She shakes her head, and I hold her face and kiss her forehead before wiping her tears away with my thumbs and reaching for the box of tissues on her nightstand. I hand it to her, and she takes one and wipes her nose.
“He didn’t. He spanked me,” she croaks, her voice raw and strained from all that crying. “He tied me up, and he spanked me, and it hurt.” She grabs her wrists and rubs them.
I want to kill Eric. I want to track him down and strangle him. Her wrists are red from where his belt cut into her skin, and so help me God if there is one bruise on her tomorrow…
“He said we were gonna do it like your movies. He thought I liked it and that you and I had sex like that all the time,” she adds weakly. “He wouldn’t stop when I told him no. I told him I don’t like that and I don’t want it rough, but he wouldn’t stop.”
I swallow hard. The horror of someone doing this to Lola is gut-wrenching, but knowing that he did this to her because he thought I did this to her makes it even worse. I feel like this was my fault. For the first time, I feel like something I did has come around to hurt someone I love—the only person I truly love.
“I’m so sorry, Lola,” I whisper. My voice cracks, and I cradle her head to my chest.
“Don’t apologize, James. You saved me. You always save me.”
She smiles up at me, and my heart feels like it’s going to burst. This angel. I feel like my heart beats because of her, only for her.
“You got here just in time and you stopped him.” Her fingers reach up to caress the side of my face.
I put my hand over hers on my cheek, and I tilt my head so I can kiss the inside of her wrist. She’s so delicate, like a butterfly or a humming bird, so pretty and little and special.
“I’m so sorry that this happened to you,” I say, kissing her wrist again. “I’m so sorry that somebody thought they could do this to you, that you had to go through this, that he thought it would be fun, that he hurt you.” My words are coming out rapidly, and my chest feels tight. “He thinks you’re just his for the taking and he can do whatever he wants to you. He doesn’t know. He doesn’t see how beautiful you are and what a fuckin’ treasure you are. He doesn’t see you like I see you.”
She looks in my eyes and I feel the whole world around us being shut out. It’s me and her, just me and her.
“Lola, you are the most amazing, beautiful, wonderful person I’ve ever met. You are my entire world and I would literally die to protect you. I can’t let anyone hurt you, baby. Not ever,” I say, the sincerity in my words making my voice sound strong even though I feel kind of vulnerable pouring my heart out to her like this. “I can’t bear the thought of somebody touching you wrong or not being gentle with you. I have fuckin’ reoccurring nightmares about people hurting you, especially in a sexual way, and I feel sick when I think about what Eric was trying to do.”
I’m teetering on the edge of telling her I love her, that I’ve always loved her, and that I always will love her. I want to let it all go right now and explain that she’s everything I live for, but it’s too emotional, too intense. I can’t say it out loud. What if it freaks her out more? I have to keep it in for now. I’ll tell her soon, but not when she’s naked and crying in my lap.
She seems to notice that too, and her arms come down and cover her boobs as she blushes. “I’m naked.” She sniffles and then giggles. “And I cried all over your shirt.”
“I don’t care, Lo,” I reply with a wide smile. I pull her into me again and hold her, caressing her smooth, exposed back. “You wanna take a bath, baby? Something to help you relax?”
She nods, and I kiss her forehead again. She slides off my lap, and I go into the bathroom to run a bath for her. I pour in lots of bubble bath because I want her to feel like a princess all ensconced in suds and not have to think about what she’s just been through.
When I come back out, she’s in a bathrobe picking up the picture frames from the floor by the dresser.
“I’ll do that, Lo,” I say, ushering her to sit back down. “I’m sorry I knocked them all over like that.”
She doesn’t sit back down; she wraps her arms around me and curls into me. She’s so little, and I have to lean my head down to fully embrace her. She’s not crying, but she’s taking slow deep breaths like she’s centering herself. I’ll hold her like this for as long as she wants, as long as it takes for her to feel better. I want to absolutely blanket her with my body, to envelop her and hold her close to my heart so I can protect her from all the bad shit in this world.
