At Arm's Length

by Amber Nation

  I made it up the ten stairs to the first landing before an arm hooked around my waist and jerked my body back until I was pressed up against a hard wall. My body pulsed with a craving that only Holden could satisfy while I gasped for breath.

  Holden tugged the holder free from my hair, allowing the strands to fall free around my shoulders. Until he grabbed a chunk in his fist and yanked my head exposing the curve of my neck. I have never been manhandled like this before, but I would be lying if I said that I didn’t like it. I loved it.

  His teeth dragged along my skin as he bit into my flesh before using his tongue to soothe the sting. “Oh fuck,” I screamed, because that action alone almost had me coming undone.

  My core clenched as he moved his mouth to the outer shell of my ear sucking my earlobe into his mouth before whispering, “You want an alpha, then it’s time to play, sweetheart.”

  “Yes, please,” I breathed, begging him to play. Needing him to play like my life depended on it. His lips latched onto my neck as the arm that was hooked around my waist slipped underneath my shirt until his hand was cupping my bare breast. The rough stubble of his unshaven chin felt divine as he roughly continued his ministrations on my neck. Licking, sucking, kissing, all while his other hand was still clenched tightly around my hair.

  His calloused fingers roughly tweaked my nipple causing me to cry out a long moan. “More, baby. I need more.” He released my hair and pulled his hand out from underneath my shirt and whipped my body around until I was facing him. Within moments he’d discarded my shirt and was pulling my jeans down my legs leaving me only in my purple lace panties. He reached behind his head and gathered his shirt in his hands, bringing it over his head, and flinging it off to the side. I didn’t even get a chance to properly ogle his bare chest before he was carefully instructing me to lay back on the landing. He slinked his body down a couple of the stairs bringing his face just inches from my pussy.

  “You taunted me with these panties earlier.” He dipped a finger underneath the hem of the silky lace material. The next thing I knew he had my favorite panties ripped clean off of my body.

  My eyes bulged because he ripped them in two using one hand. “Holy shit! You owe me a new pair of panties, mister.”

  “My apologies.” He smirked, looking anything but apologetic. If anything he appeared to be searching for his prey and finding me as a delicious snack. His eyes traveled down my body making me squirm against the old Victorian rug that had inhabited this space for as long as I could remember. Luckily, one of my many skills included carpet cleaning which I had done just days earlier. So I at least knew that my ass wasn’t too compromised.

  Any unsanitary thoughts fled from my mind when Holden spread my pussy lips apart and lightly blew on my core. “If this doesn’t make up for the destroyed panties, then I’ll buy all the lingerie you want, pixie.” I couldn’t even form a response because he had his lips latched onto my clit, pulling the sensitive nub into his mouth.

  I was close, my impending orgasm right on the surface so close within my grasp I could almost taste it. Then Holden’s face was gone, and I heard the clinking of his belt and zipper, rustling and then the telltale sound of him ripping open a condom. It seemed he came prepared this time.

  He hovered over me. “I made sure to put a condom in my pocket; can’t be caught unprepared this time.” I smiled just knowing that we were on the same wavelength. “I need to fuck you, Marlee.”

  I adjusted my legs, spreading them further, silently inviting him in, but he just shook his head. “I don’t think so, cupcake, this time, I want you from behind.”

  A delicious thrill ran through me, and I wasted no time getting off of my back and onto all fours. My ass tipped up to him ready for all he could give me.

  “I think she liked the sound of that,” he stated, brushing his fingertips across my right ass cheek.

  Then all of a sudden, THWACK! I cried out as the palm of his hand bit into my flesh, leaving a sting in its wake. “Oh God, do it again!”

  My begging was futile as he spread my ass cheeks apart and lined his erection up with my core. “I won’t be gentle, Marlee.”

  I wiggled my ass and tried pushing back toward him, but he grasped my hip halting me in place. “I don’t need gentle, Holden. I need you to fuck me!” He reared back and in one thrust was pushed to the hilt inside me. From this angle, I felt fuller than I ever had before, and the head of his penis hit me in a spot that I had only heard about.

