by Wilde, Amity
“Whatever, it’s all a bit hazy. You can’t blame a guy for being curious. My days of wild sexual escapades are coming to an end, so I’m going to have to live vicariously through you. Quite frankly, the pickings lately have been slim.”
“Poor you. Stuck with a beautiful girlfriend and a pretty little girl waiting for you at home.” His sarcasm came out more bitter than intended.
Grant ignored the dig. “Don’t give me that line. You could have it too, if you wanted. Do you? Because if you find a chick who’s willing to love your kinky ass you should put a ring on it, ASAP.”
This was hitting close to a nerve Jared didn’t even know he had. One more reminder that his younger brother was going to be the first to really grow up and settle down, something nobody would have suggested five years ago. Not that he for a moment begrudged Grant his happiness.
It just would’ve been nice to feel like his own life was moving forwards too.
Rain hammered down on the roof of the truck, falling from sickly yellow-grey skies. Gloomy weather for gloomy thoughts. A lot of his Army buddies had gotten married early, but to him the perks had never seemed worth the stress and hassle. Not to mention that the right woman hadn’t exactly fallen into his lap.
Deciding to re-up though, that had changed things. Putting off moving on with his life made sense for a few years, but he couldn’t pretend he was okay with never having a wife and kids, even if it meant juggling deployment and a family.
Maybe fate had dropped the right girl at his feet instead.
He barely knew her, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Lauren asleep in his clothes, in his bed. A bed they would probably have been sharing right now if Grant hadn’t shown up at the worst possible moment.
Grant pulled the truck into the parking lot at the hospital where he and his girlfriend worked. “That’s Janie’s SUV. What the hell is she doing here?” As soon as they were parked, he jumped out and rushed inside at record speed.
Jared laughed and pulled up his hood. His brother might complain about being tied down, but it was all bluster. Those two girls were the center of his world, something that was obvious to anyone who looked in Grant’s eyes when he talked about Janie and her daughter.
What would it be like to have that, to have someone who really got him?
Life would be simpler if “normal” worked for him, but none of the eager military groupies that hung around the bars near base had ever held his interest for long. Women who could accept his need to protect and control in and out of the bedroom didn’t exactly grow on trees.
An ex-girlfriend once told him he was just too much. Too big, too alpha, too intense. Good qualities for someone who had to give orders and know they would be listened to, but not what most women seemed to want in a long term partner. In his experience they either got fed up and left, or turned into pushovers.
What he needed was someone who could bend when he needed it, but not be afraid to call him on his shit when he was stuck too far up his own ass to see it.
Someone like the stray photographer whose soft skin was burned into his memory. He could still feel the weight of her over his lap, and the tingle in his palm from spanking her generous ass. His cock stirred, reminding him of how close he’d come to taking her right there against the door.
“Don’t be an idiot,” he scolded himself.
Just because there was a spark between them didn’t mean anything would come of it. She’d probably be gone as soon as the weather cleared. Hell, for all he knew she had a guy back wherever home was. He didn’t really believe that though. His gut was telling him she wasn’t the type to forget to mention that sort of thing.
Jared yanked the door open against the wind. If he wasn’t stuck back at the cottage, he might as well see if there was anywhere he could lend a hand.
Chapter Five
*** Lauren ***
After being holed up in the hotel all day with nothing to do, I was about to go crazy. If it wasn’t for my e-reader, I’m not sure what I would’ve done, but it wouldn’t have been pretty. Everyone seemed to be betting on the storm blowing itself out overnight, and I hoped they were right. Maybe I could finally get some work done.
Three days of the five I had put aside for this trip were already gone and the only really useful shots I’d gotten were from right before the storm hit the day before. I’d taken a few of people socializing around the hotel, but that was just out of desperation to feel like I was doing something.
I should’ve been heading to bed, but there was a steamy romance burning a hole in my to-be-read pile, and I was all out of chocolate. The bar in my bag was long gone and the kitchen had closed up hours ago.