“Come on,” I say softly while kissing the top of her head. “You’ll feel better after you take a nice, warm bath.”
I hold her hand and lead her to the bathroom. The tubs in our apartments are small, so it doesn’t take long for it to fill up. I turn off the water and look to her. She’s peeled off her robe, and she’s walking over to me. I try to concentrate on everything but the gorgeous beauty approaching me. She slinks into the bathtub and closes her eyes as if taking in the relaxing calm of the warm water. I turn to leave, assuming she might want some privacy.
“James,” she calls to me softly.
“Uh-huh, babe?” I say, turning to her.
“Stay, okay?”
“Stay here in the bathroom?”
“Stay all night. Stay with me, please?”
“Of course I’ll stay with you, Lo.” In truth, I’m elated with the invite. I didn’t want to leave her by herself tonight anyway, and I was planning to crash on the couch or convince her to sleep at my place so I could make her feel safe.
“Will you give me a back rub?” she asks, turning in the tub so her back is to me.
Right now? She wants it right now? She wants me to put my hands on her while she’s naked in a bathtub? Her eyes might be puffy and her nose might be red from crying, but she’s still gorgeous and it’s going to take everything in me to not get turned on by this.
I sit down on the floor by the tub and place my hands on her wet shoulders. Her skin is warm and it’s so smooth. She’s got these three little beauty marks on the back of her neck that I always used to stare at when I gave her rides on the handlebars of my bike. They’re all lined up in a row like Orion’s Belt. She has gorgeous, random little beauty marks in other places on her back, and my mind starts making constellations out of them.
She moans as I caress her shoulder blades.
Don’t get turned on right now! Don’t get turned on right now! Don’t get turned on right now!
“You should call in sick tomorrow,” I suggest in an effort to change the direction of my thoughts.
“I think I will. Wouldn’t want to see Eric at the elevators.”
“When you get out of the tub, I think we should call the cops.”
“No.”
“No? He attacked you! He was going to…he almost…”
“I know,” she says. “But you also attacked him—”
“To save you!”
“I know, James. But you still punched him and choked him. I don’t want this to blow up into a big police thing. Even if I tell them what happened, Eric could try to spin it into you catching him in bed with your girlfriend and attacking him. He’s a successful lawyer; you’re a porn star. Who has more credibility in that situation?”
“I just don’t want him to come near you again,” I say, sighing at her reluctance. “Maybe we could get a restraining order or something.”
“I don’t want to think about it anymore.” She shakes her head. “It’s over. I’m calling in sick tomorrow, and I know his work schedule, so I can avoid him. He’ll probably do the same.”
“I want you to quit that job,” I interject, knowing it sounds like a demand. “I don’t want you to even be in the same building as that fucker.”
To my surprise, she doesn’t give me some sassy comment, doesn’t tell me to shut up and stop bossing her around.
“I do kind of want to quit,” she relents after a big sigh.
“I’ll take care of rent and b
ills for you. With the money from this Eva thing, I’ve got you covered. You just get everything together and think about where you want to work instead of where you have to work, okay, baby?”
I hear her giggle softly. “Okay, James.”
No argument there either. I’ve offered to pay down her credit cards or help her with bills a ton of times and she always tells me she’s an adult and she can take care of herself. We both grew up just below middle-income and we know how to be thrifty, but I’ve stashed some serious dollars and I could make it so she never has to work again. She’s always been majorly opposed to this idea, and she’s usually very vocal about it. I’m relieved that she’s letting it slide tonight.
“I feel a lot better now,” she says after a short pause.
“I’m glad, baby.” I smile, sliding my hands off her shoulders.
A wave comes over me, and I can’t control myself as I lean over and kiss the back of her neck. She exhales and bends her head forward, so I kiss it again. I’m softly kissing from her hairline to the top of her spine over and over, slowly and sensually.
