by Nora Flite
With her back against the headboard so she was forced to sit up, I straddled her body. Something brushed my spine—her hands, again. Knotting my brow, I clicked my tongue. Zoe got the message, dropping her arms to her sides. She might as well have rolled her eyes. “You can touch me, but I can't touch you?”
“That's the deal.” I flashed my teeth, itching to drag them down her neck. God, I wanted to taste her. My cock was painfully rigid, I reached down and fisted it. Zoe watched, and I think she might have been as eager as me.
Almost, anyway.
Slowly, I began rocking on top of her. I rose up on my knees, bent back in a slight bridge. Zoe had quite the view, my abdominals flexing as they worked. The shape of my cock-head was obvious, straining against the front of my briefs.
A shudder went through her. I felt it, and she saw me feel it. On the bed, her hands made fists; clenched tight. She was struggling to hold back. I was making Zoe lose her composure. Fuck, it got me high as a kite.
“Okay,” she blurted, after I'd kept rolling my hips up and down for a few minutes. “Either stop or...”
“Or?” I teased, stroking my own palm along the outside of my erection.
She shut her eyes and knotted her eyebrows. “Shit. You're a real bastard, Huck.”
“Don't be so harsh, babe.” I leaned down, put my weight on her until I was stroking her through her panties with the length of my shaft. “I told you earlier...” Fast as a whip, I snatched her left hand and placed it on my hip. “I'll only do the things you like. Got it?”
A tremor crossed Zoe's face. She'd gone somewhere else; no longer looking at me, but at the contour of my body, the lines of black ink running up my skin. There was a thoughtfulness to her that had me baffled.
Not meeting my stare, she grazed her nails down until she brushed a single fingertip over the outside of my briefs. Both of us gasped.
“Fuck,” she hissed, wrenching her eyes up to me. She was back, the live wire that seemed to battle with herself. Pulling her hand away, she covered her mouth.
I made myself swallow down my urge to rip her hand away and kiss her. “If you wanted to know how I smelled,” I said, crawling forward until my bulge was an inch from her face, “There are better ways.”
Figuring out what I was implying, she whipped her hand away from her lips. The insult that was on her tongue dissolved. Zoe was fixated on my cock, the black cloth shifting when I writhed.
“Do you want to see it?” I asked, my voice low and soft.
“No,” she said, and it was a poor lie.
“Fine.” Jerking myself through the material, I grinned at how red she turned. She sat there and watched, unwilling to look away, unwilling to stop me. My plan was to turn her on until she buckled.
I'd decided I was going to fuck her, there was no way around it. My need was maddening, and I was not a man to shy away from his desires. However, touching myself was making my lower belly tingle. At this rate, I'd lose my edge.
Reluctantly, I let go of my cock. Hunching over Zoe, I nuzzled the hollow of her throat. My ears flooded with the glorious sound of her whimper. “This... isn't much of a dance,” she mumbled weakly.
“Sure it is.” Kissing her skin, I tasted her sweat. My teeth scraped, drawing out another gasp. “Our bodies are still moving, still reacting.” Sliding lower, I captured her chin and put my ear to her shoulder. “Beautiful, your heart is pounding.”
“So is yours.” It was a frail accusation.
The music thumped. I copied it, rubbing my pelvis over hers to the beat. “You're right, my heart is going wild. Know why?” Against my cheek, Zoe shook her head. “It's because you're getting me hot. Feel how hard my cock is?” I slid it along her inner thigh until she groaned. “That's the sign of a good lap-dance. You're making me crazy, babe. Fuck.”
Zoe adjusted; soon, she was grinding her pussy on me. We were dry humping in Eliza's bed. I hoped she didn't kill me for this. “Is this really okay?” Zoe asked, never slowing her rocking body.
“Feels more than okay to me.” Her raspy panting filled my skull. This wasn't a dance anymore, no way. I was seconds away from tearing her panties aside and shoving my swollen length deep into her cunt.
Under me, Zoe went stiff. “What was that?”
“My cock, doll. Please don't tell me you're a virgin.”
“No,” she snapped, shoving at me until I sat up. “Listen, in the hall.”
