by Rose, Baylee
“Feed me,” I rasp and watch as her eyes open. She traces the outside of my lips with her desire-soaked fingers, and I cease her teasing by capturing them in my mouth and using my tongue to enjoy her, I suck them clean. I’ve barely released them before her lips crash down on mine, and she kisses me roughly. It’s a hard, passion-filled kiss. Tongues go to war; teeth clash, and we fight for dominance. I think I might have won this battle, but I’m certain she’s gained the biggest victory. I’ll never be able to kiss another woman without remembering her. Hell, any other woman would pale to her anyway.
She positions herself back between my legs, impatient to take up where she left off. Her tongue darts around my slick head, lapping me up like an eager little pussy. Had I not just watched her get herself off, and had the taste of her sweet cream in my mouth I might have been okay with her teasing. Trouble is, I have just had all that, and I can’t take anymore.
“If you’re going to suck your man, Kitten, you’re going to take it all right now,” I groan. My hands go to cup her face, my fingers brushing the side of her face and then I position my cock at her lips. She opens and my dick disappears into that hot, wet, cavern. Inch by inch I disappear in that sweet mouth until I hit the back of her throat. She swallows around my cock, and the sensation proves too much. I’m not a gentle man, and I’m way too far gone now to try and be that man right now. My hand wraps in her hair, and I take over completely, fucking her face. There’s no other way to put it. She’s helpless to do anything but suck me down. My balls tighten, and her nails bite into the sides of my thighs. I feel that long forgotten zip of heat run down my spine and then it’s over. I’m coming so hard I can do nothing but call out her name as she drinks me down.
It could have been hours, I have no idea. I don’t think I’ve ever been so sated in my life. I’m sure it’s only minutes though, when her voice whispers into my ear.
“If I’m dreaming, don’t wake me up.”
“I think that’s my line,” I tell her; kissing the top of her head and squeezing her. I can’t ever remember feeling so satisfied in my life. Hell, I’m on the run from the law, but still have a peace inside of me.
“Max,” she whispers my name against my chest and it sounds like a song—one with a sweet melody. It makes my chest go tight. She buries her head into my chest and places a kiss above my heart, and I could swear the damn thing stops. “What are we doing today?” she prompts, as she pulls away and tries to tame her hair.
“We need to go topside and start heading towards town,” I tell her with regret. She turns to me, and our eyes lock and the sadness in hers lets me know she understands exactly, what that means. “Tess…”
“It’s okay, Max. I get it,” she answers, pasting a fake smile on her face before coming over and letting her lips claim mine. It’s a sweet kiss, full of flavor—her flavor, which is fast becoming the only one I would ever need.
We enjoy a long leisurely kiss, my fingers absently combing through the ends of her hair. It’s not a kiss to stir excitement, instead it feels more like a vow between us, one that seals our fates and makes sure we stay connected. Jesus, I’m starting to sound like a Hallmark card.
“We should get moving. Find more of that breakfast crap,” she says against my lips, her eyes still closed.
“Breakfast crap?” I ask through a smile.
“I’d die for a cinnamon roll right now, or heck, even a candy bar.”
“How about oatmeal instead? I might be able to find some chocolate chips to put in it?” I offer.
“Anything chocolate would be greatly appreciated, kind sir,” she quips as I stand up and give her one last hug. I hate it, but she’s right; we need to get moving.
The rest of the morning is filled with breakfast and searching through the bunker’s supplies for items we can take with us. The way I have it figured; we will have to travel one more night to get farther away from Ormond. Then, I can take Tess back into civilization. Taking her into Ormond would be suicide, and suddenly I’m finding I might have a reason to live, at least a little longer. Until I’m forced to give her up.
We’ve been walking for a couple of hours. Max found me a pair of his Uncle’s old hunting boots and some thick wool socks. They’re big, but they sure don’t hurt my feet like my shoes did. I’m still wearing his flannel shirt along with my dress pants. I know I look insane, but after the morning I’ve had, I feel beautiful. After months of dreaming about Max, having a taste of the reality exceeded my wildest dreams. For the hundredth time this morning alone, I wish that mine and Max’s circumstances were different. I don’t even know how to explain that deep down inside I feel like the two of us were made for each other. I have since hearing his name. It doesn’t make any sense but as time goes by, I just don’t care. That’s how it is, and I don’t want to waste what precious minutes I have left. I’d rather experience him.
“You’re not very talkative today, Max.”
“I’m not the talkative one in this duo, Kitten.”
“Well I need conversation if you expect me to walk anymore, ‘cause I’m getting really tired of walking. When I get back to civilization, I may never walk again.”
“Might make getting around difficult.”
“Yeah. I need to win the lottery, and then I can hire people to come and carry me wherever I need to go.”
“Carry you?”
