The Complete Quake Series

by Chance, Jacob

  I collapse on top of her, catching my weight on my elbows. I lean my forehead on hers while we breathe each other’s air in and out. I run my nose across the tip of hers and hold her face in my hands. “I love you more than anything, Leoncita. Thank you for marrying me and making me happier than I have a right to be.” I close my eyes and lay my head on her chest. I listen to her heartbeat and thank God, we found our way to this moment. I know I don’t deserve Kenna or the happiness I’ve found with her.

  I’ve moved on from the shameful things I’ve done in my past, but they’ve never really left me. They’re always there, one step behind me - breathing down my neck - waiting for the opportunity to prove I’m no better now than I ever was.

  I raise up and stare down into her eyes. “I’m going to be the best husband I can to you, Leoncita. I promise to make you happy.”

  Kenna’s my redemption. I might learn to forgive myself for the sins of my past through her and the children I hope we have someday.

  “I love you, Husband,” she whispers with a smile playing on her swollen lips.

  The four best words I’ve ever heard.

  Kenna’s warm body moving against me wakes me from my sleep. Her biteable little ass is tormenting my dick as she makes mewling sounds in her sleep. She must be having some dream. I pull her closer to me and cup her breast in my hand. My fingers tease her nipple and tug on it.

  “Mm, good morning, Husband.” She places her hand over mine. I rest my forehead down on her head, overcome with emotion at hearing her call me husband.

  “Have you ever heard of the Red String of Fate?” I ask her.

  “No, what is it?” She turns over in my arms. Her golden eyes stare into mine.

  “It’s an ancient East Asian myth where the gods tie a red string around your ankle when you’re born and around the ankle of the one you’re meant to be with. As time passes on the thread becomes shorter and tighter as the person we’re destined to be with gets closer and closer.” Her golden eyes stare into mine as she listens. “The string can become tangled at times, but it will never break. I like to think that we were predestined to be together.” I run the back of my fingers down her cheek. “That you were chosen for me. How else do you explain the love we couldn’t fight off no matter how we tried?”

  She smiles. “That’s a beautiful way to think about it. I like thinking we were destined to be together and nothing was going to keep us apart.”

  I roll her to her back and settle between her legs. My hands cup the sides of her face as I stare down into her tear-filled eyes. “Amor de mi vida. That’s what you are. You were tied to me before you were even born, Leoncita and you always will be.”

  Chapter Ten

  Zack

  Watching Lana is something I could do twenty-four-seven and it would never be boring. Her face offers a kaleidoscope of expressions. I can barely keep up with all the ones flashing as she stares blankly at the various kinds of liquor lined up along the back of the bar. I can tell she’s not really seeing the bottles though. What is she thinking? Is she thinking about the other night when I made her come on the dance floor? I’ve been thinking about that night too. I went back to my room after, my dick still hard as steel, and I had to jerk off twice. I can’t wait to make her come when she knows it’s me who’s touching her. Knows who’s driving her body toward more painful pleasure than she’s ever experienced. I hope my sexual tastes don’t scare her off. I’m going to have to introduce her to new things, slowly and patiently. I’ll show her things she never knew existed. Fuck, I want to start now. My dick is ready.

  She takes a sip of her Heineken, then places the bottle down on the bar. She rests both elbows on the wood and cups her chin in her hands. I can see her face reflected in the mirror along the back wall and she looks sad. Is she thinking about her past? Her past that I haven’t been able to figure out yet. I need to know more about her life in Seattle. I have to get her to open up to me.

  She spins on her barstool, facing away from me, leaning sideways against the bar. Her red hair falls in a shiny mass over her bare shoulders. She sways subtly to the beat of the music while I move closer.

  I glance at my watch. Two more minutes until midnight. I adjust my glasses and take a few more steps until she’s only three seats away. I wipe my sweaty hands on my thighs. What I have planned is risky and could backfire on me, but I’m still going to do it. I have to take the chance.

  Eighty seconds…

  It’s now or never. I slowly maneuver until I’m standing behind her as the large screens at the back of the room used to play music videos, begin to countdown the last minute of the year. Large numbers flash on the screens and raptly hold everyone’s attention. Lana is no exception. I can see her profile in the mirror behind the bar. Is she wondering what the new year will bring for her? I already know what’s in store for my precious angel. She’s going to have a life changing year.

  I move forward until my chest is almost touching her back and lean down, my lips near her ear. “I’m glad I found you precious girl.” She reacts as if I’ve startled her and my hand goes to her hip and soothingly rubs it. “Close your eyes and keep them closed.” I flick my glance to the mirror and see she’s complied. Good girl.

  Forty seconds…

  “Have you been thinking about me?” I touch my lips to the bottom of her ear. “Have you been imagining it’s my fingers making you come when you touch your pussy?” She nods her head.

  I pull her back against my chest. “Use your words, precious. I want to hear them.”

  “Yes.” Her voice is husky.

  Thirty seconds...

  “Yes, you’ll use your words, or yes you think about me when you touch your pussy?” I bite on her earlobe and she moans. I can’t wait to hear those moans when I’m buried inside her.

