Brightest As We Fall

by Cleo Peitsche

  He drops a few twenties and slides the clerk an Alaskan driver’s license. “We’ll take a king. Nonsmoking.”

  I want to protest, but what’s the point?

  On the elevator, I say through gritted teeth, “Thanks to you, she’s going to remember us. Wasn’t the idea to fly under the radar?”

  “You were in there for five minutes and didn’t even get a room. If anyone was buzzing around and setting off alarms, it’s you.” He grabs my duffel bag from me.

  We quarrel in quiet, stressed voices as we walk down the hall. I’m just glad Jason is talking to me again.

  He opens the door.

  “I call the bed,” I say as the door swings shut behind us. “You’re the one who couldn’t wait a few minutes for a room with two beds.”

  Jason lets the bags fall onto the floor. When he turns toward me, he’s right in my space, but I don’t step back. I won’t.

  Not surprisingly, neither does he. “I’m sleeping in that bed. If you don’t trust yourself with me, take a pillow and a blanket and make yourself comfortable on the floor.” He pauses. “Or rent a second room.”

  “That’s exactly what I’ll do.” I reach for one of the duffel bags, but Jason blocks me.

  “The cash stays here.”

  I peer around him, at the king bed. It’s pretty big. Then again, so is Jason.

  “On second thought,” I say sweetly, “I believe there’s enough space for the two of us after all.”

  Heaven help me. In bed with Jason. I’ve been on edge ever since the clerk handed over the room key. Last night was amazing. Today sucked for the most part, and things between us are weird as fuck. But I want him, and I know sex would help smooth things over.

  One glance at Jason’s glowering face and I know it’s never gonna happen again. He and I are done.

  Chapter 31

  Jason’s eyes flew open.

  “No. No!” DeeAnn’s scream echoed through the room.

  Without thinking, Jason pulled her to him, cradling her small, tense body against his. “Wake up,” he whispered.

  Her eyes remained closed. So did her mouth, and she stilled in his arms.

  Jason felt himself plunging back into a deep sleep.

  When he next woke, pale light was just beginning to filter through the window. DeeAnn was snugged up against him, their limbs intertwined.

  He was about to pull himself away and take his shower when he realized that DeeAnn wasn’t breathing like someone asleep. Her breaths came too quickly, were too shallow.

  He yawned and exhaled and turned onto his back. DeeAnn stiffened and pulled away.

  So. That’s how it is. She’d only touch him if she thought he was asleep.

  The way things had been between them, he figured DeeAnn couldn’t get any angrier at him. Maybe they could bang through their problems. He slid a hand over her hip.

  She turned toward him. “I’m so sorry about yesterday. I think we had a huge miscommunication and I really should have handled everything better—”

  “That’s enough.”

  “But—”

  Jason clamped a hand over her mouth. It didn’t stop her lips from moving, though. An earthquake wouldn’t slow her down. He remembered in the car after their fight, how she’d turned to him a dozen times to say something, then had to catch herself, had to remember that she wasn’t speaking to him.

  “As much as I appreciate your groveling,” he said, “if you keep babbling, I’m going to lose my erection.”

  Fury flashed in her eyes and she pushed his hand away.

  “Why are you so…” She made a frustrated noise.

  “It’s early and I shouldn’t even be awake. Coffee.” He thought his explanation was clear, but DeeAnn shook her head.

  “That’s no excuse.”

  “Because I wasn’t being rude. I was stating a fact. It’s not your voice or you talking that’s the problem. But if we’re going to have a heart-to-heart, my cock is going back to sleep. And maybe the rest of me as well. I’m no good without coffee.”

  She scowled, but he could see that she understood where he was coming from.

  So Jason rolled on top of her, pulling up the oversized T-shirt of his that he’d let her borrow because she’d finally realized that he shouldn’t be forced to sleep next to those awful ice cream cone pajamas.

  His hands covered her breasts, trapping her nipples between his thumbs and index fingers. He used his knees to slide her thighs apart. Since he couldn’t enter her yet, he slanted his mouth over hers and thrust his tongue between her lips.