“Mmm, will you hand me a towel?” she sighs.
I stand and get her one, thankful for the distraction. When I turn around, I swallow hard. Lola’s completely naked and dripping wet, standing up in the tub and looking right at me. Her intention seems innocent, but I’m sure she’s aware that this kind of shit turns me on big time. Her skin is so tan, her waist is so little, and her tits are out there just waiting for me. I’m consciously willing my legs to stay put, but fuck! how I’d like to pull her out of that tub and fuck her on the bathroom floor right now! No, no! Forget it! I blink my eyes a few times and hand her the towel, which she wraps around herself.
“Thanks,” she says like this isn’t agonizingly tempting for me.
She puts toothpaste on her toothbrush and looks at me through the mirror as she brushes her teeth. She’s smiling, not in an inviting, sexual way, just her usual warm, general sweetness.
She finishes brushing her teeth, and I reach out and grab her toothbrush from her little fingers and pop it in my mouth.
“Don’t mind if I use your toothbrush, do you?” I grin as I brush my teeth.
“Not that it matters now.” She giggles and puts her hand on her hip.
“Mine’s all the way back at my place.” I shrug, pretending this is just the most logical solution.
She smiles and rolls her eyes at me through the mirror before she heads into the bedroom again.
When I come out, she’s standing by the dresser in her robe, holding a picture frame in her hand. There’s a big crack through the glass, and as I get closer, I can see that it’s a picture of us. It’s from Halloween when we were really little. I’m dressed as Batman and she’s Catwoman. She’s got an adorable, cherubic smile on her face, and I’m showcasing my gap-toothed grin from when I lost my left-front baby tooth.
“We got so sick off Snickers that night.” I chuckle, coming over to her.
“Oh, totally. I remember thinking my mom was full of shit when she said that you could throw up from eating a pound of candy, but she definitely wasn’t wrong about that one.”
“You puked everywhere.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty accurate.” She’s giggling while she nods in agreement.
“Just, all over the place.” I spread my arms to indicate the extent of it.
She laughs, and her face looks happy again, like her usual, cheerful self.
“I’m glad I kissed you before that.”
While we were trick-or-treating that night, I told Lola I’d trade her four of my Snickers minis for two boxes of her Nerds and a kiss. She agreed, and I gave her an innocent peck on the lips. That was the first time I ever thought of Lola as a girl instead of just as a best friend.
“That was my first kiss, you know?” She blushes.
“I kinda figured. I mean, you were only, like, seven at the time.”
“True.”
“I don’t know how any other guys could have ever compared to me, frankly,” I playfully boast.
“You’re a tough act to follow, James Laird,” she teases.
She’s smiling and her eyes have that sparkle again. She’s happy, and she’s not letting herself dwell on the horrible stuff that piece of shit blond-haired fucker put her through tonight. I want her to be happy like this forever. I never want her to feel sad or hurt again.
“I’m really glad you showed up tonight, James,” she says softly, stepping closer to me and looking into my eyes.
“I am too.” I feel like she can see into the core of my soul. “Otherwise I would have had to spend all day tomorrow tracking down Eric so I could murder him.”
She giggles. “Well, I’m glad homicide was avoided, then.”
“Me, too. We both know I’m way too pretty to go to jail.” I flash her my cockiest grin.
She snickers and hugs me, but before I can embrace her, I find my lips on hers. I’m kissing her. I’m kissing Lola. And best of all, she’s kissing me back.
My thumb brushes along her jaw, and my other hand slides down her shoulder as my lips gently caress hers. This has got to be the softest, most tender, sweetest, and most perfect kiss of my entire life. I feel like this has been in the making since the day I met her all those years ago. She’s so fully in it, so incredibly free and willing, and it starts to get more passionate as she parts her lips and our tongues dance together. I never knew that just kissing could feel so intense.
