Before she could stop herself she sent off another text.
Jessica: See you tonight?
She waited with bated breath. She didn’t want to come off as clingy. She should’ve acted more casual. Stupid stupid stu—
Slade: Hell, yeah. Be safe at work.
Jessica: Me? You’re the one who fights for a living. I should be telling you the same thing.
Slade: Don’t worry about me. Just be safe, okay?
Her heart warmed.
Jessica: I will, Slay. See you later.
She realized then that she was in trouble. If Slade broke her heart, she wasn’t sure if she’d recover.
After she finished taking a long, rejuvenating hot bath and got dressed for work, she found she still had about an hour to kill. Feeling reinvigorated, she decided it was time to revisit her dream. So she fired up her computer and searched for the folder that contained the business plan for her proposed yoga studio.
At one point she had mentioned to Dennis that she wanted to open a yoga studio, but he’d just laughed at her. You may one day be the wife of the governor of Florida—how would it look having my wife doing all that New Age bullshit? As it is, I hate that you’re working at the Pier.
If there was a lesson to be learned in having been in an abusive relationship, it was that she never wanted to be dependent on a man again. She needed to be self-sufficient and strong. Her decisions and opinions mattered. Yoga was important to her, and she would make that dream come true even if it took her years to achieve it. She felt as though she’d been lost for the last few years—pushed aside, both literally and figuratively. She needed to do something she loved, something for herself.
She opened the spreadsheet she used for her budget, and updated some of the figures. Her savings account wasn’t large enough just yet, but if she worked a few extra shifts and cut back in a few places, she would be that much closer to her goal.
She wasn’t sure how Slade would react to her having less time to spend with him when she picked up some extra shifts. Even though she hoped he would understand, she wouldn’t relent even if it upset him. A man like Slade would want to be with the kind of woman she was trying to become, even if it meant they couldn’t spend every waking minute together…wouldn’t he?
She could always ask her parents for money, she knew. Jessica’s mother was retired and spent most of her time socializing at the country club, while her father, a retired dentist, spent most of his days on the golf course. Jessica was an only child. She had been spoiled and given the best money could buy, from clothes to schooling. The only thing her parents hadn’t paid for was college; she had attended Florida State University on an academic scholarship and was damn proud of it. However, she was fairly certain her parents wouldn’t accept her putting down roots in Tarpon Springs, especially now that Dennis was out of the picture.
But even assuming that they would help her out, did she really want to do this with her parents’ money? Absolutely not. They were controlling and opinionated enough without adding money to the mix. The sacrifices she would have to make in order to save the money she needed would be just a small price to pay for something she was so passionate about, and any man who loved her would have to understand.
She looked at the clock and realized she needed to get to work. Jessica got up, grabbed her purse and keys, and walked out of her house toward the driveway. She stood there for an entire minute before she realized what was missing.
Her car!
“Damn it!” She pulled out her cell and called Slade, but it went straight to voice mail. She hated bothering her friends, but she desperately needed a ride to work. First she called Jamie Lynn, but there was no answer. Next she called her friend Alexis, but Alexis was already at her own job and couldn’t leave to give her a ride.
After debating it, she called Chrissy. Over the last two months they’d become very good friends. Chrissy had confided in Jessica about her own struggles with an abusive boyfriend, and that was what had finally given her the courage to stand up to Dennis. Chrissy had helped out during Jessica’s recovery whenever Slade had had work obligations. She’d cooked, cleaned, and even driven her to therapy. Jessica felt bad asking for yet another favor, but she felt she had no choice. She timidly dialed Chrissy’s number.
“Hi, Jess. How are you?”
“Were it not for the little predicament I’m currently in, I’d say I was great. Better than ever.”
“Well, don’t let a little predicament ruin your great mood.”
“Chris, after all you’ve done, I hate to ask, but I need a favor. Do you think you can give me a ride to work?”