  “Jesus, fuck! So fucking good, Marlee.” He began moving at a fevered pace, his cock moving in and out of me furiously while his balls slammed against my clit. With all of the new sensations, I knew it was only a matter of time until I splintered apart. My orgasm was building, heightening to epic proportions in which I feared I may actually pass out from the sheer pleasure. His hand came down on my ass once again, which had my pussy clenching his cock. “My pixie likes milking my cock.” My breasts were swinging relentlessly as he continued pounding into me from behind and in my heart, I knew that he had ruined me for other lovers. Holden reached around and used his thumb to circle around my clit. “Give it to me, baby. Let go and take me with you.”

  Hearing his words, my orgasm took over as I screamed out his name, “Holden!” His thrusts sped up, and his grunts intensified, throwing me into another orgasm as he stilled and found his own release.

  Yup, it was official. I was ruined. No one else would ever compare to Holden Reed.

  I collapsed forward onto the floor; the side of my face smashed against the rug. I couldn’t even bring myself to care about the possible carpet burns on my knees and hands. “I’m dead,” I announced. I’ve lost count how many times he’s made me come today, let alone how many times we’ve had sex. Jesus, it’ll be a miracle if I can actually move tomorrow.

  I heard the rustling of his jeans again, and I know he’s pulled them back up those muscular thighs of his. Here I was naked as the day I was born, and he didn’t even get fully undressed. Strangely enough being completely nude around Holden didn’t bother me as it had with others in the past. Perhaps it had something to do with the constant hunger lingering in his eyes or the fact that he made me feel entirely comfortable. All sorts of warning flags should be blaring in my brain, cautioning me to be careful. But for once I wanted to do something that wasn’t expected of me. I wanted to listen to my heart instead of my head and hope like hell it wouldn’t steer me wrong.

  “You’re thinking awfully hard there, everything all right?” Holden asked, the line in between his brows creased with his apparent concern.

  There was my sign.

  I knew my heart, and it wouldn’t lead me astray. I just needed to have faith that everything would work out the way it should.

  Gathering my strength, I lifted myself up so I could lean onto my elbows and gave him a small smile. Just as I was about to ease his mind of any obvious worry, my stomach decided at that moment to protest its hunger in the form of a rather loud grumble. Then it hit me that I was in the middle of preparing dinner before I was interrupted. Not saying that I was complaining about the interruption, quite the contrary. I just knew that neither of us had eaten today and I, myself was famished.

  “There’s your answer,” I joked after releasing a small laugh.

  Holden leaned over and slapped my bare ass once again. “I think it’s time you finished making us some food, woman.”

  I stood on shaky legs and glanced around for all of my clothes before finding exactly what I was looking for. Tagging Holden’s discarded shirt from the floor, I shrugged it on. As the cotton material slinked over my skin, I was surrounded by the smell that was deliciously all Holden. The shirt was entirely too big for me, the hem stopping mid-thigh, but the way his eyes flared as he took in my appearance I knew that I had made the right choice.

  “Easy there, tiger. Haven’t you ever heard the saying ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you?’”

  “You know I’m pretty sure that’s not exactly what th
ey meant when they came up with that.”

  I rolled my eyes and began descending the stairs. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that. I would pay extra attention to the food you eat tonight.” I stopped at the bottom and turned toward Holden, who was still sitting with his hands propped on his knees. “You never know when someone could have tainted it.” I shrugged then smirked, but before making my way into the kitchen, I took a moment just to take in Holden’s reaction. Once his reaction faded, I still found myself just staring at him, almost mesmerized.

  He was an entirely different person than when he first came to Tate Manor not even a handful of days before. I wouldn’t ever compromise or tarnish the gift he gave me of allowing his guard to fall. It seemed to me that this wasn’t a gift that he gave all too freely or often. He was overly cautious and meticulous with every single movement. There had to be a reason for that. I just hoped that he would fully obliterate the entire barrier between us and allow me that gift.