It was time for a snack run, and as it turned out I wasn’t the only one still up.
“Hey guys, you couldn’t sleep either?” Betty and George were playing cards in the game room the staff had set up. They seemed to be in there more often than not, but it was getting pretty late.
I’d gotten to know them pretty well over the last day or so. Betty was a veritable font of information about the area, and of course the people who lived there. The stereotypical small town gossip mill was alive and well around these parts.
“We’re just a couple of old night owls, dear.” Betty smiled. “How are you holding up? Any news from the Pate boy? I’d be surprised if he didn’t call to check up on you. Did you make sure to thank him properly?”
“Betty!” I felt my cheeks burning. “I told you, it was nothing like that.”
As soon as I’d told her the story about being rescued by Jared, most of it anyway, I’d known I should’ve kept my mouth shut. I gave her an inch and she took a yard and started spinning it into my wedding dress.
“Too bad.” Betty crooked a finger to invite me closer. “I’ve watched those boys grow up, you know. Their family has been in this area for generations, and they’ve been in that cottage every summer from when they were barely walking. Such nice people, right George?”
He grunted and nodded. “Parents are decent bridge players, lousy at poker.”
“True, but I hardly think this young lady cares about that.” Betty rolled her eyes. “Anyway, Grant is an EMT at the local hospital so we see quite a bit of him. He’s dating a nurse with an adorable little girl, but Jared, on the other hand,” She paused, eyes twinkling. “That boy is single as they come and ripe for the picking. You aren’t seeing anyone, are you?”
The thought of Jared and exactly how well we’d fit together warmed me from head to toe. “I’m not really looking right now...”
“Oh, that’s fine. It’s better when you don’t seem needy. They don’t scare off as easily.”
“Betty, leave the poor girl alone.” George smiled fondly at his wife. “When it’s right, it’s right. If fate needed a push, it wouldn’t be fate.”
“Maybe my push is part of the fate? Did you ever think of that, wiseguy?”
They fell into what sounded like a well worn argument, and I left them with a wave. They were so lucky to have each other. I didn’t think I’d be finding that any time soon. In another place, another time, I’d have loved to find out if the spark with Jared could become something, but in the real world we were strangers living completely different lives.
I probably wouldn’t even see him again unless it was to return his clothes.
Like a high-schooler with her boyfriend’s varsity jacket, I was even still wearing his sweatpants. I promised myself I’d get them washed tomorrow, but in the meantime I was going to wallow in my desperation with smutty books and candy.
“Oh come on you stupid machine!”
It was so typical. The candy bar I’d picked was hanging off the coil by one flimsy looking corner. Tantalizingly close to falling, but no matter how hard I pounded and shook the vending machine, it wouldn’t budge. I could have left it there and figured it was fate telling me I didn’t need more sugar to work off at the gym when I got home, but dammit, that shiny little package was taunting me.
I peeked out the doorway, but there was nobody in the hall and the front desk had been empty when I walked by. My eyes narrowed as I glared at my prize. Ignoring every scrap of common sense, I knelt down in front of the machine and snaked my arm up into the flap.
It was easier than I’d figured, right up until something scraped painfully against my wrist, but by then it was too late to turn back. That candy had become a matter of principle much more important than my lost dollar.
“Almost...” Tongue pinched between my lips and body twisted like a pretzel, the last thing I’d expected to see come into view was Jared’s astonished face looking down on me with baffled amusement.
“Is this some sort of starving artist thing, or is breaking in just your answer to everything?”
“Oh my God!” I tried to jerk myself out too quickly and felt something dig into my forearm. “OW! Crap...” I tugged, but the flap had shifted and my arm was pinned tight. “Don’t just stand there, help me!”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Do me a favor, okay, kitten? Never take up a life of crime. Nice pants by the way.”
