Blue, Light and Dark (Chubby Chasers, Inc. Series Book 2)

by Brashears, Angie M.

  She’s in heaven. He always keeps a hand under her, but lets her kick her legs, her snout pulled back into a smile. He sees me watching. “It’s good for her arthritis.”

  My heart soars. He is some kind of special.

  When she’s tired out, we switch off. I pull her up and rub her down gently with a towel before placing her back in her carrier. Frankie takes Bert for a swim. I jump back in. There are blow-up toys, and I float with Bert on my lap. Frankie dives, checking on the anchor. When I step on board this time, Frankie has me lean over the side. He uses a sprayer attached to the side of the boat to rinse my hair out, and the massage he gives my scalp as he works makes me pool at his feet.

  As the sun heats up, we head below deck, moving carriers and dogs below with us. We work in sync, never bumping into each other but working close together. He takes care of a few things on deck while I set the dogs’ pillows up in the galley.

  He comes in, wet and salty, sees the dogs settled in, and nods his approval, walking around with dog biscuits for everyone. “You want to take a nap?”

  I nod with only thoughts of Frankie in my mind.

  On the bed, we lie facing each other. He strokes my hip. “I’m scared,” I say.

  “I don’t want anything from you that you’re not willing to give,” he says before kissing my lips.

  “I want to go slow,” my lips say, even as my body scoots closer to him.

  “I never want to stop,” he says, deepening the kiss.

  Me neither, I think, kissing back. We explore each other’s bodies.

  I tense at his touch. “Don’t touch my stomach. It’s gross.” He takes his hands off and bends to kiss and lick the area. “Frankie,” I say with a warning tone.

  He holds his hands up, continuing the kiss trail down my front. “I’m not touching.”

  His hands go to my breasts, his thumbs rubbing my nipples. He moves the material to the side, rubbing his lips on my sensitive skin. My back arches.

  “Frankie,” I moan, running my hands through his hair. He rubs first one taut nipple, then the other, with his beard. They’re so hard they hurt. He licks each one before squeezing my breasts together and sucking both nipples into his mouth at once.

  I press his head to me, wanting more. He obliges, licking, sucking, nipping to his heart’s content. There’s no rush. I’ve only got here to be.

  He kisses up my front, licking my collarbone, then kissing and sucking my neck. I feel so good. I moan and press against him. His hand moves back and forth between each nipple, each touch sending shockwaves down to my heated kitty.

  “I want this off,” he says, pulling the ties. I let him untie me as he kisses me. Slow, seductive. Really getting to know what I like. When the top is off, he kneels, a leg on each side of me, and rubs his hand all over me, feeling every inch of me. The look of adoration on his face as he takes me in has me so turned on I don’t even think about him touching my rolls.

  He leans in, kissing down my body, worshiping as he goes. He sucks the liquid from my bathing suit bottom before placing a chaste kiss on my mound, through the fabric. He leans forward, licking along the waistband of my bathing suit. “You taste of the ocean, Blue.” He stands and shakes his wet hair all over me. My eyes go to the impressive erection that pushes against the front of his shorts. “Cold shower time,” he says with one more shake of his wet hair.

  I lean on my elbows, confused. “What, now?”

  He nods. “No better time than now. Get comfortable. There’s shirts in the top drawer.”

  Huh? Did he just leave me with blue balls? What the eff? Do I stink? I pull my bikini bottoms off, sniffing the crotch. They do smell of the ocean, with an undercurrent of sex, after all his nipple stimulation—not bad, just hot and bothered, erotic.

  I reach into my tote, grabbing dry undies and a pair of pink stretchy shorts. I pull a black T-shirt from the pile in his drawer and smile at the slogan. Nine Lives is a Myth! on the front, and Expand Your Cat Pack! on the back. Once I’m dressed, I get comfortable on his bed, lulled by the rocking movement of the waves.

  I’m almost asleep when he comes out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair with a Bud towel. The smell of sandalwood is floating on the mist cloud escaping from the bathroom. He grins when he sees what I’m wearing. “Hey, you found my shirts! Awesome. You like it? I have one for dogs, too. I’m trying to raise awareness so people’s first thought isn’t to put an animal down. You can have that one,” he says, pulling on a pair of black board shorts before he sits on the end of the bed and puts white boat shoes on.