“Sure. It’s no problem at all. In fact, I was headed that way. Be there in ten.”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
Less than ten minutes later, Chrissy arrived in her brand spanking new red Hummer. Jack had bought it for Chrissy after her car was totaled. It was a little much for the petite woman, but Jack felt it would protect her. Jessica quickly jumped in and buckled up.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Jessica said.
“It’s no trouble.” Chrissy reached over to squeeze Jessica’s hand. “What happened to your car?”
“Slade.”
“Slade?”
“Yeah. He picked me up from work yesterday for dinner. He promised to drive me back to get my car, but he was running late this morning and we forgot all about it.”
Chrissy made a face. “I am deducing from that story that he slept over.”
Jessica crimsoned. “Sorry. That’s weird, right? I mean, he’s your brother.”
“It’s just something I prefer not to have sifting through my brain.”
“How about I change the visual?” Jessica said with a smile. “Slade, your totally respectful brother, brought me home, and after we had dinner, he read me a book. As a matter of fact, it was an old Jane Austen novel I had lying around. He got so caught up in the book that he fell asleep. Too tired to drive back, he did the gentlemanly thing and slept on the couch.”
Chrissy burst out in a fit of giggles.
When they arrived at the Pier, Jessica leaned over to give Chrissy a peck on the cheek, thanked her, and hopped out of the car. “Hey, I talked with JL. Girls’ night soon!” Chrissy yelled through the open window before taking off. Jessica nodded and ran inside, clocking in one minute before her shift was to start.
The next two weeks were a blur of work and Slade. She had spoken to Patsy and Jett and they’d given her two additional shifts a week, so she was busier than ever. She was surprised that Slade was so supportive. Dennis had been like an anvil holding her down. Now she was finally released, and she felt like she was slowly resurfacing. She didn’t want anyone’s negative opinions about her life plan. She hadn’t told Slade why she was working so many hours, but the fact that she was so busy didn’t seem to bother him. Sometimes he would stop by and have lunch with her at her job. Other times he’d pick her up after work.
To his credit, he was busy too. It turned out that Slade was kind of a control freak and did a lot of the work renovating the Academy himself. He would hire a crew and then work alongside them “to make sure it was done correctly.” On a few occasions, Travis had stopped by the Pier when Slade had been too busy with the Academy, bringing her a bag and a note from Slade: “Lunch. I miss you. See you tonight.” Once Slade had knocked on her door early in the morning with donuts and coffee. “Just wanted to make sure you’re eating,” he’d said. “Gotta run.” He’d been in a hurry and ran back to his bike and took off.
If Slade wasn’t at WtF, he was with her, or texting her, or calling her. They’d reached a great balance of dating and personal space. And every time he did something unexpected, she fell a little harder for him.
She also went to the Academy often and helped out as much as she could. She helped paint, and she ordered the flyers for the grand reopening. And she too would stop by with some food when she wasn’t working and he was stuck at the gym.
At le
ast once a day, usually when she needed it the most, he’d text her some corny joke or some naughty thought he was having. It always brightened her day. And the nights—holy crap, the nights were out-of-this-world hot. She’d never known sex could be that good. Even when they did it up against the wall, he never made it feel like just sex.
But the kicker, what made her really feel like she was something more to him than just a good time, was how encouraging he was about her yoga practice. On mornings when she was just feeling too tired from work to go to the Om Spot, he’d gently nudge her out the door, reminding her that once she got dressed and got to the studio she would be glad she’d gone. And it was true. By the time the class ended, she was euphoric and energized enough to face the rest of the day. Even though her yoga practice meant less time for them to be together, Slade seemed to understand. That was new to her. Dennis had been all about Dennis’s needs. Slade was all about her needs.
When she wasn’t at yoga or at work, she was in a postcoital haze. Apparently Slade was insatiable. But even more surprising was that she too seemed insatiable. When they were together, either at his house or at hers, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. The weeks flew by in a happy daze.
One especially rare evening when they were both free by six, they made plans for dinner. Within twenty minutes of Slade arriving at her house, they were lying together naked on his bed after a quickie, dinner forgotten.
