Contradiction

by Paine, Salina

  "Sure, what you have in mind?" I ask.

  "Well there's this little hole in the wall place near my apartment that has the best Italian food ever." He replies.

  "Sounds good to me, my lunch is gone."

  We turn back onto the main highway and my phone starts ringing, I look at my phone and Jeff calling me. "How the hell did he get this number?" I ask myself.

  "How did who get your number?" Brandon asks.

  "Jeff." I reply, fear rolling off of me.

  I can see Brandon's eyes darken and his face turns to that of disgust. "After all he did you still talk to him?" He asks, clenching his jaw.

  "No, I don't. I-I have no idea how he even got this number."

  We pull into the parking lot of the little dive. The little building doesn't look like much and the pitiful attempt to brighten it up only highlights the broken parking lot and the peeling peach colored exterior. We park and Brandon takes my hands in his and looks at me with softness returning to his eyes.

  "I think you should stay with me tonight, just to be safe." I look at him and narrow my eyes. He frowns and says. "Look, I'm not trying anything, but if Jeff has your number, he probably knows where you live too." I shudder at the thought. Drawing in a ragged breath I nod, knowing he has a good point.

  The interior of the cafe is surprisingly bright and inviting. The tables are all full so we take a seat at the counter. A sweet smell permeates from the kitchen and it makes my mouth water. Brandon looks at me and smiles, handing me a menu. "The eggplant parm is to die for." He says, smiling.

  A little elderly lady with salt and pepper hair comes to greet us. Her bright blue eyes showcase the youth still in her soul. "I'm Adalina and I'll be serving you today," she says, her voice slightly above a whisper. She looks at me and over to Brandon. "Brandon?" She says scolding him with her eyes still on me.

  "Hi, Ada. I know what you're thinking but it's not what you think. Carlie left me a few weeks ago."

  "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." She says patting his shoulder. "Sweet tea?" She asks. Brandon nods and Ada scurries away, coming back quickly with two huge glasses.

  "Thank you." He says and looks at me. "Oh, where are my manners?" Ada says as she reaches out to take my hand. "I’m Ada. What’s your name honey?"

  "Nice to meet you Ada, I'm Jasmine." She looks at me and grins.

  "You take care of this fella here, he's a good one." I nod feeling my cheeks begin to flush. She smiles a sweet smile and winks at me. "So what will you two be having? Might I recommend the Chicken or Eggplant parm? Those are the house specials."

  Brandon nods, "We'll both have the eggplant parm."

  Not much is said beyond Ada gushing over Brandon and the occasional sigh. After dinner we head back to the hospital to pick up my car. As I walk up to it I notice a piece of notebook paper tucked into the wipers. I'm shaking as I reach for it. I open it and begin to read as Brandon walks up.

  "What is wrong?" He asks noticing the fact that I'm shaking. "J-j-eff." I stutter.

  Jasmine-

  If you think I'm going to give up on us so easily, you are wrong. You are MINE and always will be. I won't stop until I prove that we belong together and you are by my side.

  -Jeff

  "You need to get a restraining order." Brandon hisses, his jaw clenched and darkness in his eyes. I nod, unable to speak through the tears. Brandon pulls me into him and holds me tightly as I sob against his chest. "You stay with me tonight and I'll take you in the morning to the police station."

  "Ok." I reply, knowing it's the safest option for me. "Oh and hold on to that note." He says.

  I grab the necessities out of my car and jump into his, all the while looking around the parking lot. I lay my head back and close my eyes trying to stop the sobs ripping through my chest as we drive to his house. Brandon comes around and picks me up carrying me inside when we get there. I just can't seem to move. He sits down on the couch and holds me tightly letting me just cry. I finally fall asleep, cradled in his arms. Waking up, I roll over and find him smiling at me.

  "What?" I ask.

  "Time to get up sleepy head, breakfast is waiting." He says kissing my forehead.

  I smile and climb out of the bed pulling on my shirt. My eyes and cheeks sting from all the tears and I cringe when I walk past the hallway mirror. "Oh my God, I look horrendous." I say trying to straighten the tangled mess of hair. Yesterday's make-up is smeared and my eyes are red and swollen from crying.