  “It’s great,” I say, watching as he dresses. “Are we going somewhere?” I’m hoping he says no, that his feet are just cold. But he nods.

  “It’s getting dark. I’m going upstairs to steer us into the slip.” He stops, cocking his head, studying my face. “When’s your next therapy appointment?”

  “Not until Monday,” I say, stretching my arms over my head. His scent wafts from the pillows.

  He watches my stretch, trying not to stare at my untamed boobs in his shirt. “If I promise to be a gentleman and keep to my side of the bed, will you stay the night with me and the dogs? I just have a surprise for you, and I need you here with me in the morning. Is that okay, Blue?” I look into his eager face, wondering what’s gonna happen in the morning.

  “Let me think for a minute,” I say, reaching over the side of the bed to grab my tote. “I just need to make sure someone feeds Sam and then I’m all yours…if you promise to be a gentleman.” I smile, giving him my signature cheeky wink.

  He laughs. “Okay, settle what you need to. I’ll steer you in, love, and after your phone call, just take a nap. Leave it to me, I’ll get us home safe.” A quick wave and he’s gone to the top of the boat.

  When I turn my phone on, I’ve got messages galore. Two phone calls from Javi. Javi. My stomach clenches. Javi is not going to like this turn of events. I’m falling for my Doolittle biker guy, and who can blame me? There’s gotta be something wrong with the guy for him to be so into me, I think as I pull the concierge’s number up and call to make arrangements for them to feed my cat. Even just this simple use of Javi’s resources makes my stomach churn with guilt.

  I’m going to have to curtail my use of his money and his time. It’s only right. I’ve gotta talk with him face to face. The sooner the better. Preferably while he’s still locked up so if he goes off the edge, there will be someone there to catch him.

  I have a text from Sasha. Two from Gretchen. I sigh, knowing full well he’s enlisted the Wonder Twins in his search for Blue.

  Gretchen’s text is to the point. Call Javi, he’s worried. He hasn’t heard from you since you went on your date. Her second text just asks me to call.

  Sasha isn’t so politically correct.

  I’m going to kill that fucker if anything’s happened to you! Call me, bitch! Before I send out a search party!

  It’s only 6:00 p.m. on my phone, and I’ve got the bars, so I give her a call, not knowing what I’ll say or how she’ll take any of this.

  She answers as she usually does, at full volume. “Hey, stranger! Long time, no hear!”

  The reproach in my voice is unmistakable. “Sasha, I talked to you at one in the morning. You know I’m with Frankie, and I’m a big girl.” I don’t want to add this, but I can’t help myself. “You’re the one who said no one owns my copyright, remember?”

  She’s quiet as she chews her gum. “Are you having a great time?” It’s whispered, like someone’s listening. For all I know, she’s in the middle of a Favor.

  So I whisper back. “The best.”

  She takes a big breath. “Then don’t let me cockblock you. Smoke it down to the filter, Blue Belle. I’ll be here for anything you need. Still friends, right?”

  Tears threaten. This feels like goodbye. “I’m going to talk to Javi this week. I promise. I’m not hiding, just investigating where this may go. I won’t make you be the go-between for me, don’t worry.”

 
“Oh, Blue, I’d never be that.” She’s saucy.

  I laugh. “I’ll call you soon. I just need to try on some of this freedom. See if it fits.”

  “Bye, Blue.” She hangs up before I can say my own teary goodbye.

  I lean back, feeling like I’ve just cried for hours. My nose aches from the unshed tears, mourning the loss of the first friends I’ve ever had.

  Later, it’s fully dark when I wake to a warm body curled up next to me, pulling me into strong arms. “We’re home,” he whispers, planting a kiss on my forehead.

  “I know,” I say, hugging back.

  The dogs pile into the Jeep after peeing—for what seemed like hours—on the grass strip by the parking lot. Neither of us speak as we load them all in, clicking doggy seatbelts to their collars, before heading to Frankie’s beach house.