  But I wouldn’t push for that. He needed to be able to open that on his own terms.

  Holden and I were lying in front of the fireplace in the sitting room, him on his stomach with his head on his forearms facing me. A thick blanket was draped over myself and his legs, and I was casually tracing the outline of his Fallen Angel tattoo on his bare back.

  I made lemon chicken piccata, which was my absolute favorite. Normally I paired it with cauliflower rice so it didn’t have all the extra calories, but this time, I made it with the traditional angel hair pasta. With the overexertion we’ve each partaken in today, we needed all the extra calories we could get.

  While dinner was amazing, dessert was indescribable. Which was what brought us to a pallet of blankets on the floor in front of the crackling fire.

  Holden even talked me into leaving the dishes dirty in the sink. He said that they would still be there tomorrow and there wasn’t a crime against not cleaning the kitchen directly after dinner. I could tell that he didn’t know the first thing about grime and how much of a pain it would be to clean the pan that the chicken was cooked in. But once he whipped his shirt off my body and attached his lips to the sensitive area on my neck that sent me reeling, I decided that the dishes could definitely wait.

  I focused my attention back on the intricate lines and shading on his tattoo. I wasn’t privy to the experience of getting a tattoo, but with how detailed everything was, including its size, it had to have taken several hours to accomplish.

  From what I’d seen over the past few days, I couldn’t imagine what could’ve happened to where he thought he deserved such a penance to be marked with such an evil soul.

  Sure, he had a tough exterior and carried himself as if he didn’t give two shits about anything or anyone. But being able to see the deeper side of him, it was depressing to witness that he viewed himself in such a negative light.

  “So what is it?” His voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I was thankful for the reprieve. If my mind wandered any further, it would linger into depressing territory.

  “I’m sorry?”

  “What’s your favorite movie?”

  I took a moment to mull over my answer. Not because I didn’t know my favorite movie because of course, I did. But I didn’t know if I wanted to leave it at that or further explain why I could relate to it so much. To have Holden ridicule me would destroy me inside.

  Taking a deep breath, I admitted, “The Breakfast Club.”

  “Something tells me there is more to it than that.” It really should be alarming that he could read me so easily, never mind that quickly.

  If I didn’t want Holden to hold anything back, then I needed to extend that same courtesy.

  “I used to be the brain, and in a way I still am. I want acceptance from everyone; I find it imperative actually. And if there is one thing that I can’t handle it’s being a failure. So in a lot of ways I can relate to Brian’s character.” I looked down at my fingertips that were continuously tracing the blackened wings of his tattoo. I was ashamed of the way that I was, making sure that everyone else was happy while throwing my own happiness by the wayside. “I also really love that detention brought five unsuspecting people together who otherwise wouldn’t have given each other the time of day.”

  Kind of like our situation here, I wanted to add. If I had seen Holden out and about, there would be no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t make a move to talk to him. And not because I thought I was too good, actually just the opposite. I didn’t think I was good enough. Sure, I was pretty, but not overly so. Compared to Holden and his masculine beauty, I was pretty meek in comparison. And who honestly knows but him whether or not he would’ve even given me the time of day.

  “Marlee, look at me.” I slowly lifted my eyes to his. “I would’ve talked to you.”

  Um…did I say that out loud? “What was that?”

  “If circumstances were different and I met you out randomly somewhere else, I would’ve tripped over my own feet to talk to you.”

  See what I mean? He was so in tune with my thoughts it was downright eerie. And who knew that Holden Reed could be swoony? A swarm of butterflies fluttered around in my stomach at his sweet words. I could feel a blush creep up my cheeks.

  He lifted himself up and turned around to where his torso was now angling mine, and he rested his hand on my bare knee. “You only have one shot at this life. What kind of life would you be living if you didn’t give it your all and do what makes you happy?” He absently rubbed his thumb along my skin as he continued speaking, “That is a great movie choice, though, John Hughes was the man.” I chuckled at his sentiment because Hughes was, in fact, a cinematic genius of the 80s and 90s.