Without her dulling my senses, the noises outside the door became obvious. Voices were talking, muffled and growing angrier. Something was happening, and it pissed me off because it was interrupting my fun.
Eliza's voice was clear as day. “I said get the fuck out! I'm not paying you!”
Shit. Well, there went my good mood. Hopping off the bed, I eyed Zoe, caught her fiddling with her dress. “Sorry to cut this short. Believe me.”
She slid off the mattress, smoothing her hair. “It's fine. I'm coming, wait for me.”
“You aren't coming,” I said, arching an eyebrow. “That's precisely why it's not fine.” Zoe blushed, getting my meaning. It was almost enough to cheer me up as I wrenched out into the hallway.
Eliza was standing there, face to face with a man I hadn't met before. He was almost as tall as me, a jacked up dude in a tight white shirt and a black bow-tie. At the end of the hall, the other girls were gathered, gazing on in fear and worry.
The instant I appeared, all eyes shot to me. “Huck!” Eliza cried, pointing at the man. “Get this asshole out of here!”
“What's the problem?” I asked, sensing Zoe stepping close behind me.
The man in the bow-tie wrinkled his nose, looking me up and down. I was wearing just my briefs, but I wasn't ashamed. I just winked at him and grinned fiercely.
“This is the joker you replaced me with?” He scoffed, folding his arms. “I wasn't even that late!”
“You never responded to my last five phone calls, Kit!” Eliza's hands squeezed her round hips. “I had to cancel, it looked like you wouldn't show!”
Kit raised his chin, trying to intimidate Eliza. I knew her, though. It took way more than that to make my old friend nervous. “You booked me, now I'm here. Pay me the five hundred.”
Before she could say another word, I stepped up. My chest brushed Kit's, making him take a step back. “Listen, the nice lady asked you to leave. How about you get the fuck out of here, before things get messy?”
Grimacing, the guy considered me once more. He took in my casual stance, my amused smile. I was a half-naked man in extremely good shape, but my body language screamed I was no threat. I should have been a being of pure hot rage. And I wasn't.
Let me explain.
You see, with my semi-hard-on gone, my balls still buzzed in frustration. There was a poison in me called 'disappointment.' This fucker had interrupted what I'd been about to do to one lovely red-head.
God, I could still smell her—knew she was standing mere feet away.
I looked like I wasn't a threat because I wanted him to think that. I was spoiling for a fucking fight. Nothing starts one faster than a petty man who thinks he has the advantage and aims to shake down some money.
“Back the hell up, dude,” Kit said, his hand shoving out at my shoulder. “This has to do with me and Eliza.”
My next smile was slow as the rising sun. I chafed where his hand had touched me. “Last chance, friend. Get your ass out that door. Let's not ruin the mood of this party.”
His lips were curling, some shitty insult no doubt ready to expel from his mouth. I was busy watching his hands. His feet. The asshole was doing exactly what I'd hoped for. Riled up and not worried about me, Kit had every intention of shoving me again. He'd never get that far.
Stepping to one side, I grabbed him by the shirt and threw him against the wall. Pictures shook but luckily didn't shatter on the floor. The hallway filled with shocked screams. Kit was shocked, too, and I liked that. Fear isn't as enticing as a writhing body on a bed, but it would have to do.
“What the fuck!?” he shouted.
“I asked you nicely. Get your ass out the door.” His shirt ripped at the seams from how roughly I yanked him towards the front of the house. Eliza moved aside, shooting me a thankful smile as I passed. It was Zoe that had my attention, brief as it was.
Those blue eyes were twinkling with amazement. If her slack jaw and the hard lines of her nipples through her shirt were any indication—and I admit, I'm no Sherlock—she was still turned on from when I'd been grinding on her.
Under me, Kit was twisting, arguing. Fueled by my new burst of energy, I dragged him to the door. “Wait!” he gasped, futilely trying to stop us with his heels. I just kicked at his legs, ignoring his wince. “What about my money? Eliza owes me for this gig! It's in the contract!”
On the threshold, I paused. Wrenching Kit upwards, I held him in front of me. Every muscle fiber was tensed, every inch of me that could knot up was doing so. “You had a contract?” I asked, shaking him once.
