Burning Up

by Marie Coulson

  “Let it go, Layla. I’ll make you forget all of it. I’ll make you forget all the hurt, the pain, I’ll even make you forget your own name. All you’ll remember is mine when you’re screaming it from the top of your lungs.”

  He thrust a long and skilled finger inside of me, and I yelped with unexpected pleasure. My own hands were still stroking up and down his firm and solid shaft. My thumb teased the tip of his cock and he let out a long and deep groan. “I need you, Layla. Now.”

  Withdrawing his hand, he pushed my jeans to my ankles and I speedily kicked them off. I whipped his belt from their loops on his pants causing them to fall to the floor in a heap around his feet. Lifting me up, his thick arms tensed as he held me against the wall and wrapped my legs around his waist. His teeth nipped gently on my bottom lip.

  “Say it, Layla.”

  I shook my head. “No,” I panted as the tip of his cock teased the opening of my sex. Thrusting upward, he sank himself inside me, and I inhaled sharply.

  “Do you want me, Layla?”

  I didn’t respond. Thrusting harder, he kissed me hungrily.

  “Say it.”

  His hips stopped moving and I wriggled shamelessly, trying to get the sweet and wonderful friction of him inside me to continue, but he was too strong and gripping my hips in place, he stilled my movements.

  “No, Layla. I won’t do this without you.”

  Grunting with frustration, I clutched my hands on his shoulders and stared into his stunning blue eyes.

  “I want you, Jared. Now.”

  His eyes closed and a look of relief swept across his face.

  “Good girl.”

  Driving himself deeper and deeper with every grind of his hips, his eyes never left my own, and the intensity of his gaze was penetrating me harder than the thrusts of his cock inside me. My pain, anger, and resentment for him were simmering beneath the lust and passionate need for him to fuck me. My body knew Jared, and it yearned for more. He was a drug, and I was hooked on him. My veins were flooded with the intoxicated adrenaline rush that only his firm hand and dominate tone could give me.

  “Oh, Layla. Being away from you has been torture. Being unable to touch, lick, caress, and fuck you has been hell on Earth.”

  His tongue licked and his mouth teased on my neck, and he rested his head on my shoulder. I arched my back as his hands palmed and massaged my ass.

  “I’m going to do something to you I’ve never done before, Layla.”

  My eyes flew open, and I held my breath for a moment. Meeting my gaze, he stared at me with a look of hot, unbridled lust.

  “Trust me.”

  This was a request that I found hard to acquiesce with. Trust didn’t come easy for us, and shaking my head, I panted ‘no.’

  His teeth clamped down onto my earlobe gently. “Trust me. I’ve never steered you wrong before.”

  He had a point. Where Jared was lacking in the other areas of his life, sex was the one thing I could count on, and in that sense, I trusted him implicitly. It was strange and heartbreaking. The most intimate act in the world and I felt more honesty in our fucking than in our entire relationship.

  I nodded gently, and sliding my hands around to his back, I clutched at his shirt and held him close. His frenzied and vigorous thrusting became more relaxed and gazing into my eyes, he kissed me. He kissed me tenderly and sweetly. Jared loved me. Above all else and beyond all the deceit, this one thing was true without a doubt.

  “I’m going to make you come so hard that you lose control of all your senses. You’ll beg me for it. Do you want to come, Layla?”

  Desperate for the release, I nodded.

  “Say it, Layla. Tell me how much you want me. Tell me what you want me to do to you.”

  Biting my lip, I groaned as he leaned back slightly, angling himself so that the tip of his cock brushed against my sweet spot.

  “Oh, God!”

  Jared chuckled wickedly. “Not quite, but close. I’ll take you to heaven, baby. I’ll make you fly. Just tell me what you want.”

  “Fuck me. Make me moan, scream, and come so hard that I cry. I want to forget all the shit you’ve put me through. I need to forget, just for a moment. You owe me this.”

  My words struck a chord, and pressing his lips to mine determinedly, he nodded.

  “Hold on to me tightly and relax. I promise this will feel good. Just relax.”