  DeeAnn gasped, softening beneath him, her body pliable and obedient.

  “Fuck me,” she gasped. “Please. Fuck me. I want you so bad.”

  He kissed her harder, kissed away her apologies and pleas, then pulled back to look at her in the dawn light. Her hair had tumbled in a wild mane around her face, over the pillow and onto the sheets. Her mouth was open as she panted, trying to catch her breath, and her wide amber eyes watched Jason with a mix of lust and apprehension.

  The hardened peaks of her breasts called to him. He moved in again, cupped one firm mound in his hand and tortured the nipple until DeeAnn was writhing below him, her free breast bouncing, her graceful waist and wide thighs and hips twisting and flailing, trying to get free from him.

  Jason didn’t want to let her free again. DeeAnn was a challenge, but he was up to it.

  He took what he needed from DeeAnn’s duffel, which he had positioned within reach last night. What Jason didn’t know about the female psyche could fill volumes. Yesterday was proof of that.

  But he damned sure knew that he and DeeAnn would end up fucking before they left that room. The attraction between them was a steady, living thing, a ravenous beast that demanded to be fed. If anything, he was surprised they hadn’t ripped each other’s clothes off the second they got into the room.

  He smirked, remembering DeeAnn trying to get a room with two beds. Who was she kidding?

  Fuck me, please, she mouthed, her eyes wide and full of fear.

  “Can’t hear you.”

  “Fuck me. Please.”

  Jason enjoyed the moment, and he wondered if maybe he was proving DeeAnn’s point. No wonder she thought he was an unfeeling monster. She was hurting, and he loved it. Right now, she thought he would reject her.

  She was scared.

  Because she didn’t know. She couldn’t see how badly he wanted her.

  Chapter 32

  Jason hangs over me, his face as inscrutable as a marble mask.

  Is he weighing the pros and cons of going down this route with me again?

  Then he brings his mouth close to my ear. “DeeAnn. You’re delicious.” When he straightens, he’s rolling a condom down his shaft.

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” I say, hiding my relief that we’re back to normal.

  Jason shoves his shoulders under my knees. I think he’s going to bend me in half and fuck me, but instead I feel his warm breath on my pussy.

  I squeal and wiggle. “I could hop into the shower real fast.”

  “No need.” Jason’s grip is firm.

  “You don’t have to,” I say, but it’s useless. He doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to.

  Then his tongue touches my warm center. He sucks on one of my inner lips, then somehow sucks all of me into his mouth.

  He lifts up, then attacks my clit. It’s so direct, and I gasp, clawing the sheets to keep myself from flying off the bed.

  “Too much,” I gasp.

  Jason sits up, flips me over, and slaps both palms against my ass. The sounds crack through the hotel room, and my buttocks ignite in burning agony.

  “Get on your knees, ass in the air.”

  Even though I know I’m going to do it, I hesitate. How do inexperienced submissives survive the humiliation?

  Jason, however, doesn’t hesitate. He slaps one of my cheeks, making my ass shake like pudding. Embarrassment gets me on my knees.

  Jason’s fi
ngers tighten in my hair, and he pulls my head up. “Like this,” he says. “And I want you looking over your shoulder at me.”

  “Why?”

  “So I can see your pretty face when I stick my cock in you. See you cry when I do things like this.” He slaps my ass five times in quick succession, hitting the exact same spot with every stinging stroke.

  I bite my wrist to keep from crying out. The faint taste of soap on my skin is bitter.

  “You’ve been a bad girl,” Jason says. “I should have spanked you at the rest stop.”

  My face flushes hot at the embarrassing memory. Was he thinking about spanking me while I was yelling at him? If so, that’s kinda fucked up.

  But also, it’s hot. As much as this spanking hurts, I actually like it. If Jason wanted to really hurt me, he could. But it’s the right amount of hurt. He’s so large and strong, but he knows what he’s doing.

  “Bad, bad girl.” He looms over me and begins spanking my ass rhythmically. I close my eyes. A tear rolls down my cheek. I don’t know who I am when Jason does this. What we’re doing feels so forbidden. It’s thrilling in the naughtiest, darkest way.