  I’ve got a Patriots sweatshirt on—one of his—and the blanket from the boat around my legs. He pulls us into a carport behind a fence, which he sprints to close before any of the dogs can escape. I’m holding Leia in my arms, her gray whiskers tickle my bare thighs. I undo her life vest and put her down gently on the grass.

  She reminds me of an old white granny as she daintily sniffs for a scent that will unleash her bladder. She squat-walks to pee in four different locations, unleashing just a drop in each spot. Frankie comes back and stands beside me. “C’mon, let’s get inside and start a fire.” He offers his hand to me.

  I nod, taking the hand that’s offered, and walk up the plank steps into his house. While he stacks wood, I grab a bottle of wine, pop the cork, and pour two glasses. His kitchen is lived in. A guy’s place. Along with bologna, hot dogs, beer, and soda, I notice medication in his fridge for Leia, eye drops and puppy painkillers.

  My heart swells for this man.

  I walk over to him and hand him the wine before joining him on the rug in front of the fire. I’m comfortable. I lean into his shoulder, watching the flames of the fire, feeling warmth growing inside and out.

  “You hungry?” he asks, rubbing my back.

  I shake my head. We’d eaten the last of the fish and ceviche before taking our “nap.”

  He’s pensive, staring into the fire. “Blue, can I ask you something?”

  I frown. I knew this was too good to be true. Here’s where he asks if I’m into three-ways, or if I’ll moo like a cow, or if I mind being filmed. I nod, dreading the worst.

  He turns to look at me. I wonder if my anxiety is showing. “I know you said just one date…and I’ve stretched into two. But Blue, I’d like to make it official. Can I date you?” His hazel eyes are searching my face, looking for hope.

  That’s it? I think to myself before answering. “Frankie, there are things about me that you don’t know. There’s another person whose heart I will be breaking, someone I care deeply about. I need to talk to that person before I make any type of plans for my future. There are things I want for myself now that I never would have even imagined without meeting him, and my other friends.”

  He lets out a breath I didn’t know he was holding. “You mean Javi?” he asks.

  I look up, startled to hear the name come from his lips. His brow is furrowed. “Is he your boyfriend? Husband?”

  I laugh, but there’s no humor in it.

  I answer as honestly as I can. “I’m not sure what he is. One thing I do know is, he’s not in a place in his life right now to be anything to me.” I feel sadness at this admission.

  “Do you want to talk about it? No judgment, I won’t give you my two cents, I’ll just listen.” He pulls my chin up so I’ll look him in the eye.

  A lone traitorous tear runs down my cheek, but I nod.

  I decide to give it to him straight without the sugar coating. “Javi saw me at a WW meeting, completely by accident, when I was at the lowest spot in my life. Instead of approaching me and asking me out, he enlisted the help of his two business partners—my friend Sasha, and Gretchen, who you haven’t met—to ‘get’ me. Sasha befriended me, brought me to their home, and after luring me in got me to move in with all three of them and work for them…at a Chubby House.”

  I look away, ashamed that I was that naïve not to have seen the writing on the wall.

  “What’s a Chubby House?” he asks, enthralled.

  “Wait.” I get up, grabbing my tote bag and searching until I find the silver case. I hand him a card.

  He reads it and laughs. “Is this a joke?” he asks.

  I don’t know where the brittle tone in my voice comes from when I answer. “No, and it’s a part of me, so please don’t laugh. I was part of a cam service that catered to people with fetishes…for big girls.” I stare into the fire as I say this, not wanting to see any judgments.

  He shrugs. “Okay, and what else.”

  I snap my head around, looking for deceit, but all I see is interest.

  I think about what I told him so far. “I’m not really being fair to the situation, to them. They were friends when I had none, gave me a place to live when I was one step away from homelessness. A job when Target was my only option, and love and acceptance when I hated myself. So they’re more than lurers or kidnappers. They’re my friends.” All of them. Even Javi, I realize.

  “Javi has mental issues. He was very nice about it, but still wanted all of me, forever. I’m scared by what that could mean for me down the road. Right now, he’s locked in a mental facility, and that’s the reason I’m seeing the therapist. His doctor seems to think I’m suffering from a form of Stockholm syndrome.”