  Withdrawing from me, he slid his hand over my sex and slipped two fingers inside me. He teased and stroked me, moving his fingers around in a circular motion before quickly pulling them out and plunging his stiff cock back into me. I fought the urge to cry out. I was acutely aware that we could be caught any moment by someone coming into the office. His hips moved slowly, pumping me while his hand slowly moved to my behind. I held my breath, wondering what he had planned and as my climax began to build, Jared gently and with tender care, pushed his fingers into my behind. The shock of his fingers there made me yelp and almost squeal. I took in a quick breath and stared at him. My hands tightened their grasp on his shirt and I clung to him. It felt tight, unusual, but not painful. In fact, it was … good. He eased it in and out gently, matching each movement with the rhythm of his thrusts.

  I’d been shocked at how good it felt when he’d used his tongue to torment me in the bedroom, but this was something else. It felt intense and I felt so incredibly full. My insides were clenching harder and faster than ever before, and the strength of my orgasm was beginning to grow, making me squirm. I tensed my thighs and my feet hooked together at the ankles, pressing them against Jared’s behind.

  “I love you, Layla.”

  “I hate you,” I sighed.

  “No you don’t. I’ve hurt you. I will never hurt you again. Just love me, please. Love me,” he begged.

  Tears rolled down my cheeks and onto his shoulder. My heart was pounding so hard that I could hear the palpitations ringing in my ears. The room was disappearing as my orgasm took hold. Biting my lip, I came hard around him.

  “I love you,” I breathed. It wasn’t a lie, but it still stuck in my throat.

  Withdrawing his finger, Jared plunged into me again, groaning, grunting, and his mouth made that perfect O shape that it always did when he climaxed. His eyes closed, and as I watched him, something inside me hurt. A physical pain shot through my chest like a knife. We were repeating old mistakes, and I was a willing participant. Something between us had changed, and as he rested his forehead against mine, I couldn’t control the tears. Letting me go and letting my feet drop gently to the floor, Jared wiped the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs.

  “Shhh. It’s okay, baby. It’ll all be fine, now. I’m going to fix this. Alicia, therapy, everything is going to get better, I promise you this.”

  Pushing away from him, I shook my head and picked up my panties and jeans, hurriedly pulling them back on. Watching me, Jared did the same and straightened his shirt.

  “No, it won’t get better and it won’t be all right. This doesn’t change anything.”

  Reaching for my hand, he pulled me into a close embrace.

  “Don’t say that, Layla. Please don’t make this something to regret. God, this is so fucking ridiculous. Why do you have to make this so complicated? I love you; you love me. What’s so hard about that?”

  He lifted my chin to look at him, but I couldn’t. The hurt in his eyes was cutting me severely.

  “Everything about us is hard. Everything we do and have done has been complicated, too. We never seem to get it right, and I’m tired of fighting. I’m sick of tears and tantrums. I don’t regret it, Jared. I won’t ever regret it, but it was just sex. It changes nothing.”

  Walking away, he pulled out the desk chair and sat down, resting his elbows on the desk.

  “Keep telling yourself that, Layla. But you know as well as I do that you can’t stay away from me. You feel the pull and allure as strongly as I do. We’re bound together by something stronger than sex. You tell me you’re tired of figh
ting, and yet you come at me with all you have every time. You like the push and pull, and you enjoy the heat. The only tantrums around here have been yours. And you’re not the only one who’s sick of them. You want to know why I act the way I do around you? It’s because I care about you, and you are so fucking careless with your safety. You behave like a fucking spoiled child and you send mixed messaged left, right, and center. You want to have independence, but you fucking love it when I take charge and tell you what to do. Don’t deny it. You like the dominance and firm hand. Well, I won’t tell you what to do this time, Layla. I’ve told you how I feel. I’ve apologized, and I’ve begged you to come back. I’m not a man who begs, and I’m not accustomed to not getting what I want. I want you, but this time, Layla, you have to figure it out on your own.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious? God, you are such an asshole! You’re turning this on me? You really know how to charm a girl. Fuck her, insult her, and then throw her out?”

