by Geri Glenn
He smiles. “I did. They’re great, and to be honest, I’ve been wanting to get out of this porn gig for a while now. Maybe this will be the kick in the ass I need to find something new.” He shrugs. “Anyway, let’s not talk about all that. I asked you out because I want to get to know you. Tell me about Alex.”
I smile. “What do you want to know?”
Shawn’s lip curls up in a smile of his own as he glances over at me. “Absolutely everything.”
Heat floods my cheeks as his eyes drink me in, and I have to look away from him to collect myself. “Um…there’s not much to know, really.” I tell him about my childhood and growing up in my parent’s house. I tell him about my book, and how I hope to be a published author one day.
Twice while I’m talking, I think I’ve bored him. I get the impression he’s not listening as his eyes keep flicking to the rearview mirror, his brows creased in a frown, but when I stop talking, he raises a brow or asks a question, proving that he is paying attention.
The third time I think I’ve lost him, I finally just ask, “Is everything okay?”
Shawn’s worried gaze slides from the mirror to me, then back to the road. “I don’t know. I think someone may be following us.”
Shit. I turn in my seat and look over my shoulder at the headlights behind us, but it’s too dark to see the actual car behind the lights. “Are you sure?”
“I don’t know. They’ve been back there the entire time, and they’re practically riding in my trunk. Whoever it is needs to back off.” His knuckles are white as he grips the wheel.
There’s not a doubt in my mind that it’s Reese back there, trying to scare us. How far is he going to take this? Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of running scared, I place a hand on Shawn’s knee, and can’t help but smile when he jumps a little at my touch. “They’re probably just going the same way as us,” I tell him, and give his knee a squeeze.
Shawn’s eyes lift from my hand to my eyes, then back to the road. “Jesus,” he mutters, his grin wide on his face.
“What?”
Shawn shakes his head, chuckling. “I don’t know what it is about you, woman, but you make me feel like a damn teenager. I can’t remember the last time I was this nervous around a woman.”
I laugh, Reese almost forgotten. “You’re crazy. You don’t need to be nervous. Let’s just have some fun, okay?”
Shawn nods his head, his grin still spread wide on his handsome face, and takes my hand in his. He brings it to his lips and brushes a gentle kiss to the back of it. “Deal.”
The restaurant is one I’d never been to. A big Texas steakhouse with loud country music blaring over the speakers, and servers in jeans and cowboy boots, bustling around the giant dining area. The aromatic wafting of food past my nose makes my stomach growl as we are led to our seats. We each order a beer, and the waitress is back in a flash with two beers and a giant bowl of homemade tortilla chips and salsa.
“This is fantastic,” I say, cramming another chip in my mouth.
“It’s my favorite spot.” Shawn takes a swig of his beer. “Reminds me of home.”
“You from Texas?”
“Nope.” He grins. “From a small town in Florida, but we have one of these steakhouses there too.”
For the next twenty minutes, as we wait for our food, I ask Shawn more questions about his past. It’s refreshing to talk to someone who’s so open and candid about his own history, and the way he describes his family makes me wish I knew that kind of closeness.
My family had always been so cold and biblically regimented. There hadn’t been closeness with anybody but Jesus. Maybe that’s why I crave sex. Maybe it’s because I had never received much of anything in the way of affection or love, and sex makes me feel powerful and validated. But the laughter and the happiness Shawn describes as he talks about his family isn’t something I would ever get from sex. I don’t know that I’d ever be able to have that.
“I’m curious,” I say after our food arrives. “Why porn? I mean, your life sounds like a fairy-tale to me, so how did you get into porn?”
Shawn sighs, and his shoulders lift in a shrug. “Sex?” He laughs. “I don’t know. It started out as a joke at first. Some chick approached me on the street and said she wanted to put me in a movie. My buddies thought it was hilarious.” He tips his bottle to his lips and takes a swig of his beer. “I was twenty years old. What twenty-year-old in the world wouldn’t want to screw all those beautiful women?”
“And now you want out?”
“As of last week, I guess it’s more of a now I am out.”
“So, why now?”