Doubly caught. I stuck out my tongue. “Ha. Ha. Ha. Shut up and help me out of this. It really hurts.”
All of those funny news clips about stupid people having to call 911 to get out of situations exactly like mine flashed through my head. No way, no how. I was not going to end up an entertainment piece in the local news, even if it meant swallowing what was left of my pride and begging.
Fortunately I didn’t have to, and for such a big guy, he was remarkably gentle about helping me. In fact, he was being so nice it almost made me guilty about the naughty fantasies having him so close brought out. His face was right next to mine, and I wanted to kiss my way across that sexy jaw of his.
Once I was no longer the kid caught with her hand in the mechanical cookie jar that is.
“It looks okay, but you should probably wash off that scrape.” His crystal blue gaze turned to me, equal parts concern and annoyance showing clearly. “What on earth were you thinking?”
I didn’t answer. My defense, not that I had much of one, caught in my throat. I was too busy watching his fingers as they lightly skated over the angry red welt on the inside of my forearm. Sure it stung, but my real problem was that as soon as he touched me, the intervening day vanished and left me lusting after him just as badly as back at his cottage. The memory of those hands on my body sent tendrils of need right down into my core.
His gaze softened, as if he could read my thoughts. “I think you’ve been misbehaving again. It’s almost like you want to be punished.”
“Yeah, right.” Oh, yes please!
Jared leaned down, his lips right next to my ear, his breath tickling my skin like a feather. “I think you do. I think all of these childish impulses of yours are just crying out for a little discipline, and you’re in luck, because I’m only too happy to oblige. Now turn around and put your hands on the wall,” he ordered, voice low and full of authority.
My stomach flipped. The instinct to obey him was strong, but still I hesitated. “I’m not sure...”
He grabbed my wrists and did it for me, putting my palms against the wall with my fingers spread. They were raised high enough that I had to stretch to stay on my knees.
“You need to learn to think before you throw yourself into these ridiculous situations.” His warmth was right behind me, like a furnace against my back.
So close.
My breath hitched as his hands traveled up my arms and down my sides, fingers brushing over the curve of my breasts. “We can’t do this. Someone could see,” I whispered. There wasn’t even a door to the vending room. Anyone with a sudden need for ice or a midnight snack would be able to come right in.
“Then I guess I better be quick, and you better be quiet.” Jared held me tight, one hand flattened over my stomach, the other cupping my trembling bottom. “Maybe next time you’ll think twice before you do something crazy, but I almost hope you don’t.”
Me too. My thoughts were racing as fast as my heart. Dominance had always attracted me, but most of my boyfriends had been all talk and no show. Jared didn’t seem to care about posturing, he just went for whatever it was that he wanted. I’d thought maybe it wasn’t something I’d ever experience outside of a fantasy, but he was proving me wrong.
He swung his arm, and his hand landed squarely on the right side of my bottom. Stinging pain radiated out from the point of impact, making me gasp and clench my teeth to keep from shouting.
“That hurt!,” I hissed.
“Kitten, it’s supposed to.” He chuckled and patted the spot he’d just spanked. “Shhhhh. You don’t want to make anyone curious, do you?”
I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. I hated this but wanted it just as badly, almost as much as I wanted him. The only thing I knew I didn’t want was an audience.
His grip tightened around my waist, and he yanked down the baggy sweatpants to expose me further. Thankfully I was wearing panties, but they would be poor protection against what was coming, and my face flushed at the thought that he’d be able to see exactly how much I wanted him.
There was a fleeting moment to revel in the feel of his hand caressing my bare skin, and then a quick flurry of smacks peppered my bottom. Back and forth, he slapped my cheeks with fast, hard strikes that made me jiggle and squirm.
The urge to scream and yell was overpowering, but I clenched my teeth and managed to only let out a small whimper.
Jared stroked his hand over my throbbing flesh. It felt a hot iron against my skin. “Good girl, not much more. You can take it.”
