  This was insanity! Locking the door, I stripped down to my underwear and climbed into bed. I lay there staring at the ceiling as images of Ollie, Jared and that kiss ran through my mind at warp speed. My heart was still thundering in my chest and I felt that at any moment it might tear its way out and scream at me for being so stupid. The sound of movement in the next room and the crash of a door slamming caught my attention. His voice bellowed through the wall. “Fuck!” I groaned and slammed my fist against the mattress beneath me. “I really don’t know what you expect me to do Layla. God you make me nuts!” Turning over I yelled back at him. “I expect you to leave me alone and go to bed before you drive us both crazy!” Silence fell in the room and I was sure I heard him cursing under his breath.

  I needed to forget him, to sleep it all off and make my escape in the morning but my mind wandered to the steaming hot mess of a man who was separated by only a few inches of wall from me. He was probably taking off his shirt right about now. Undoing the buttons and sliding it off of his muscular, broad frame. His slacks would be hugging his perfect hips and that hot V would be dipping and leading to the most delicious part of his body. My insides clenched as I mentally undressed the smolderingly delicious man in the next room. I was hot, scorching even. A gentle throbbing had settled between my thighs and I wondered if he might hear me…no, I couldn’t do that. Not here, not now…could I?

  My fingernails traced gently over my cleavage teasing myself with the gentle touch on my skin. Closing my eyes, I slid my hand further and further, swirling my fingertips over my stomach. I pressed my palm flat over my navel, hesitating to go those last few inches. A low groan brought me out of my reverie. It was coming from next door. Pressing my ear to the wall I listened to the heavy breaths and soft moaning vibrating through the wall. Oh, my god. Clearly Jared had had the same idea. Adrenaline was still pumping through my veins and the wine I had consumed gave me the courage to explore a little further. I heard him inhale sharply and my insides clenched again, hard. Lying back down, I didn’t hesitate. Plunging my hand inside my panties I pushed my fingertips against my clit. Biting down on my bottom lip to keep me from moaning, I began to massage, caress and rub the ache away. My free hand pressed against the wall as I imagined what he was doing only inches away from me. His hand sliding up and down his long, stiff and solid cock. My tongue grazed my lips as I thought about the pulsating, throbbing veins protruding up his shaft. I let out a whimper and suddenly his moaning, groaning and panting stopped. Had he finished already? Surely not.

  I laid there panting, still aching for release; listening intently for any movement or sound in the room next to me. The sound of a door closing echoed outside and inside the room. Jumping out of the bed I bolted to the door. Clutching the handle, I unlocked it and stared at the blank wood for a moment, knowing what was no doubt awaiting me on the other side. It was wrong, deceitful and unbelievably unfaithful but I found myself pressing down on the golden handle and opening the door. Standing in front of me in a pair of tight black shorts was Jared. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, matching my own ragged breathing. “You are fucking infuriating you know that?”

  Growling at him I panted. “I’m infuriating? You’re the one that keeps walking himself right back into my life! You’re back and forth so much you’re making me dizzy. It’s cruel, unfair and I hate the way you make me feel whenever you’re around me. It’s making me crazy.”

  “You want to talk about crazy? Telling me you’re with some other guy, wearing that dress tonight and then falling asleep in my arms didn’t just drive me crazy Layla, I’m bordering on psychotic! I’m so fucking hot for you.”

  Squaring up to him I snarled. “You can’t just waltz in here and expect me to bend over begging for you. I was done with that a long time ago.” His lips parted and I could see the ghost of a grin.

  “Really? Because from where I was laying it sounded like you were just getting started.” He had heard me. I stood close enough that I could feel his hard breath on my lips.

  “Fuck you!”

  Gripping his hand on my behind he held me flush against him and I gasped. “No, but I am going to fuck you.”

  Sliding his hand around my neck he pulled me to him, closing his mouth over mine. Wrapping my arms around his neck I dragged him into the bedroom, kicking the door closed with my foot. His hands slid over my shoulders slipping the straps of my bra down my arms in the process. Kissing me deeply, he murmured into my mouth. “God you make me so fucking mad.”