Shawn spreads his hands wide. “I grew up? Sex isn’t as much fun as it used to be? Or maybe it’s the way women in the real world react when they find out what I do for a living. Like they want to spray themselves with disinfectant and run screaming from the building. There’s a lot of reasons.” He tilts his head to the side. “What about you? Do you ever think about quitting?”
I pick at the label on my beer and watch as the pieces fall to the table. “I think I’m done.”
“You think?”
“I still have a month on my contract, but I don’t want to do it anymore.” I swallow past the lump in my throat. “I want out.”
“Hey.” Shawn’s finger comes across the table and underneath my chin, tilting my head up so he can study my face. “What’s going on, Alex?”
I shrug and dash away the stray tear that had escaped with the back of my hand. “Nothing I can’t handle,” I tell him, but I think I’m lying. I don’t know what I can handle anymore.
Shawn looks like he’s going to press the issue, but after a few seconds, he sighs and moves his hand away. “If you ever need to talk, honey, you can always call on me.”
Heat burns in my chest at his offer, and I force myself to smile across the table at him, not letting the pools of tears fall. “Thank you. I’ll remember that.”
The waitress comes then with the bill, and after paying it, Shawn pulls out my chair and together we head to the car. “You want to go home now, or do you want to have a little fun?” he asks.
I don’t want to go home ever again. That’s where those memories of Reese are. “Fun. Always fun.”
The smile on Shawn’s face is contagious, and before I know it, we’re driving down the street to find a little fun.
***
The dance club Shawn takes me to is one I’d never been to before. He orders us each another beer, then moves me to the dance floor. Together we dance, our bodies swaying and hopping to the heavy beat. There’s no room for conversation. The music is so loud, we couldn’t have one if we tried.
One song after another plays, and still we dance. I close my eyes and lose myself to the rhythm. Shawn dances close, but never steps over the line of touching me anywhere but my waist. It’s nice for a change. I usually avoid dance clubs because there’s only so much a woman can take of being groped and pawed at. Any other time I’ve been to one, the men line up like dogs, all of them feeling entitled to take their shot at getting me into bed, and very few of them willing to take the hint that it’s never going to happen.
At the end of the night, the last song is a slow one. Like it’s the most natural thing in the world, Shawn pulls me into him. I wrap my arms around his neck and lay my head on his chest. I can feel the steady beat of his heart. The scent of his aftershave and the smell of his sweat surrounds me, cocooning me in all that is him, and I feel…something.
At first, I don’t know what that something is, but as his hand against the small of my back draws me closer, and I feel the press of his lips to my hair, I realize what it is that I’m feeling. Safe. Even though I barely know him, Shawn makes me feel safe and protected. Cared for.
Even as the music ends and the lights in the bar turn on, he holds me tight. He’s smiling down at me when I lift my cheek from his chest. “You ready to get out of here, gorgeous?”
Shawn holds my hand as we weave throug
h the crowd and out into the chilly night air. The breeze has picked up since we’d last been outside, and I shiver a little.
Inside the car, he cranks the heat to high and turns on the heated seats. Slowly, my body warms, and I rest my head back against the headrest, a soft smile claiming my face. “I had fun tonight,” I tell him, turning my head a little so I can see his face.
Shawn grins. “Good. Me too.” His hand wraps around mine, and he rests both our arms on the center console. We drive the rest of the way in silence, his thumb stroking my skin. When he finally pulls up in front of my house, I realize I really don’t want him to go. It’s almost three in the morning, but the idea of being alone after such a wonderful evening, in this house of all places, has anxiety rearing her ugly head.
“Do you want to come in for a drink?”
He glances at me, his gaze seeming to study me before he answers. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Alex. I really want this—us—to be about something more than sex.” He gives my hand a squeeze. “Is that stupid?”
My cheeks burn as I realize what he’d thought I meant. “I wasn’t thinking sex, Shawn. I just don’t really want to be alone right now.”
I hate revealing that to him, especially after not telling him what was bothering me earlier, but I can’t think about that right now. Staring up at my little empty house, with all the windows dark inside, has me wanting to run away, screaming.