  He frowns. “That’s when you fall in love with your kidnappers, right?” he asks, gathering information.

  “Yep, hence the beautiful prison I live in. He’s got money, and his lawyers advised him to set me up outside of the house, away from all of them. But I’ve been in contact with them. Sasha gave me a burner phone. I’ve been taking his calls, but the funny part is, he’s been able to have visitors for the past two weeks and he hasn’t asked me to come, and I haven’t offered.”

  I sense a little anger and ask him what it’s about.

  “Sounds like they still got a hold of you, Blue.” A lightbulb goes on. “Wait. Blue’s not your real name, is it?”

  I shake my head. “No, it’s not. It was a stage name. But it’s more than that to me now. Blue is a way of life. Blue makes me live to the extreme, take chances. In fact, if I wasn’t Blue Belle, I wouldn’t be here with you right now. Sara—with no H—Patterson would still be closed in a dingy studio apartment with her cat, ordering takeout. Before I was Blue, I made appointments with random therapists just so I’d have someone to talk to. I had no one. I went to WW meetings with no real desire to work on myself, to lose weight. I just liked to be around other people, listen in on conversations. Pretend I was part of something.”

  The omission drains me.

  He hugs me tight.

  His whispered answer is full of resolve. “You have me now to talk to. About whatever you want. I’ll always listen to you, Blue. You’re a part of us now.”

  I hug him back.

  I feel like I can tell him anything. “The second day I was in the house, I should have grabbed Sam and run. Javi roofied me with a plan to steal me away where he could fatten me up and keep me caged in my own body. But I got really sick, which scared him so bad he committed himself that very night. That’s why he’s in a mental hospital now. He wanted to get his urges under control. At the time, the whole kidnapping, roofie-ing thing, all seemed so romantic, but now I kind of feel like I lost my freedom of choice somewhere along the way.”

  His voice is low and gritty. “Did he rape you?” I can tell by the set of his shoulders and the thunderous expression on his face, that if I told him I was raped, he’d kill Javi. I shudder at the thought.

  I shake my head. “No, not even close. In fact, I was pushing him, wanting to force intimacy. Craving it since I’d never had a connection with a man before him. But he stopped me. He was the smart one of the two of us.”

  He nods, un
derstanding evident in his eyes. “I crave that same intimacy, Blue. With you. But we’re going to take it slow. I want you to be confident in me before we take that next step. Thank you for sharing that part of yourself with me. It gives me a glimpse into your heart. You’re a kind and loving person, and I’ll not take advantage of that.” He strokes my cheek before getting up. “I need to make a phone call.”

  I look around, and all five dogs are lying in a tight circle around me, paws stretched out towards me, but none touching me. They must have sensed my melancholy and came in to circle the wagon, lending their doggy support. I wave Frankie away, stroking Leia behind the ears.

  He turns, phone in hand. “The bathrooms through the hall. Use whatever you like. We’ve got to be up early for the surprise.”

  I nod, finishing my wine before heading in to get ready for bed.

  His bed is heavenly. “Is this okay, Blue?” he asks, circling me in his arms. “Gentlemen hug, right?” As he grins I see the whiteness of his teeth and snuggle in closer.

  “They better,” I answer, before I fall into a sound sleep.

  6:00 a.m. comes mighty early. When Frankie comes in, he’s carrying a tray. “I didn’t know how you take it, so I brought everything.”

  There’s a steaming mug of coffee, cream, milk, sugar. Honey? The works. I laugh, rubbing my eyes. “Just a little half n half please. What’s this?”

  I point to a giant plastic Starbucks cold cup with a lid and a straw.

  He sees where I’m pointing. “It’s an energy drink I make. I need us to have stamina today, so I made you my signature drink.

  “What’s in it?” I’m dubious to try anything healthy, but he reassures me. “Fruit mostly. Berries, banana, almond milk, honey, and ice. It’s good, I promise.”

  He hands me the shake and I take a tentative sip. “Yum, it’s really good!” I drink some more. “Why’s it green?”

  He grins. “A little spinach.”

  I wrinkle my nose but honestly can’t taste it and take a bigger sip.