  He leaned back in his seat and raised an eyebrow at me. “Did I tell you to leave? I believe I begged you to stay.”

  Storming over to his desk, I slammed my palms on the top and snarled at him.

  “I wouldn’t stay if you paid me! And knowing you, that’s a distinct possibility! Can’t use sex to get what you want, just throw money at it. Isn’t that how this works?”

  “Now you’re just being childish, Layla. I have work to do. If there’s nothing else you wanted …”

  Getting up from his desk, he swanned over to the door and held it open for me. I walked over and stood in front of him, glaring. Lifting my hand I slapped him violently across the face. My palm stung and my fingers tingled from the force of the strike.

  “Now, I regret it!” I hissed.

  Marching away, I took a deep breath and tried to steady my nerves. One minute we were screaming at each other, and the next we were ripping each other’s clothes off. We were dysfunctional with a capital D. But even I couldn’t deny that sex with Jared was … intense. It was powerful, passionate, and pushed my limits to the extreme. But his callous tone and icy demeanor was haunting me as I walked through the coffee shop and out of the door.

  Standing outside, I took another long and calming breath. I held my hand on my chest and felt the thunderous beating of my heart. I wasn’t sure if it was anger, excitement, or the slow and painful breaking of every piece of it that was more agonizing.

  “Miss Jennings?”

  I turned around to see a tall and dark-haired man staring back at me. He had a tape recorder in one hand and a press pass held up in the other. My mouth went dry, and the instinct to run kicked in immediately. Turning on my heel, I began striding away. But he followed me, yelling my name and firing questions at me as we both made our way down the street.

  “Miss Jennings, is it true that you and Mr. Garrett are no longer together?”

  I ignored him and continued to walk, watching my feet as I did so and refusing to look back.

  “Is it correct that due to the agreement set out by Mrs. Felix, Garrett ended his relationship with you in order to pursue access to the child?”

  Where was this guy getting his information?

  “Miss Jennings, if you don’t talk, how will readers get your side of the story?”

  Halting, I spun around and glowered at the slimy and irritating excuse of a man who had been stalking me for the past two blocks.

  “There is no story! I have no side. Jared Garrett and his affairs are none of my business.”

  Holding out his recording device, he tilted his head to the side and smiled. “So you confirm that the two of you are no longer a couple?”

  “I confirm that I have nothing to say because I don’t care. Jared Garrett is no longer my problem, and neither is his ex.”

  I moved to walk away, but he wouldn’t give up so easily.

  “I have a quote from Mrs. Felix claiming you were the reason behind her split from Mr. Garrett and that you are the sole reason for his denial of parentage of the child. She also states that you have forced Mr. Garrett to take out a restraining order on her in the past due to her relationship with him and the assault on her by you in a shopping mall.”

  Oh my God! Was she serious? Assault? I was the one with the split lip, and she had the nerve to try and use it in her case against Jared!

  Roaring with anger, I squared up to him. “I have never asked Jared to do anything! Alicia Felix is a money-grabbing slut, and I wouldn’t trust her as far as I could throw her. She’s desperate to get her claws into Jared for years, and clearly she’s resorted to low and underhanded tactics. I don’t hate her; I pity her and her miserable life! And as for the assault, maybe you should check your facts. No one was charged, and it was me who was left with a spit lip! Alicia Felix is just as twisted and unhinged as her husband, and I want nothing to do with any of it! Now, if you’d kindly leave me the fuck alone!”

  Turning on my heel I went to walk away, but he called after me.

  “If you don’t care so much, why did you just have sex with him at his coffee shop?”

  My chest tightened. How did he know that?

  I froze and tried to catch my breath as he walked around to stand in front of me. I must have looked as shocked as I felt.

  “It’s not rocket science, Miss Jennings. I watched you both argue in the corner and then disappear into the back. You emerged looking disheveled, and the button of your jeans is undone. So it’s safe to assume that you and Mr. Garret are continuing your relationship in secret?”