His murmurs soothed me and made me want to please him in spite of how another part of me was rebelling and wanted to stamp my feet and whine like a child. Instead, I leaned into his solid frame for support, concentrating on breathing in his masculine scent and enjoying the feel of his body so close to mine.
I gasped at his next two blows. His aim was unerring, landing right in the center of my wobbling cheeks. Each impact rocked my body, and I could feel with perfect clarity the outline of his hand as it came down, sending out ripples of stinging pain. My fingers clenched, but I didn’t move from my position. I could do this.
It was just like before, the sharp pain of his spanking somehow getting all mixed up with arousal. Even more against my bare bottom, as his touch was much more intimate. The first time I’d been in shock and we’d been strangers. Now that I’d had time to develop a full fledged crush on him, the effect was electric.
Could he tell I was getting turned on by his punishment? We were both breathing hard. I knew without a doubt that if he slid his hands between my legs, he find me wet and willing. I didn’t think I was the only one but I couldn’t know for sure.
My body sagged in place when he stopped. It had felt like forever, but I knew it wasn’t really that long. He didn’t let me go right away, replacing the blows with soft strokes that still made me whimper and squirm, but for entirely different reasons. My entire bottom throbbed, from the tops of my thighs and almost up to my lower back. The warm burn seeped into my core and made me want him so badly I was afraid there was something wrong with me.
Jared must have known, and he didn’t seem to mind, because he teased me mercilessly. He pushed aside my panties and slid his fingers everywhere but where I wanted them most, buried deep between my thighs. One lone fingertip finally parted my folds, slipping easily through the wetness that had gathered there.
He hummed deep in satisfaction. “What do we have here?” he whispered.
I moaned, and my pussy clenched, trying to pull him inside.
“What a naughty little kitten, enjoying your punishment.”
“Please,” I begged softly as he pressed against my opening without penetrating me the way I craved.
He nipped my earlobe. “No, not here, not like this.” But he didn’t abandon me when I needed him. His slick fingers circled my clit, expertly working me right up to the edge.
“Don’t stop, I’m so close.” My head hung, and I panted. Each slide of his fingers over my nub fired off sparks that shot through my nerves, and made my sex clench around the disappointing emptiness inside me.
A low masculine growl of satisfaction steered me even closer, tightening every muscle as I strained towards my peak. He rolled my clit between his fingers and my legs shook. One more quick little squeeze was all it took to shatter me, and my climax roared free. I bucked against him, but he held me close, letting me ride it out in his arms.
He pulled me in, capturing my mouth in an urgent kiss and swallowing my moans of pleasure. I didn’t care anymore how or why he made me feel this way, or even how risky it was. Hot tendrils of pleasant fire crawled through my limbs, and I slumped, trusting him to hold me up and take care of me.
Slowly, tenderly, he straightened my clothes and pulled me into his lap. “Let me take you back to your room and get you settled. Okay, kitten?”
I snuggled closer, but couldn’t resist getting the last word. “I’m not your kitten.”
Jared snorted, apparently unconvinced. “Mmmhmm.”
Before my sex addled brain could think of something suitably witty, there was a loud thunk behind us as my chocolate bar came unstuck. After all that, the damn thing dropped down on its own. I pressed my face into his shirt and a giggle bubbled up, escaping before I could catch it, and paving the way for the rest that burst out on their own.
A polite cough came from behind us. “Are you going to get that?” It was George, standing in the doorway, a dollar bill in his hand and a eyebrow raised so high it almost disappeared beneath his hair.
I looked back and forth between them. One look at their faces, and my giggles turned into hysterical laughter. With as much dignity as I could muster, I snatched my hard earned candy and stood, brushing off my tender backside with a wince. My legs still felt like jelly, but I gave them a big smile and held my head high as I walked out the door.
“Good night, gentlemen. Watch out for E6, it sticks.”
Chapter Six