This whole thing with Reese has messed with my head more than I thought it would. It might be time to find someone to talk to about what had happened. Someone that can help me deal with the way he’s left me feeling. Maybe I should tell Shawn.
“I guess a coffee would be all right,” he says, unbuckling his seat belt. After waiting for him to open my door, I step out of the car and dig around inside my purse for my house key. “Nice little place you have here. It’s quiet.”
I stick my key in the lock and smile. “It is. I love having my privacy.”
As we step inside, I switch on the lights. “Do you take cream and sugar?” Heading down the hallway, I flip on more light switches. Inside the kitchen, I turn on the kettle and watch as Shawn takes in my décor.
“Yes,” he answers, his head swiveling as he looks around. “This place is gorgeous, Alex. Did you decorate it yourself?”
“Yep. It’s kind of a hobby.” I point at my mismatched table and chairs. “I pick up old furniture at auctions and yard sales, then refinish them. I started doing it because I was broke, but found I liked the stuff I fixed up better than the stuff I bought new.”
“Well, you have an eye, that’s for sure. I should have you give me a hand at my house. It could definitely use a woman’s touch.”
A creak from the hallway draws my eyes from him to the door and my heart drops, sinking into the floor and shattering. “Isn’t this cozy,” Reese says, his shoulder resting against the door jamb. “You two lovebirds on a date? How sweet.”
Shawn whips around, his forehead creasing in confusion, his body coming to stand in front of me. My protector. “What the fuck? What are you doing here?”
Reese clicks his tongue and shakes his head. “No, Shawn. The question is, what the fuck are you doing here? It seems our girl, Alex, forgot to let you in on a little secret.”
I watch the two of them speaking to each other, their bodies taught, their posture full of aggression, and I can’t move. Fear has stolen my words and my ability to understand what is going on.
Shawn turns his head, still protecting me with his body as he looks at me and says, “What’s going on, Alex? What is he talking about?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, cupping my elbows with my hands to stop the trembling that’s taken over my body.
“Alex is mine, Shawn. She’s not for you.” As Reese steps into the room, the shadows fall away from him, and I can finally see the gun clutched in his hand. “But it seems my Alex here really liked fucking you the other day,” he continues. “She wanted to have another go at you, isn’t that right, babe?”
The comfortable way he calls me ‘babe’ has a sob bursting from my throat. Reese smiles at me, without any trace of the kindness I’d seen there in the past. “Ah, Alex, don’t worry. You’ll get your fun. I know how much you like it when people watch you fuck some guy’s brains out. But see, now that you’re mine, you can’t do that without me.”
He’s crazy. He’s lost his damn mind! “Max, put the gun away,” I say, my voice shaky and thick.
“What, this?” He waves it in the air. “Nah. I’m going to need this. I was watching you guys tonight. You looked like you were having a lot of fun. So now, let’s bring the fun back here so we can all enjoy it.”
Shawn’s shoulders are heaving in front of me, and I can see the red flush of anger spread across the back of his neck. “Get out,” he seethes.
Reese chuckles and removes the safety on the gun. “Not happening, asshole. Now take off your clothes.”
“Fuck you,” Shawn spits, his hand coming back to push me farther behind him.
The shot hits the floor, right in front of Shawn’s feet, leaving a perfectly round hole in the linoleum that disappears into the basement. My ears ring in the silence that follows, the scream still escaping past my lips.
“Shut up!” he roars. “You did this, Alex. You. So you shut the fuck up and take your punishment.”
This is like a bad dream. It has to be. There’s no other explanation for why this is happening. Shawn slowly starts peeling off his clothes. He turns and looks at me before he removes his pants. “It’s okay,” he says. “It’s going to be okay. Just do what he says and he’ll leave.”
Reese’s laughter booms through the tiny room as my hearing slowly starts to go back to normal. “Not happening, Shawn. You see, Alex belongs to me, and nobody touches anything that belongs to me without my permission. So, I’ll let you play with her, but you’re going to play by my rules.” His dead eyes swing to me. “Strip, Alex.”