  “Yes, I’ve thought about you when I touch myself.” My hand slides over her hip and snakes up under her dress to wrap around her inner thigh. I walk my fingers up her warm skin until I cup her pussy with my hand. Her silky panties are damp. I smile. She’s already wet for me, and I’ve barely touched her.

  Twenty seconds…

  “Where do you touch yourself, precious? I want to hear you say it.” I slide my fingers along her slit, up to her clit and rub. “Tell me you touch your pussy, precious.” Her exhale is shaky from my touch.

  “I think of you when I touch my pussy.” I reward her by slipping my hand inside her panties and spreading her wetness over her clit. My fingers pick up speed, circling faster and faster.

  Ten seconds…

  “You’re going to come for me at the stroke of midnight, precious, and not a second sooner. This pussy obeys me.” She arches her back, raising her arm to hook behind my neck. My teeth bite on her neck and she gasps. “Get ready to let go.”

  Four, three, two, one…

  “Now.” I growl in her ear over the shouts of Happy New Year. She trembles in my arms as I draw out her orgasm. Her breaths leave her in harsh puffing exhales. I smile. Her body already responds to my every command. She already belongs to me; she just doesn’t know it yet. I quickly spin around and head to the back exit, sucking my fingers clean of her taste as I walk. Goddamn. She’s delicious.

  Soon there will be no secrets between us.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lana

  Being thousands of feet in the air on a five-hour plane ride gives me too much idle time on my hands. My mind can be a dangerous thing when it’s not busy. My thoughts tend to revisit moments from my past that are better off forgotten and people I’ve moved on from. Christopher. It always comes back to him. I can be doing the most mundane task and somehow my brain will meander down a path that leads me to some random memory of us.

  It doesn’t matter that it’s been over a year since I’ve heard his voice. Sometimes, it seems like yesterday and other times it feels like a lifetime. His green eyes had a special glint in them when he looked at me. His love made me feel like I could do anything. How did it all go so wrong?<
br />
  Falling in love is the most amazing thing in the world. The euphoric feeling it gives you is like no other. How can anything compare?

  Falling out of love is the worst thing to endure. The feeling of desolation it brings on consumes you. How can something so wonderful become so twisted and tortured?

  I drink down the rest of my rum and coke and place the empty cup down on the tray. My head falls back to the headrest and my eyes drift shut, allowing a happy memory of Christopher and I to wrap around me like his strong arms used to.

  Three years ago

  “What do you mean you don’t know how to swim? You’re twenty years old. How is this even possible?” he questions, raising an eyebrow at me.

  I throw my hands up in the air. “I’m afraid of the water. I’ve always been afraid of it. My parents signed me up for swimming lessons when I was a kid, but I wouldn’t get in the pool.” He walks forward, stopping when he’s close enough to wrap his arms around my waist.

  “Will you come in the water with me? You know I’ll keep you safe, darling.” His expression is earnest.

  I do trust him to keep me safe. I don’t need to look at his muscular chest and tattoo covered arms to know that. It’s nothing to do with how physically strong he is. It’s that he loves me, and he would never do anything to hurt me.

  “Yes.” I smile up at him and slip my arms around his neck. My fingers drift to the bottom of his longish hair and play with the curling ends.

  He leans down and brushes his lips against mine, but as he goes to pull away I tug on the back of his neck. He presses closer as his mouth connects with mine.

  We spent the rest of that afternoon in the shallow part of the water while he patiently taught me to swim.

  * * *

  I napped through the last two hours of the flight and dreamt of Christopher. Now that I’m awake, my head feels muddled and confused. His lips on mine felt so real, I expected to wake up and see his green eyes staring down at me - to have his tattooed arm wrapped around me. It takes me a few minutes to remember everything that’s happened with us and when I do, I start to weep for all we’ve lost. Will I ever get over missing him? I wish I could go back in time and do things differently. We’d still be together and only a month away from the wedding we were planning. Now I’m alone and I don’t want to be. I miss being affectionate and having that connection with someone. The only man I’ve been tempted to kiss since Christopher is my neighbor Zack. He’s a great guy, but I don’t want to drag him into my turbulent past. He doesn’t deserve that.

  My thoughts wander to the stranger at the nightclub. He was so commanding with me both times. It was hot and just what I needed. If he hadn’t been so forceful I wouldn’t have been able to follow through with it. There’s something so hot about not being able to see who was making me come. I’d like to say it was Christopher who was on my mind, but I was picturing Zack behind me the whole time.

  I’m not sure what that means, and I really don’t want to dissect and examine it. It’s not a surprise that I’d find Zack attractive with his blue eyes, shaggy hair and thick beard. I’ve thought about kissing him on more than one occasion, but imagining him making me come was a first. It won’t be the last, though. I’ll be reliving those two experiences repeatedly each night in my bed, only I’ll be imagining it’s Zack’s thick fingers making me come, not mine. So much for what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

  * * *

  When we exit the plane, a sense of relief washes over me. I’m happy to be back on the east coast. Nevada isn’t close to Washington, but it’s a lot closer than being on the opposite coast. Running from your problems is never a good idea, but sometimes you need some space before you can come to terms with them. Being back in Boston feels right. I’m not sure about a lot of things in my life right now, but I’m sure I found the place I’m meant to be, for now at least.