“Yeah, I need minions. That’s definitely going to take winning the lottery.”
“Money doesn’t always solve all your problems, Tess.”
“Yeah well, it sure would be better than dodging phone calls,” I tell him before I catch myself. It’s not that I mind him hearing about my student loans, I just rather not talk about it at all.
“Is that why you’re working for the lawyer and his pill of a wife?”
I shrug, starting to feel uncomfortable, in the grand scheme of things my problems are small. Max is the one who faces real danger.
“Tell me, Tess,” he orders and I almost do it, before I catch myself.
“I’ll tell you if you tell me something in exchange.”
“In exchange?”
“Surely the concept isn’t that Greek to you Max; it’s called compromise.”
“I believe I’ve heard of it once or twice.”
“So, my turn first, since you already have your question for me. Tell me, Max. Bugs Bunny or Yosemite Sam.”
He stops walking, and I nearly plow into him. He turns to look at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What on Earth are you talking about?” he asks.
“You know, cartoons. Oh good Lord, Max! Please tell me you know what a cartoon is?”
He exhales loudly like he’s so put out with me he can’t take another step, and then grins. “The Smurfs.”
I stop in my tracks. I look up at this buff, muscled, god of a man, and hear him say The Smurfs. I lose it and laugh so hard, I have tears. He reaches out his hand to help me step over a large fallen tree that’s on our pathway before I finally gain control.
“I don’t find it that funny,” he grumbles good-naturedly.
“The Smurfs are just so…well, they’re not very manly, Max.”
“The Smurfs are the manliest cartoon around; I can’t believe you don’t see that, Tess.”
“How do you figure?” I question, trying to act like I’m taking him seriously.
“One lone girl in an entire village of men? C’mon now that’s the script to a seventies porn movie if ever there was one.”
“Oh my God!” I exclaim, because words kind of fail me.
“I see you agree. Now it’s your turn to answer. Are your bills why you work for your asshole of a boss?”
“How do you know he’s an asshole?”
“He sent you alone to a federal prison, for one. And two, you pretty much told me that in one of your tirades.”
“I don’t have tirades, and yeah. I mean, I think you’re supposed to get free rides or help for college when you’re a ward of the state, but I got mixed up wi
th the wrong crowd when I first started and kind of flunked out the first semester. By the time I wised up, I had to do it on my own. Which I did, eventually, but yeah, I have a mountain of debt to pay. I’ll get it sorted someday though,” I shrug, not comfortable revealing how stupid I’ve been to waste that kind of opportunity. “Hey listen, I know you’re a slave driver and all, but would you mind if we take a small break? A minute tops, I just need to catch my breath.”
“Go ahead and sit on that rock. I’ll look around and see if I can find a place to refill our canteens.”
I nod my assent gratefully. We found canteens in the bunker and Max filled them up with some of the bottled water. I still wasn’t crazy about drinking from them. I had always heard plastic bottles are bad, and if the contents heat up too much, it can be dangerous to your health. I’m so tired and thirsty at this point though; I overlook that nagging thought in the back of my mind.
“I’ll be back in ten minutes tops, Tess. Don’t you dare leave!” Max, orders in his wounded bear, growling voice.
“I won’t, we’re just starting to have fun together, Grouchy Smurf,” I joke.
“I’m going to tan your hide,” he grumbles walking off.
“You promise?”
He doesn’t answer, and I watch him until he disappears. Then I let my real emotions show. I don’t want Max to see how upset I am at the actual thought of him leaving me. I’m not ready. I want more time with him.
The thought of not having any more time with him is cutting out my heart, minute by minute, and I think, by the time it’s all said and done, I may not survive. I hear some sticks break behind me and smile.
“Miss me already, Max? That’s my secret plan you know. I figure if I get you addicted to me, you won’t be able to let me go.
“Don’t worry puta, I don’t plan on letting you go until I get my fill.”
I freeze as I hear that voice behind me. I know that voice. It appears at least one of the Hernandez brothers has found us. I can’t make myself turn around to see which one. All I can do is pray that Max hurries back and saves the day.
I have no idea what I’m going to do with Tess. Each minute that I spend in her company only serves to make me fall a little further under her spell. Somehow she even makes trekking through the swamplands of Florida enjoyable. I find a small stream and fill up our canteens.
I’ve got everything we need in my backpack. I’m not about to let Tess carry anything. If this situation were different, if I could make her mine, I’d spoil her. I’d make sure every need she ever had was fulfilled. Tess needs to be spoiled.
I replay her story in my mind. Ward of the state. She glossed over it but having been one of those myself, I know the hell she faced. Or, I imagine she did. She’s a beautiful person, so maybe she got lucky and found one of those rare foster homes that actually care about the child. Somehow, I think if that were true she wouldn’t be crumbling under student loans and other debts. I need to talk to Marcum about that. Marcum runs the Steel Vipers and is a scary looking man, but a good one. His name actually is Marc, but goes by Marcum, pronounced like Mark’em, because if you crossed him the wrong way he’d mark you somehow, to make sure you never forgot it.