She reaches up and drapes her arms over my shoulders. Instinctively, I lift her up and her ankles lock around me as we continue kissing. My hands roam down her back until I’m gripping her tight little ass. She presses her body against me as firmly as she can, and I want her so fuckin’ bad. I deposit her on the bed, never breaking the passionate kiss. I’m lying on top of her, my body right between her legs, and she’s only wearing a bathrobe, which has all but flown open by now.
I hear how fast she’s breathing as I kiss down her neck. My hand slides up and down her thigh as I guide it up alongside me. Fuck! She’s grinding up against me, and I’m rock hard now. I’ve been picturing Lola whenever I need to get hard for scenes, but having her naked underneath me right now has given me a dick that could cut diamonds.
Her pelvis rocks, and I can feel the friction as my length presses against her. Her eyes close as she moans a little bit. She’s every bit as turned on as I am. I press into her a little more firmly, and her lips part as she breathes faster. I’m trying to use my head, to weigh out whether I should even be doing this after what Eric put her through, but this feels so good for her that I don’t want to stop. I shift a little, making very subtle, nearly imperceptible motions with my hips.
She makes one of those little gasps, and her hands run up my back, pulling me closer against her. I usually kiss her neck in situations like this. I did at Keegan’s party when I felt her tits, I did that time she let me finger her and I made her come, and I did recently when I went down on her. For some reason, kissing her for real always felt too intimate to me, like I’d fall head over heels for her if I did it. Of course, now that I am head over heels for her, I can kiss her as much as I want to. My mouth is on hers, and my tongue darts into her mouth as I continue to rock against her.
She reaches for the bottom of my shirt, signaling that she wants me to take it off.
“Mm, hang on a second, Lo,” I say, pulling back a little.
“Why?” she pants.
“Are you sure we should do this?”
“Yes!” She tugs at my shirt again, but I sit up so she can’t pull it up too much.
“Baby, this is a big decision,” I say sympathetically. “I think you should think about it a little first.” I want it so bad, but I don’t want her to have any regrets later.
“James, this is what I want,” she replies, looking right into my eyes.
She sits up, grabbing me and kissing me. There’s a frantic quality to it that’s sexy, but I’m still not sure if I should go for it.<
br />
“Lo, slow down,” I protest softly as I move back from the kiss.
“No.”
“Seriously, babe. Just wait a sec and think about it.”
“I’ve waited long enough, James,” she says, her eyes pleading. “I need you. I feel better when you hold me, and nothing else matters when you kiss me. This makes me feel better.”
She pulls at my shirt again, silently asking me to take it off. I do it and then I lower myself onto her and kiss her some more. Her tongue is smooth and sensual in my mouth, and I love the feeling of her soft lips. She’s an amazing kisser, and I can’t believe I never tried this before with her.
Her body is so warm and smooth against me, and I want her so much right now that I almost can’t believe it. I fuckin’ crave her. I’ve never felt like this with anyone in my entire life.
I slide down a little bit and kiss from her neck to the middle of her chest. She’s already breathing heavy, and she makes one of those pretty moans when I run my tongue over her nipple. She totally gets off on this; I know it from the times I’ve done it before, so I want to really get into it for her.
Her hips start rocking a little bit more when I start sucking on her nipples. Her body gets so ready so fast. I remember being impressed with her natural responses when I did this to her the first time. It’s like her impulses take over and her whole body gets primed to fuck, like she can’t fight the biology of it.
I move back up her body, and I kiss her again before I look deep in her eyes. The arousal on her face…wow! She’s more turned on than I’ve ever seen her—or maybe any girl, for that matter.
I lick my fingers and slide my hand between her legs. She moans when I’ve just barely made contact with her clit, and her eyes shut tight as I start rubbing her. That really gets her hips rocking, and she’s panting while I keep going.
Captured (Vice, Virtue & Video Book 2) Page 14