  “I’m sorry,” I cry out, and it feels right. Absolution is what I want, and this is how I will earn it.

  “Are you?”

  “Yes. I said things I didn’t mean.”

  “You don’t think I’m depraved? A degenerate?” He punctuates his words with loud slaps. Silken heat dribbles from my aching pussy.

  “I think you’re sexy,” I say. It’s the truth.

  Jason stops spanking me. He curses. “That’s not a very good apology. Maybe I need to try something else to loosen your tongue.” Three of his fingers prod at my pussy, then twist inside me.

  Then he’s wiping wetness over my pucker. I clench up.

  “Hold your cheeks apart and don’t move,” he orders gruffly.

  Immediately, I obey. When his cock slams into my pussy, I’m shocked. Why is he making me hold this awkward position if he’s not going to take my ass?

  He fucks my pussy for a while and it feels amazing, too amazing, even, but I can’t relax enough to get off because I’m worried about what’s coming next—

  And then, without any warning, two of his fingers are pushing into my ass. I moan and almost forget to hold my cheeks open for him. What was our safe word? Can’t remember right now. Slapping the bed. That was what he told me to do.

  Not yet, though.

  Jason takes it slow for several strokes, thick cock in my pussy and big fingers in my ass, but I know worse is coming.

  He moves faster and harder, and it hurts everywhere, and heaven knows the skin on my ass is still burning from that sexy spanking, but it is amazing. He drives hard with his hips, and oh, the poor spanked skin…

  Try as I might, I can’t hold the position. Jason’s pounding crushes me down, flattening me on the tangled, wet sheets, forcing my gasping mouth into the lavender-scented pillow.

  “Told you not to move,” he snarls. “Disobedient little slut. Bad girl.”

  Fuck, I want to record him. My eyes close in bliss.

  “Such a naughty slut. Not worth my time.” He pulls out.

  Both my holes, empty.

  I gasp in outrage because I was so close to coming, especially with Jason growling in my ear.

  When I look back, I see he’s holding a small tube of something.

  “Spread your legs wide,” he orders.

  “On my knees or—”

  He slaps my ass. I open my legs, and he pushes my hips down, then presses a hand on the lowest part of my back.

  Cool liquid drizzles between my buttocks.

  “Jason…”

  “You’ve got a safe word,” he says. “Eggplant.”

  Right. Eggplant. I won’t forget it again.

  “Are you an anal virgin?”

  “No, but it’s been a long time.” I realize I should have known he wouldn’t shove his cock into my ass without checking with me first. This is your monster, DeeAnn. See how callous and selfish he is?

  Tears come to my eyes. “I’m so sorry,” I stammer. “About what I said—”

  “We’re working through it.” He’s gentle. Kind. “I know what I’m doing, and you’ve got a safe word. Now’s your chance to redeem yourself, you bad girl.” He punctuates his words with slaps, and then he somehow gets those cruel fingers on one nipple, and he gives it a good twist.

  My hoarse cry sounds so pathetic, but Jason makes a sound of approval and then his cock is nudged up firmly against my asshole.

  “I’m going in whether you relax or not,” Jason says. “I’m only stopping for your safe word.”

  I exhale and will my clenched muscles to fucking chill out. They don’t listen.

  Jason squeezes my nipple once more, then reaches under me and shoves two fingers into my wet hole.

  Within seconds I’m squirming on his hand, surfing the edge of the orgasm he’s been denying me for almost an hour.

  His hand stills. I open my legs more, pleading silently for him to give me what I need.

  Instead, he presses his thick, bulbous head into my ass. I would tighten up again, but Jason does something with his fingers and I don’t even know what’s happening, I lose track of time and when I come back to myself he’s deep in my ass and deep in my pussy, his broad chest against my back, his stubble scraping my jaw and cheek and his rough teeth and soft lips pulling desperate moans from deep inside me.

  I can’t get enough of him.

  Of his kisses.

  Of his punishment.