  I mean hello…

  Home Alone, Some Kind of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles.

  Bueller?

  “And also I can relate to the jock. I’m not good at remembering their names…”

  “Andrew.”

  He snapped his fingers. “That’s right. I was just going to say Emilio.”

  “Or the sane Sheen brother,” I chimed in.

  He threw his head back and laughed. “This is true. But Andy solved his problems through confrontation, and that is me more or less. Add in more of a temper for me,” he added sheepishly.

  He’s hinted at his erratic behavior a time or two but hadn’t elaborated on that bit of information either. The guy I first met I could completely see allowing his temper to flare easily, but this Holden, the real Holden, I had a hard time believing it.

  “Just please don’t tell me that you’ve actually taped a person’s butt cheeks together before?”

  “Nah, messing with another guy’s ass isn’t my thing.” His brows raised almost to his hairline. “You didn’t really get detention in high school for a flare gun going off in your locker, did you?”

  “I’m still standing, aren’t I? My mother would’ve had my ass. Besides, if I had a flare gun my father would’ve altered it in some way, and with my luck, it would’ve blown up half of the school or something equally as awful.”

  “Has your father always done things like that?”

  I nodded my head, “Yeah. To this day my mom won’t buy another toaster because she knows my dad will try to “fix” it. The last time he did that, he set part of our kitchen on fire.”

  “Jesus.”

  “I didn’t get many dates in high school because all the boys were afraid that my dad had some warped shotgun at his disposal. Kinda comical now that I think about it, but at the time it sucked. I wanted to rebel, but it wasn’t in me do anything that would make my parents disappointed in me.”

  “I don’t think that your parents could ever see you as a disappointment.”

  “You didn’t see my father’s face when I told him that I wasn’t going to be staying here in Gunnison to run Tate Manor but was moving away to go to college. I think a part of his heart died that day. Things were strained for a really long time. Since I’ve come back to help out around here with his health condition, I really know it wo
uld kill him if I tried to leave again.”

  “So, in other words, you’re basically stuck.” He posed this as a statement rather than a question because he knew just as well as I did that I wouldn’t abandon my parents again.

  I nonchalantly shook my head once again. “More or less. I really don’t mind it, but I miss doing public relations.”

  “Have you ever worked with a sports team?” His voiced quavered a bit, almost as if he was afraid to know the answer, which I found strange.

  “Yeah, just soccer though, the LA Galaxy. It is the one sport that I can actually tolerate.” I flinched at the thought of other sports. I wasn’t an athletic person, so the thought of any organized sports normally revolted me. “Since I was based out of Riverside, Los Angeles played a big part in my accounts.”

  “Psh…” he guffawed. “Soccer is child’s play.”

  “You only wish you could play soccer,” I immediately replied. “Let me guess, you’re more of a football fan?”

  For a split second, he had that deer in a headlight look, which made me wonder what in the world was going on, before he covered it up and actually dared to look sheepish. I got the sense that I was missing a pivotal piece of the puzzle.

  “Well, yeah. Every red-blooded American male loves football.”

  “How very stereotypical of you and not to mention extremely clichéd. I’m not a man, but I’ll take soccer over football any day. If that makes me “Un-American,” then oh well.”

  I never saw it coming; if I had then maybe I would’ve had a split second to brace myself. Holden popped up, pushing my shoulders to where I had no other choice but to fall backward until I was prone against the floor. If any confusion swept my features, it was instantly replaced with a smile when he deliberately brought his face just inches from mine and teasingly said, “Oh well?” I bit my lip and nodded, then he cut off any form of a retort from me because his lips pressed again mine. This wasn’t just any kiss, though, this was a scorching hot one. A kiss so intense that if there wasn’t a fire crackling in the fireplace to keep the chill from my body, the heat from Holden’s kiss would’ve instantly warmed me from the inside.