Her fingers lazily tracing the tattoo that ran along his naked body, she asked, “You know all my fantasies. What are yours?”
He cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “I know your fantasies?”
“Sure you do. Remember? Hot, crazed, lusty sex against the wall, blah blah blah.”
“That was it? That was your fantasy? Come on, I know you have something else in there.” He tapped her head.
“No, seriously. I just wanted a freakin’ orgasm.”
“You’ve had orgasms before, babe.” He rose up on one elbow to look at her face. “Haven’t you?”
“Tell your ego to relax. I’ve had good sex before you; it was just a little boring. Never ended with an orgasm. But it wasn’t bad.”
“By definition, sex without an orgasm is bad sex,” he huffed. “So, you had never had an orgasm before me?”
“I didn’t say that. I just never had one with a man.” She slid under the covers and covered her face.
He laughed. “With a woman, then?”
From under the covers she stretched out an arm and slapped his shoulder. She said something in a muffled voice.
“Excuse me? What did you mumble in there?”
“I said, only when I touch myself.”
“Why are you hiding? Come out of there.”
“Because now you know.” When she poked her head out, her cheeks were flushed.
“I know what? That your two exes were fucking idiots?”
“No. Not that. Now you know that I”—she leaned in as if she were giving him information critical to national security—“touch myself.”
Slade threw his head back and roared a laugh. “I already knew that, Jess.”
“You did? How?”
“I didn’t know know. But I figured you did. Everyone does it.” Then, as if he’d been suddenly enlightened, his lips curved in a devilish grin. “Actually, that’s my fantasy.”
“What is?”
“Seeing you touch yourself.”
“Ha! Well, that fantasy isn’t gonna happen, buddy, so find another one.”
“Oh, it will.” In one swift move he was on her. “I can just picture it. Your beautiful white skin beginning to flush, your cheeks red, your breath jagged, and your long hair a messy disaster. First…” He grabbed her right hand, brought it to his mouth, and sucked each and every finger. She felt herself melt at the first contact of his tongue; by the time he had finished sucking on the fifth, her heart was pounding against her chest. “First you run your fingers down your chest.” He moved to her side, giving her room, his hand leading her hand. “Down and down until you find your wet pussy.”
Her eyes were glazed over with lust. His hand over hers, he began to move her hand in small circles as he spoke. Her eyes closed, and then she felt his hands leave hers. “Baby, keep going.” She hesitated for a moment but was too turned on to stop. She continued to move her hand, losing herself in the sensation. Forgetting for a brief moment that Slade stood there looking at her in her most private of moments, she slipped a finger inside herself, and her back arched.
“Holy fuck, that’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” She abruptly opened her eyes and saw him standing in front of the bed, his hand on his rock-hard dick. He reached forward, linked his arms around her thighs, and pulled her to the edge of the bed. She squealed, but he urged her to continue. “Don’t stop, Jessica, keep touching yourself,” he whispered, his voice deep and desperate. She closed her eyes and continued. It was the most erotic thing she’d ever done. Hell, it was more erotic then any fantasy she’d ever had. When she opened her eyes, on the verge of climax, Slade was gone. She looked left, then right, and then got up on her elbows before suddenly being assaulted—in the best possible way.
He was on his knees and his mouth was on hers. She couldn’t help but try to watch. It was hard, because the sensation was taking over and she couldn’t stay on her elbows any longer. He sucked and licked over and over again. When he slid one finger in her, she bucked and squeezed his head with her thighs. He didn’t stop. His finger went in and out as his tongue worked its magic. She writhed and squeezed harder. “Fuck! Slade, oh my God…”
He continued to lick even as the massive orgasm ripped through her body in a violent burst, leaving her limp. But he was obviously not ready to call it a night. Still wordless, in one swift move he stood up, scooped her off the bed, and plunged into her. How and when he’d put the condom on she didn’t know.