  I want this forever.

  We orgasm together, and I swear I’m floating through warm clouds of pure ecstasy. It’s over the top and unbearable and absolutely perfect.

  Then we lay like that. I’m exhausted and confused—what the hell was that stuff running through my mind about wanting this forever? Talk about being driven senseless with lust.

  But I don’t want him to move. And I don’t want him to go.

  We don’t even know each other, but he’s been with me for the weirdest few days of my life. We’re living something together that I can never tell another soul.

  The money, the running from killers. And the mind-blowing, you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me, not-even-in-pornos sex.

  “Fuck,” Jason groans.

  I nod in agreement even though we’re certainly thinking about different things. I could fall for this man, who is the opposite of me in every way imaginable. This man who will disappear from my life in a few days or a few weeks.

  We nap, and when I finally wake up, I slip into the bathroom. I catch myself humming a cheesy pop song while I’m under the water.

  Really, a few nights of good fucking and I’m like the naive princess in a kid’s movie. Except this isn’t a fairy tale. Jason’s no Prince Charming.

  It’s kind of a wake-up call, and by the time I dry my hair and leave the bathroom, I’m thinking clearly again. Good thing, too, because I’m just in time to see Jason angrily tossing his phone onto the bed. I thought I heard the television while I was brushing my teeth, but Jason must have been talking to someone.

  “Who was that?” I ask.

  He runs a hand through his hair. “Shot. He’s gonna hook us up.”

  “Is that bad news? Because you look kinda… unhappy.”

  “Yeah.” He finally leaves his hair alone. It stands in an unruly dark mess. I want to smooth it down again, but I think that would be too intimate.

  And him fucking you in the ass wasn’t intimate?

  “You don’t trust Shot, do you?” I ask.

  “I trust him as much as I trust anyone.”

  “Not really an answer,” I murmur. Then I realize maybe it is. Jason doesn’t trust anyone except himself. It’s necessary, given his line of work. That still doesn’t tell me if this Shot—hopefully not his given name, though on second thought, maybe it’s better if he didn’t earn it as a nickname—will betray us.

  Jason is rooting around in his messy
suitcase. The contents are so disorganized that I have to look away.

  “Has Shot ever ratted anyone out?” I ask.

  Jason shakes his head. “But I’ve got some safety precautions in mind.” He disappears into the bathroom without clarifying.

  “Excellent communication skills,” I mutter.

  Chapter 33

  Cursing softly, Jason used the last clean towel to wipe the steam off the mirror for the third time, revealing how tired and worried he looked.

  He hadn’t slept well, he wasn’t eating enough, and he missed his workout routine. The last two of those issues could be solved with a little effort. As for the first, there wasn’t much he could do.

  DeeAnn’s presence was the only thing that could interrupt the train of pessimistic thoughts running through his head. Talking to her required all of his attention. If he zoned out even a little, he lost the thread of the conversation.

  And fucking her… Well, that was as close to a good night of sleep as he was likely to get.

  He hoped meeting Shot would go smoothly. It was their best chance.

  They were on the road before ten and hit no traffic. Twice DeeAnn tried to get him to open up, but Jason only shook his head. She didn’t push.

  Their fight yesterday had changed things between them for the better, but damn if he could figure out why. All he knew was that their… friendship… felt real and organic for the first time.

  Like they’d needed to incinerate the weeds from their first start in order to prepare the terrain for hardier growth.

  “Chinese or pizza for dinner?” DeeAnn asked.

  Jason checked the time. It was already six. “I was thinking to drive until midnight, sleep for five hours, and then continue. We’ll reach Shot by this time tomorrow.”

  “About that,” DeeAnn said slowly, and paused the podcast they’d been listening to, which was about terraforming Mars. “You’ve got your safety precautions, I know. But are you sure we need to see Shot at all? It seems to me that if you have even a small doubt, that’s reason enough to stay away.”

  “It goes with the territory,” Jason said. “Criminals are criminals. Honor among thieves only gets you so far. Most of the people I know would stab their best friends for ten thousand bucks.”