  Two white bags are sitting on the table with two large cups of coffee and a shallow black box with a purple ribbon. "What's in the box?" I ask.

  "Let's eat our breakfast, and then we will talk. You know I'm serious about that restraining order, right?"

  "Yes, I know, but it's complicated."

  "How so?" He asks.

  "The truth is, I'm afraid of what he will do. Jeff is used to getting his way and, he has the means to get himself out of trouble," I reply staring down at the table.

  Brandon reaches over and puts his hand over mine. "Well, I think it's time for you to open the box."

  With shaking hands I pull off the ribbon and open the box. Inside is a small purple and black handgun. I look at Brandon wide eyed, not sure what to say.

  "It's for protection." He says forcing me to look at him. "I don't like you being in that apartment alone with nothing to protect you." He says leaning in and kissing my cheek.

  "I've never even held a gun before, unless you count a nerve gun." I say with a nervous laugh.

  "It's a Ruger 9mm Luger, and I think it's the perfect size for you. Of course you will be taking the gun safety course and getting your concealed weapon certificate first." he says.

  I nod, looking back at the gun. "It is pretty, you know?" I say.

  He smirks and bites his bottom lip. Leaning forward I kiss him. "Thank you." He nods and takes a sip of coffee. "Do you have plans today?" He asks.

  "No, I'm off work and all I was going to do is laundry."

  The ride to the gun range is quiet, we are both lost in our thoughts. We get out of the car and he slaps my ass when I bend over to get my new purple 9mm from the trunk. He smiles as I walk past him towards the entrance. I'm nervous as we enter, but the adorableness of him with the ear muffs on makes me giggle. Brandon motions to me to put mine on before he proceeds to start shooting. I stare in awe at Brandon as he fires off a clip into a paper target. The accuracy and speed in which he delivers his shots is amazing. I watch intently trying to overcome the fear I have of guns. The intensity of the way he shoots is a turn on and the way his muscles tense when he pulls the trigger makes my body tingle.

  He turns and winks at me while reloading the clip and my insides turn into mush. Drawing in a deep breath I fan myself with my hands. After he fires off his last clip he comes over to me. "You ready?" He asks.

  "Sure." I reply, my voice shaking.

  "There is nothing to be afraid of, sweetheart." He says hugging me tightly.

  "I'm not afraid." I reply.

  Brandon raises his eyebrow and nods. "Ok, if you say so."

  I now stand in front of Brandon, aiming at the target. The subtle hint of his cologne fills my nose as he places his hands over mine showing me how to hold the gun properly.

  "Now just take your time, it’s better to learn how to shoot slowly at first, and then fast." He says backing away from me.

  I nod, and try to concentrate. I fire once, wait a few seconds, then again. I fire six rounds all together and Brandon looks at the target.

  "Three misses, not too bad." ”He states, emphasizing the too.

  "Argh, I suck at this." I sigh.

  "Hey, don't say that. Nobody is good the first time around, it takes practice." Brandon says with a smile.

  "Well it looks like we will be coming out here a lot." I reply with a grin.

  "How about one more round and then I have another surprise for you." He says, winking.

  “"What is it?"” I ask. “

  "You’ll have to wait and
see." He replies with a grin.

  After one more round, just as bad as the first we leave the range and go down a small side road. The narrow path slowly widens revealing a lake with foliage, like something out of a fairy tale. "Wow."” I remark looking out over the crystal clear water.

  "It's fed by a spring." He says directing me over to the tree line where a trail leads deep into the woods. "There's more to see there".”He says taking the lead. "We always came out here this time of year when we were kids. My dad discovered it as a child and it has kind of become a tradition." He says, dragging me along.

  It was very beautiful. We stayed most of the day there just looking and taking. The sun is was just setting as we start to leave and I'm exhausted, and in dire need of a shower. We get back from our picnic and I feel completely filthy. My jeans are caked with mud from falling in a puddle and I'm sure I have dirt in some very unwelcome places.

  “"I'm going to hop in the shower."”I say grabbing my bag. “

  "You want some company?" He asks, waggling his eyebrows.