“Yes! She owes me five hundred bucks!” I could see the droplets of sweat on his forehead. Kit was terrified, and with good reason. I'd handled him like he was a bag of potatoes. The disgust in my green eyes was rampant. “Look—it's just how it is. Okay? She owes me the money. She has to pay, or else.”
I tilted my head. “Or else, I like that phrase. How about this. You get the fuck out of my sight, or else I shove this contract of yours so far up your ass you'll choke on it.”
His mouth fell open. “I—I mean, it's a digital contract, so you couldn't—”
In one smooth motion, I threw him over the steps and into the yard. Luckily, he missed one of the plastic reindeer Eliza must have set-up to show her Christmas spirit. Grunting, Kit stumbled in the grass. On hands and knees, he took one look back at me.
Grinning, I cracked my knuckles and started to climb down off the porch. That was all it took. Kit was a ball of limbs, clamoring into the street and towards what I figured was his car. The screeching tires confirmed that guess.
Across the way, someone was in the middle of getting their mail. Openly gawking at me, they—and the wind—reminded me I was standing there in my underwear. Lifting a hand, I gave the woman an ecstatic wave. I got to enjoy her astounded face, but then a hand grabbed my elbow and tugged me inside. “Get in here, you idiot,” Eliza laughed.
Shutting the door, I realized every woman in that house was crowded in the entry way. They'd seen everything. “Sorry,” I said, rubbing the side of my neck. “That wasn't the sort of show Eliza paid me to put on for you girls.”
Some of them clapped, pumping their fists high. Eliza waved her arms, shooing them out of the tight space. Giggling so that the noise merged into one loud, ear-bending mass, the party-goers dispersed towards the room with the drinks and music. Only Zoe and Eliza remained, the former leaning on the wall as if I wouldn't see her.
“Seriously, Huck,” Eliza said, her arms folding tight. “Thanks for throwing that asshole out of here. What a clown. I canceled on him, his contract means shit. I don't owe him a dime.”
“If he shows up to collect again, call me. I'll help him understand the message.”
Zoe perked up, but she remained silent. Her sudden shyness was so odd to me. Then again, I had to admit, I didn't know anything substantial about her. How she acted when we were alone wasn't going to indicate her normal personality.
Sighing, Eliza flipped her hair back. “Muscle for hire. Thanks for the reminder. Anyway, Zoe, sorry you had your private dance interrupted.” She wiggled her eyebrows, but Zoe was busy fixating on me.
Stepping off from the wall, she approached us both. “Wait, what do you mean by muscle for hire? I thought you were a stripp—uh, a dancer.”
I didn't hide my laugh or my smirk. “Stripper is fine. A guy should have a few talents, though. That's just one.” And really, I thought to myself, Stripping... isn't my usual stomping ground these days. There was more money in whoring myself out to the right women. Plus, I genuinely preferred it. “I'd give you a card, but...” I motioned to my lack of pockets.
Eliza moved to a chair, unhooking a black purse. “Here,” she said, “I still have one.” Digging out a thin piece of cardboard, she clopped back on her heels to Zoe.
Curiosity bloomed as the red-head took the card from her friend. Her eyes flicked to it, then to Eliza, then to me. “You seriously have a business card?”
Shrugging, I rested my thumbs on the elastic band of my underwear. Purposefully, I lowered the fabric and enjoyed how she flushed. “In a business like mine, all my work comes from reference. If I leave a good impression, people call me back.”
Eliza broke up the tension, tossing her head at me as she laughed. “Read the back of the card, Zoe.”
Shaking herself, waking up from the warm cotton of my voice, Zoe did as she was told. Her smile was subtle. “Huxton Blake: Muscle for hire. So you're what, a stripper and a bodyguard?”
“I'm whatever you need,” I said. “I'm someone who prevents trouble or chases it off, like our friend Kit back there.” I peeled my briefs lower, the top of my pubic bone showing. “Or... I'm a warm body in your bed. Like I said, I'm whatever you need. Just give me call, I always answer.”
Zoe cleared her throat, grabbing a purse off the counter and tucking the card inside. “Uh, right. Listen, Eliza... I think I need to go get some air. Why don't you and Huxton entertain the girls before they tear our living room apart?”