  The feeling was mutual as the ever familiar fire in my belly roared into an inferno. The well-known feeling of his hands on my body and the pleasurable sensations of his kiss provoked emotions inside me that I thought were buried.

  His hands reached behind my back and unhooked my bra as he guided me towards the bed. The back of my knees hit the edge and I fell back, landing with a bounce on the firm mattress. Peeling my bra over my arms, he tossed it across the room and placed his hands firmly around my back, lifting me up the bed so that my head was resting comfortably on a pillow. His lips pressed against mine and the scent of vanilla, sweet cologne and sex filled my senses with the powerful and pungent aphrodisiac that was Jared’s natural aroma. Hooking my thumbs into the waist of his shorts, I gave them a sharp push downwards. Obliging me, he slid them down over his behind, releasing his impressive erection. Grasping it in my hand I ran my fingers up and down the full length of him. He groaned into my mouth and my insides clenched deliciously. His fingers threaded through my hair as his tongue rolled and stroked inside my mouth. Coming up for air, I stared at the ceiling as his lips trailed soft kisses over my jaw to my neck. His tongue flicked and licked across my collar bone and a moan escaped my lips. Gradually and oh so achingly slowly, he kissed his way down to my breasts. Arching my back, I thrust my ample breasts to his lips as his mouth closed over my nipple, sucking, nipping and licking the pert and puckered tip. Gripping a fistful of his hair in my hand, I grasped the sheet with the other as his mouth on my breast sent a direct message to my sex. I
was practically begging for his hard long cock to slip inside me.

  Grazing his splayed fingers over my stomach, his mouth followed the trail of his soft fingertips down my wanting skin. Gripping my thighs, his tongue dipped into my navel and I gasped, bowing and writhing in his hands. “Oh Jared.”

  I could feel him smile against my skin. “I know baby. I’m going to take care of you. I’ll make it all good again.” I could barely hear his words as my heart thundered so loud it was pounding in my ears. His thumbs slid inside the delicate lace of my panties and tugged them down and over my behind. Running his nose up my slit his tongue grazed the fleshy lips. I groaned, desperate for him to give me what I needed, what I ached for, since the moment I’d see him in that suit. He must have heard my mental plea because the next thing I knew, my panties were in shreds beside me and his long hard cock thrust inside me, making me cry out with pure unadulterated gratification. His hips rocked back and forth as I grinded and writhed beneath him, matching him thrust for thrust. I was brimming with lust and my body was almost levitating off of the bed as his arms wrapped tightly around me lifting me close to his chest. His mouth closed over mine and I pressed my palms firmly around the back of his neck, pulling him close and deepening our kiss.

  The muscles inside me pulsated and convulsed as his tip brushed against my g-spot. Running my hands down his broad back, I gripped my fingernails tightly into his behind. My thumb rubbed gently over the raised letters of my name tattooed into his luscious caramel skin. A deep and carnal moan came from my throat as the pre-orgasmic waves began to crash and roll through my body. “Don’t stop Jared, I’m so close.”

  His face buried in my neck, he bit down on my shoulder as he slammed into me over and over, making me jolt and bounce back and forth beneath him. “I’ve missed you so much Layla. Your eyes, your hot, sexy, tight little body beneath mine and this wet, delicious cunt. I need you to come with me Layla. I want to feel how much you’ve missed my cock right here.” He thrust hard into me twice as the words left his lips. Clutching his flesh in my hands, I cried out his name as my orgasm flushed through me like a tidal wave of erotic bliss. Thrashing into me a few more times he stilled and held me in a tight embrace against his chest. Lying beneath him with my eyes closed, I listened to the frantic beat of my heart and the rapid panting of our breaths. His forehead pressed against my shoulder where his teeth had left a slight imprint. Resting my cheek against his sweat soaked hair, I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes. They slid warmly and silently down my cheeks and onto his face.