  I just roll my eyes and head to the bathroom. I turn on the water and adjust the temperature, stepping in being engulfed by the warmth. I start washing my hair and hear the door click shut. I freeze. As I peek around the curtain, I watch him as he takes off his shirt. I can't help but to stare. His broad chest is perfection. He continues to undress slowly and I feel so dirty, but I smile as I see his back and that ass. Oh my God what an ass he has. He turns towards the shower and I quickly close the curtain. I hear him snicker. He knew I was watching. He opens the curtain and startles me.

  "So did you enjoy the show?”

  I fight the smile playing at my lips and blush of my cheeks. I step back so he can get under the water. The way the water trickles down his body is amazing. I try to keep my eyes above the waist. Which let me say was very difficult. I turn to face the wall and grab my scrubby. As I later up I feel his eyes practically burning into my ass. I bend over slowly to scrub my legs. He draws in a breath and a dirty smile crosses my lips. I straighten up and slid past him to the water allowing my breasts to press slightly against his back. I rinse off rubbing my hands up and down my body. My heart is thumping and he is clearly showing constraint.

  He bends to kiss me just barely touching my lips, and the sensation is dizzying. He backs up against the wall and allows me to finish. I turn and smile as I step out. My whole body is consumed with heat. I dry off quickly and pull on my t-shirt and panties. I leave the bathroom and head to the bedroom. I brush my hair and spray on a little perfume.

  I climb into bed and try to calm myself. Lying there with my eyes closed I hear the doorknob turn. My heart jumps with excitement as he walks in smiling. He climbs in beside me pulling the covers up, pressing himself up against me and kissing my neck softly, causing a shiver to run down my spine. I turn to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. His lips gently kiss my forehead and then my cheek. He presses his forehead to mine and smiles. I close the gap between us and kiss him. His mouth covers mine with passion. I groan as his tongue slips into my mouth, his taste is so sweet. I pull in closer pressing every inch of myself as close to him as possibly.

  As we kiss the fire inside me builds. I reach my hands behind his neck and close any possible gap between us. “"Oh god." He moans into my ear as I run my fingers down his chest to the waistband of his jeans. I stop and work my way back up, stopping to flick his right nipple. He growls and rips his lips from mine. I smile at him sweetly and he begins kissing my neck again. Gently at first and quickly increasing in intensity. I moan loudly as he reaches my shoulder. He rolls me so I'm in my back and lowers himself on top of me. I grab his arms feeling the muscles rippling underneath his smooth skin.

  He continues kissing down my body slowly reaching the neckline of my shirt. He backs up sitting me up. I raise my arms so he can slip my shirt off, exposing my ample bosom. “Beautiful." He whispers kissing me and laying me back down. He slides his tongue from my neck down between my breasts. He licks around the nipple tortuously and my hips come up of the bed. I'm about to lose my mind when he takes my nipple into his mouth, biting gently.

  Pulling him as close to me as I can get him, I can feel his erection straining against the thick fabric of his jeans. He works his way back to my mouth, kissing me with such intensity my whole body is ablaze. I reach down and fumble with the button on his pants. I finally get them free, undone and slide them down. I realize he's not wearing any underwear and it catches me by surprise. The shock on my face must be obvious because he snickers when I gasp.

  I pull him back down kissing him again. The thin fabric of my panties is the only thing between us. He smiles kissing me deeply and pulls away, he then begins kissing and licking down my trembling body.

  “Are you afraid?" He asks. I nod. “Why?" He asks in a whisper.

  "I've never done this before." I say.

  "I'll be gentle with you." He says reassuring me. I groan again when he reaches my flat stomach. “So beautiful, so soft.” ”He muses as he reaches the waistband of my panties. He gets up on his knees and begins working my panties down my long legs leaning over and licking my thigh.

  “Are you sure about this?”" He asks.

  "Yes!" I say breathlessly, unsure of how I’m feeling.

  He smiles scooting lower on the bed and spreads my legs exposing my core. His mouth hovers above it and I can feel his warm breath on my clit. He takes his long finger and rubs up and down my slit. A loud groan escapes my lips as he flicks my clit. He slowly inserts a finger and moves it around with a circular motion. Confusion fills me as I don't know if I should be enjoying this or not. I'd always told myself I wouldn't do this until I got married, I think to myself, seeing the faint light reflection off the thin silver band on my finger.