My stomach dropped. I'd expected her to ask me to continue our lap-dance.
“What, you're leaving?” Eliza's disdain was obvious. “Zoe, don't do that. This is your party!”
Lifting her hands, Zoe spread her fingers and smiled. “I know, I know. I'll be back, I swear. I'm just...” Shooting a sideways look at me, she faltered. “I'll be right back, seriously.”
The unease I had melted away. She's not getting air, she's getting space from me. Alright. Not what I preferred, but it was flattering. Causing someone to need a breather from my presence was intriguing... and good for my ego.
“It's fine,” I said, moving towards her as I swayed down the hall. “I'll go calm the masses. See you after, Zoe.” As I slid by her, I lowered my head and inhaled so deeply, so loudly, that both girls heard the sound. The fire in my eyes was real. It matched the one in my belly, the one that was still pissed it hadn't been sated when we were alone.
Tightening like a spring, Zoe watched me go. All the way until I rounded the corner, until I was swept up in the roar of the hungry crowd, those blue eyes tracked me like a bloodhound. She never even blinked.
Oh yes. I looked forward to more time alone with this girl.
- Chapter Two-
Zoe
Pure strength and perfect flesh. Each piece of it, each curve, coated in the permanent mark of ink that drew my eye even further. Huxton was gorgeous.
I fucking hated that.
Why did he have to look and sound and smell so good? How was this fair? Even when he vanished out of my line of sight, I still looked at where he'd been. It was easy to imagine him, he should have been from my imagination. Hell, he should have just existed in my head, not appeared at this crazy party my roommate had thrown for me.
Eliza cleared her throat. Twisting, I was half-way to blushing before I saw the accusing glint in her eyes. “Don't even,” I said, warning her.
“Zoe Zoe Zoe,” she sighed dramatically. “Did I pick the right entertainment for you, or what?”
For me, I thought cynically. “Eliza, please give me a break here.”
“I'm only teasing.” Her glossy lips spread over her pearly teeth. “But he's something else, isn't he?”
Recalling how his cock had sizzled between my thighs, I shivered. “Something else, yeah.” Which was why I had to shove him from my mind. This had been fun, too fun. I was minutes away from doing something in Eliza's bedroom I shouldn't have ever considered.
Of course, my mind and body disagreed.
Grabbing my coat off of the rack behind the door, I
slid my arms into it. The green material hung with a welcoming weight. Even in LA, it would get cold in December. Especially when it got late... and I planned to be out late. “I'll see you after,” I said, twisting the knob and stepping into the growing evening.
Eliza's voice was crisp. “You better!”
I hated lying to her, though it wasn't entirely a lie. I would see her later. Just much later. Way after the party had cleared...
And after Huxton had left the house.
Tucking my chin into the coat, I started down the street and towards the metro. I didn't have a car, couldn't afford it. Luckily, I was used to traversing the sprawling city via bus or subway.
From my purse, I slid my earbuds into place and flicked through my phone for some music. It had become my routine over the last six months. God, had it only been that long? It felt like I'd been making the same trip for years. It was draining me.
The music, low and fierce, was supposed to be soothing. Except now the tunes were making me think of a certain bedroom and a more specific man. Tattoos and gyrating hips. A pair of green eyes that wore me down, and a cock so thick and hard it wanted to rip right through my rapidly dampening panties—Nope. Nope nope nope.
Scowling both mentally and visibly, I glared at my reflection in the subway window. Stop it Zoe. Don't do this to yourself. You know this game, you just got out of it.
Guys like Huck... they weren't new to me. They were my old, familiar comfort zone. My doom. I wouldn't make a mistake like that again.
Changing the song, I found something more peppy and upbeat. It came close to easing the bitter acid in my mouth.
I had some time to kill. I'd expected I'd be able to enjoy my party—Eliza had been kind enough to organize it—and not have it run over into my required engagement. It would still have been fine, except for that fucking guy.
If I'd stayed, who knew what I would have done. I couldn't take the risk.
Riding the metro up and down the entire Red Line, I did two loops. Time drudged by, the normal anxiety that came with where I was heading taking over. Thoughts about Huxton faded.