My hands tremble as I reach behind me and undo my dress. I don’t take my eyes off Reese as I strip out of my clothes, kicking them off to the side, then covering my nudity with my arms the best I can. “Awe, you shy, Alex?” He laughs. “You shouldn’t be. You’ve fucked us both.” He takes a step closer. “Get up on the counter and spread your legs.”
Tears fall freely down my face, dripping onto my naked chest as I hop up onto the counter. “Wider!” he snaps. I spread my legs wider and turn my head away. Shawn’s breathing is loud and rough, but I can’t look at him.
“Isn’t that the prettiest pussy you’ve ever seen, Shawn? Did you know that the only reason you’ve been anywhere near this pussy before was because I wanted to watch you fuck her?”
“You’re a fucking psychopath,” Shawn snarls.
“Perhaps,” Reese replies. When his finger lightly traces the outer edge of my sex, I jump, and my sobs cause my entire body to shake. “The rules are, you can lick this pretty pink cunt. You can stick your cock inside it and fuck it raw, but you can only do those two things while I’m watching. I like to watch Alex work.” He slips a finger inside me, slowly moving it in and out. I turn my head away and squeeze my eyes closed, clamping my lips shut so I don’t scream. “Her pussy is fair game, Shawn, but her lips never touch that tainted dick of yours, and you never put it anywhere near her ass. That ass is mine. Got it?”
“Fuck you,” he spits.
Reese keeps fucking me with his finger, even as he brings the butt of the gun down on Shawn’s cheek. I hear the crack of it as it hits, and my eyes spring open to see Shawn on his knees. “Not nice, Shawn. I’m letting you play with my things and you’re being an asshole.” He pulls his finger out of me and puts it to his lips. “She tastes incredible, doesn’t she?” He sucks his finger into his mouth and licks away the wet he’d stolen from inside me. “Show me how you like to lick her.”
Shawn is still on his knees, his defiant eyes pinned on Reese.
“Show me!” Reese roars, pressing the gun to his he
ad.
When Shawn moves between my legs, his eyes meet mine. The pain I see in them isn’t a physical pain. It’s filled with fear, regret, and sorrow. “I’m sorry, Alex,” he whispers.
Reese keeps the gun to the back of Shawn’s head and uses it to push him forward, smashing his face into my sex. “Nice and slow,” he says.
As Shawn’s tongue slides across my clit, I barely feel it. I feel only humiliation and panic. “Keep licking,” Reese orders. “Make her scream like you did the other day.”
Shawn’s eyes are still locked on mine as he swirls his tongue on my nub. I nod my head, telling him it’s okay, but it’s not and he knows it. Against my will, I start to feel the burn of pleasure building strong, but this time, it’s coupled with terror, not a need for release. I moan and squirm, but it’s all for show. I don’t dare piss off Reese, not while he has that gun pressed against the back of Shawn’s skull.
I fake the best orgasm I can manage, making the mistake of looking up at Reese as I do. His eyes are dead and cold as he stares down at Shawn working me with his mouth. My blood chills as I watch him, fear wrapping her icy fingers around my heart and squeezing until I can barely breathe.
Reese digs his fingers into Shawn’s hair and pulls his head back. “Now fuck her,” he orders.
Shawn’s eyes are helpless as he stares up at me from his place between my legs. The tears are still falling from my eyes, my face drenched in my humiliation. As Shawn stands, the kettle begins its long, low whistle, letting me know it’s done so I can make our coffee.
The next few seconds happen so fast, I can barely make sense of them. Shawn moves between my legs, and then he’s gone. As if in a dream, I watch as he snatches up the screaming kettle and spins, crashing the hot metal surface against the side of Reese’s face. Boiling hot water splashes all three of us, scalding my legs and upper thighs.
The two men are on the floor, a tangle of punching fists and screaming. “Alex,” Shawn shouts. “Run!”
I hop down off the counter, my skin on fire from where the water had burned me. Across the room, I see Reese’s gun lying on the floor, under the kitchen table. Reese must have dropped it when Shawn attacked him.