  I weave in and out through the throng of people waiting at the baggage claim area. I didn’t check a bag. My trip to Vegas was only for a couple of days, and I pack light. Everyone else is coming home tomorrow; except for Derek and Kenna. They’re on their honeymoon for the next ten days.

  When I step outside into the frigid air January brings to this part of the country, the icy temperature is so shocking I gasp and grit my teeth to keep them from chattering. My hands slide in the side pockets on my wool coat, pulling out my gloves. I drop my bag to the sidewalk and tug them on. I wish I’d thought to bring a hat. It’s going to suck standing here while I try to flag down a cab. Adjusting my scarf so it covers the bottom of my face, I lean forward to pick up my bag, the sooner I look for a ride the better.

  “Let me get that for you.” Jean clad legs stop beside me. I glance up from my bent over position and find Zack standing there.

  I straighten up, smiling at him. “What are you doing here?”

  He smiles back. “I’m here to pick you up.” His fingers gently sweep my bangs across my forehead and tuck them behind my ear. “That’s better. Now I can see your beautiful face.” His fingers trail down behind my ear and along the curve of my jaw. I shiver and this time it’s not from the cold. He softly cups my chin in his hand and stares at my mouth. Is he going to kiss me? My heart pounds, and my legs feel weak when I think of his lips on mine. I want to know what it would be like. I’ve been wondering for a while now. We spend a lot of time together and it’s difficult for me to keep all my thoughts of him in the friend zone. There are some murky areas there.

  “You are my biggest temptation.”

  Does he want to kiss me too?

  I study his masculine lips. What kind of kisser is he? Gentle? Rough? Will he make my stomach flutter with the caress of his tongue against mine?

  He leans forward. My breath catches. Is this the moment I’ll finally know what his lips feel like on mine?

  “Relax, Lana. I’m not going to kiss you now. Our kiss will change things and you’re not ready for that.” He sweeps his thumb back and forth over my bottom lip.

  “Oh, I don’t know about that. Change sounds pretty good right now,” I joke, feeling awkward. He grips both sides of my face and lowers his lips as close as he can to mine without touching. I feel the heat of his breath on my cheek and it makes me long for more than a kiss from him. He stares intently into my eyes, our lips only a hair’s breadth apart.

  My eyes drift shut when he runs his nose along the side of mine and then slides his lips across my cheek to whisper in my ear. “Our moment will be much bigger than this one. When our lips meet, life as you know it will cease to exist. Let me know when you’re ready.” His husky seductive words send a shiver down my spine. I’m ready now.

  Instead of telling him I’m ready, I grip his jacket in my hand and whisper, “Are you going to tell me what’s so special about your kiss?”

  The tiny hairs on the nape of my neck stand on end when his warm breath fans across my ear. “No,” he murmurs.

  “No?” People move around us and I don’t care. Instinctively, I lean into his touch. “It’s a secret, huh? I don’t like secrets.”

  He chuckles softly and his lips brush my neck below my ear.

  “Soon there will be no secrets between us.”

  * * *

  Want more of Derek?

  Read on for the Extended Epilogue

  Extended Epilogue

  Derek

  I’ve never loved anyone with my whole heart except for my wife, Kenna. Our road wasn’t an easy one, it took us a long time to get together. There were so many obstacles in our way that kept us apart. Some seemed insurmountable at the time. Looking back, I wish I’d fought harder for us; sooner. We wasted a lot of years worrying about what others would think and in the end those concerns were all for nothing. But they say everything happens for a reason and maybe that’s true because today is the best day of my life. At nine o’clock on the dot this morning, we became the proud parents of Derek Santiago Jr.

  Glancing down, I stare at my son with wonder. Our perfect little creation,
he’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever set my eyes on and that’s saying something because his mother is fucking gorgeous.

  I touch his miniature fingers, studying them closely. Long and slender for a newborn, they’re capped by tiny fingernails. Already he curls them around mine and holds on, instinctively trusting me. Does he sense I’m his daddy? I could cry just thinking about the possibility that on some level he already recognizes me. I hope I make him feel safe. He’ll never know the same worries I had growing up. I’ll make sure of it.

  “Hey little guy,” I croon. “I guess you’re not so little though, are you? Are you going to be big and strong like your daddy?” I press a kiss to the downy black fuzz on his head and breathe in his sweet baby smell. If happiness had a scent it would smell like D.J. “I love you so much, son and I’m going to show you every day. You’ll never feel unloved for a single moment.”

  D.J.’s birth weight was a whopping nine pounds and seven ounces and he’s twenty-two inches long. It’s no surprise to me that he’s a big boy, but I know poor Kenna was hoping he’d be smaller. Fortunately, his birth went off without a hitch and they’re both doing great.