  As he plunges deeper into me he begins licking my clit in the same rhythm of his finger, everything begins to clear. I begin to feel a sensation like nothing I've felt before. As the intensity builds he stops. I'm about to protest when his tongue takes the place of his fingers. “Oh my god!"” I moan, as he licks slowly up and down my slit focusing on my clit.

  With each caress of his tongue I'm losing any aspect of control. My hips begin to buck against his mouth and his sucking increases. I scream out his name as my whole body convulses in pleasure. He looks up at me from between my legs and smiles. I sigh heavily as he climbs on top of me kissing me deeply. I'm not sure how I feel about tasting myself.

  “Is it always like this?" I ask. “

  "Oh no!" He says. "It's better." I can feel the blush covering my body at the thought. “Shall I show you?" He asks coyly. I nod impatiently. “"Ok, but just know, this may hurt a bit." He says bringing his lips to mine.

  His erection is pressing into my thigh as he kisses me again. He gets back up on his knees, stroking himself. "Are you sure?" He asks again, seeing my body trembling with anticipation.

  "Yes." I reply.

  He takes his cock and lightly rubs it across my clit. I'm immediately drenched in wetness. He grins feeling the warmth. He rubs up and down my slit spreading the warmth. I feel him at my entrance and my body tenses up.

  “Don’t be afraid." He says.“"I'll gentle, this time."” As he pushes himself into me. I feel the burn and tears begin to stream down my face. "Oh, I’m sorry, do you want me to stop?” I shake my head trying to stop the tears. “Ok." He says as he pushes slowly until I'm completely filled by him. The burning has lessened as he pulls back and pumps back into me a little faster. The pain is replaced by pleasure as he continues to plunge himself deeper. I moan and his speed increases.

  He stops suddenly and flips me over onto my stomach, grabbing my thighs and roughly yanking my naked lower half over the edge of bed towards where he's now standing between my legs. The sheets have already come loose from the mattress, but I claw at fistfuls of the fabric anyways. I'm going to need something to hang on to, if this is any indication of what's to come. He runs his hands over the curve of my ass, smacking it firmly before sinking h
is thick cock into me again.

  The heat and fullness as he slides inside makes me gasp and I dig my fingernails into the sheet. He's lucky that he's not beneath me right now or I'd be covering him with scratches. He pulls out almost completely then slowly pushes back into me. He continues this rather slow rhythm until I simply can't take anymore. “Faster" I moan into the pillow as he kisses the back of my neck. I wince in pleasure and try to focus on taking in as much air as possible, since every hard slap of his body against mine actually wrenches the breath from my lungs.

  The intensity is frightening and incredible at the same time. "OH God!" I whimper as the movement of his body forces mine to inch up the mattress. It feels so fucking good, and I'm not sure how much longer I can keep from crying out.

  "Give me your wrists." He whispers, pulling my hands from their grip on the sheet and pinning them down at my sides. I feel his full weight come to rest against the length of my back. He covers my body with his, and leans in to nip at my neck. His cool breath puffing across my damp, sweaty skin sends a shiver right through me, right down to where my clit throbs, aching for attention. He moans into the sensitive skin of my neck. His thrusts no longer shake the whole bed but instead begin to pulse deep inside of me, causing my legs to tremor uncontrollably beneath his.

  He's so heavy that I can't move at all except to wiggle my fingers and curl my toes, which heightens just how hot the sex is. A loud whimper escapes my lips. "Yes." Brandon moans, angling himself differently so he can finish me off. I'm losing control and it's what he wants.

  "OH God, you're going to make me scream!"

  "Good." He pants into my ear, his breath falling hot against my neck. "You'd better." I lift my chin to the side a little to allow him access to my lips. He covers my mouth with a burning kiss just as he knees one of my legs up onto the bed, the inside of my thigh now pressed flat to the edge of the mattress. It creates a teasing bit of friction between my throbbing clit and the damp spot on the sheets beneath us, which hurls my body straight towards the brink of pleasure.“"OH!" I groan loudly into his mouth, shuddering beneath him just as everything else is reduced to white noise. "I want to feel you come on my cock." He whispers breathlessly. I gasp, but my climax cuts me off. I stretch out my fingers, gripping his strong forearms as an intense orgasm floods my body and leaves me reeling. I actually go numb with pleasure.