  “I … that’s none of your business!” I screamed.

  “Our readers will love this. As a woman, surely you consider what you are doing to be wrong? A woman is left holding the baby, and the father refuses to take responsibility for it because his lover won’t accept it?”

  Tears pooled in my eyes, and turning around, I began walking quickly in the opposite direction. I could see the coffee shop ahead and looking back, I heaved a sob as I watched the reporter following me still. This was a nightmare. I was just about to give him a piece of my mind when I was moved aside and a large, thick, and solid frame stood in my path. Blocking the way of the reporter, Jared stood between us and grabbed the man by the collar. His eyes were fierce with fury, and his fist was clenched as he glared down at the man.

  “I don’t know what kind of game you are fucking playing you disgusting little toad, but if I ever catch you near this woman again, I will make sure that you never work, write or walk around this city ever again! Do I make myself clear?”

  Grabbing the recorder out of the reporter’s hand, Jared tossed it on the ground and stomped on it, smashing it to pieces.

  “That’s criminal damage! I’ll have you arrested for this! And for assault!”

  Pulling the man closer, Jared growled at him. “Here, I’ll give you something worth writing about!”

  Pulling back his fist, Jared hit the reporter twice in the face. He was sure to have a black eye at the very least. Jared packed quite a punch; I’d seen it before.

  Falling to the ground, the reporter held his hand to his face. “You’re through, Garrett. You just wait and see. Alicia Felix is going to mop the floor with you and leave you penniless. And this, this is gonna help her do it! Jared Garrett, the violent and abusive socialite!”

  Jared moved to grab him, but catching his arm, I urged him backward.

  “Don’t, Jared! He’s not worth it!”

  “No, but you are!” He was furious, and his voice was strained as his anger grew to a boiling point.

  “Jared, don’t,” I pleaded.

  Lowering his hand, he stood back and glared at the reporter as he got to his feet and walked away from us, smirking as he crossed the street.

  Jared let out a long sigh and ran his fingers through his hair before turning to face me.

  “Are you all right?”

  His face was etched with concern. Just when I think I know him and have him all figured out, he goes and does something like this a
nd totally confuses me again.

  Nodding weakly, I wiped my eyes. “I’m fine.”

  He glanced around, maybe checking to see if anyone else was watching us.

  “Do you need a ride home? I can drop you off if you’d like.”

  I shook my head. “I’m fine. My car is around the corner.”

  He looked at the ground briefly before nodding. “Okay, if you’re sure. Layla …”

  He broke off for a moment and gazed at me.

  “If … if you need anything, please call me. If anyone contacts you, you get hassled, or you need anything, I’m here.”

  I gave him a halfhearted smile. “Thank you.”

  Pulling my keys from my pocket, I twirled and played them between my fingers. I suddenly felt awkward.

  “Well, I better go back to work.”

  I watched with a heavy heart as he walked away from me down the street. He’d been through so much already in his life and now he would have to face more pain, angst, and a brutal legal battle. I was hurting for him, for us, and for everything we’d had.

  The buzz of my cell phone pulled me from my momentary grief. Looking at the caller I.D., I smiled.

  “Hi, Mel.”

  “Layla, where are you?”

  “Just doing some shopping,” I lied. I would tell her about Jared, but later.

  “Well, get your ass over to the beach! Ollie and the guys got signed! We’re celebrating old school, baby girl! A bonfire, beers, and a party on the sand!”

  I grinned as memories of evenings spent partying on the beach played like a movie in my head. It was just the pick-me-up I needed, and even the thought of facing Ollie wasn’t deterring me.

  “I’m on my way.”

  Hanging up, I rushed around the corner to my car and jumped in. I checked my make-up in the mirror and sighed. I’d cried all of my mascara off and my cheeks were red and blotchy from crying. I reached inside the glove compartment and pulled out my emergency make-up. Just because I am mending a broken heart didn’t mean I couldn’t look awesome in the process. I was quickly becoming the new queen of break-ups. After what had just been through, I was ready for sun, sea, sand, and shots!