Her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his hips. His hands went around her waist and he guided her up and down as he thrust into her. It was unbelievable. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t speak. Only feel. Her face was buried in his neck. He grunted as he continued to do all the work, pushing and pulling her up and down as he thrust. “Jesus. You’re so fucking beautiful.”
“Don’t stop, Slade. Don’t stop.”
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to. God, Jessica, you feel so good.”
As he continued to move her up and down, the sensation started to become overwhelming. The fact that he was so strong that he could accomplish this, combined with all the licking and sucking and sexing, made her explode in a way she hadn’t even known was possible. And when she came, instead of screaming, she bit down on his shoulder. Hard.
“Oh, fuck!” he groaned, right before he followed her into his own ecstasy.
Still connected, he collapsed with her onto the bed.
“I think we hit most major points,” he said breathlessly. “Hot, crazed, lusty, uninhibited, merciless sex. Just like in your fantasies.”
She turned her head to look at him. “No, Hercules. That wasn’t in any of my fantasies. My imagination isn’t as creative as that. You are one strong man, Slade Martin.”
“We aim to please.”
“Oh, you certainly pleased. What the hell was that? It was like…floating sex.”
He snorted. “Floating sex?”
“Yeah, you were standing in the middle of the room! I felt like I was floating. No bed, no wall. Just your arms.”
“Was that your first floating sex?” he asked with a chuckle, then kissed her cheek.
The words came out before she could stop them. “Have you done it like that before?” She hated herself for asking. She didn’t want to be the insecure girl who asked those questions.
“You’re cute, Jessica.” He got out of bed and headed toward the kitchen. “By the way,” he called, “you bit me. Made my dick even harder. Do that again next time.”
He came back in with two glasses of water and handed her one. “And n
o, I’ve never done that before.”
Her face lit up. “It was freakin’ amazing!”
“Yeah. It was. You’re amazing, Jessica.” His eyes softened. His finger caressed the scar Dennis had left on her jaw. “Amazing and beautiful.”
Her eyelids were heavy. “Sleep over?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” He turned off the lamp, got into bed, and pulled her close. That was the last thing she remembered before falling asleep. She was the most at peace, the most content, and the most sated she had ever been in her life.
Chapter 6
A few nights later, Jessica’s hand was entwined with Slade’s as they walked out of a restaurant toward his bike.
“You seem preoccupied tonight,” Jessica said.
“Yeah, guess I am,” Slade said as he kick-started his motorcycle; anything else he might have said was drowned out by the noise of the bike. She held tight and felt the warm Florida heat against her skin. Being behind him on his bike was one of her favorite things to do with Slade—though only when she was in jeans and sneakers and dressed casually.
As soon as they arrived at his house, Slade got off his bike and helped her off. They’d been staying often at his house, mostly because Slade loved being oceanfront, and Jessica found that waking up to the sound of the ocean and enjoying her morning coffee on the beach was soothing to her soul. Once in a while she found herself doing yoga on the empty beach as the sun came up. It was blissful.
Slade yawned as soon as he walked in. “Tony’s supposed to start training tomorrow. Actually, he was supposed to start last week, but he cancelled. Not a good start. I’ve been told he’s a real prick. Short fuse. I have to get him focused. The success of WtF is linked to his success.” Jessica was unsure of what that meant, and her confusion must have showed, because he added, “If he wins, it’s a lot of money. A lot. Not to mention the publicity the Academy will get. Tony is a big-ticket fighter. Francesca brought him to WtF, but she’s been in Brazil since Tony arrived. Her dad’s not doing well. I don’t know when she’s coming back, and she was supposed to be here to deal with Tony. But I don’t think they’ve even met yet.” He brushed some hair off her face. “He’s such a great fighter. Frances did good bringing him on board, but I hope we didn’t get in over our heads. One of the reasons we’ve invested so much money into renovations to the gym is because of him. He could be a millionaire if he wanted to, but he’s too busy being a dick.”
Full Contact (Worth the Fight #2) Page 9