I’m almost back to the place where I left Tess when I hear her cry. My first instinct is to charge forward; I’m afraid she’s found one of Florida’s deadly creatures while I’ve been gone. We’ve been really lucky, so far, to avoid most of those. I stop when I hear voices. Hernandez and Dweeb, his flunky. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that asshole would show up. I should have guarded Tess better.
Hernandez has his hands on Tess—touching her. Touching what is mine. I may not be in any shape to claim her, but it doesn’t change the facts. He’s got his hand on her face, holding her tightly, and if he bruises her, I will cut off his hands.
“It appears Maxwell used you and decided to leave you afterwards. Decided to scrape you off after you let him between your legs, did he? Tell me, did you like having prison dick in your uptight little snatch?”
Hernandez questions her, his face right up against Tess’s. Maybe before I die, I’ll take him into hell with me. What’s one more black spot on my soul?
Then what does my girl do?
“Fuck you!” she says, spitting in his face. Is it possible to be proud of someone and want to spank their ass for putting themselves in danger at the same time? I am definitely there.
Hernandez backhands her hard across the face. Tess’s head jerks back. From where I’m standing, I have a good view of her. When she recovers, I can see the skin on her cheek is red from his hand. Dweeb, I have no idea of his real name, is standing to the side of them. So he’ll be target number one. I have the Glock I took earlier at the prison, wedged between my back and my belt, on my pants. It was wet from Tess’s little swimming adventure, but I dried it out, and the ammo was fine, so it should still work.
Thing is, as much as I’d like to kill Hernandez, being with Tess is starting to show me things I never considered before. It’s too late for me to have a life, and I’ll never be able to claim her, but if I survive this, maybe eventually when I get out, I could at least check on her and make sure life is good for her. Make sure no asshole has hurt her…Fuck, that doesn’t sound unhinged at all.
Whatever I do, I need to fucking do it fast. I can’t let her get hurt. That is not acceptable. I watch as the bastard takes his knife, cuts her shirt down the middle and exposes her breasts, putting his filthy hands on them and laughing. Tears fall from Tess’s eyes as she tries to pull away from him, but he doesn’t let her. Fuck it. I shake myself out of my dream world. It’s too late for me. Tess is all that matters.
I grasp the gun and step out into the open.
“I thought I told you, Hernandez, to never touch what’s mine.”
Hernandez looks shocked for a second and then the bastard gives that slimy smile I’d like to beat off his face. I just might before I leave here. In the corner of my eye, I can see Dweeb pulling for a gun, so I quickly shoot him in the arm. Dweeb cries out in pain and the gun drops. Hernandez cusses and takes Tess roughly, holding her in front of him like a shield and putting his knife against her throat.
I advance towards Dweeb and kick the dropped gun hard in the other direction. “Shut up your whining or I’ll shoot you again,” I growl.
“I don’t think you should be ordering anyone around, Gringo. That is, if you want your woman back in one piece,” Hernandez interjects.
“I thought I already warned you to stay away from my property, Hernandez.”
“What is it they say? Possession is nine-tenths of the law? Since I have possession, it would appear, that the puta is mine.”
“Thinking never was your strong point. Now you have about two minutes to give me my woman, and let us be on our way, or the only pussy you’ll ever get again will be in hell. Your choice.”
“Does your woman mean so little to you that you’d let me kill her, just so you can end me, Max?”
“I’ll put a bullet in you so fast it will make your motherfucking head spin.” I see him looking at me, measuring out my words, and I make sure my face stays impassive, giving nothing away.
“I just let go of your woman, and we call it even?”
“That’s the deal, but it’s getting ready to leave the table in another minute.”
“Except, how can we be even when you have wounded my friend there? Dweeb will just slow me down now and make me vulnerable. It seems I should be compensated somehow.”
“Fine,” I tell him and turn around and put a bullet between Dweeb’s eyes. Tess screams and jumps and the knife Hernandez is holding cuts just enough that a deep drop of red seeps and drips down her neck. It looks obscene against the milky white of her skin. “There, problem solved,” I tell him easily, doing my best to tune out Tess’s crying. Hernandez holds his hands up and backs away from Tess.
“Okay, gringo, I see you are serious about this one and…” I shoot him in the knee and give him a
sick smile as he falls to the ground. Tess screams again.
“Get behind me, Tess.” She looks at me, her face stark white and tracked with tears and there’s fear, real fear, staring back at me. My gut clenches. With everything that we’ve been through, I’ve never seen this look on her face. She’s afraid of me. Living in a fantasy has been nice, but it’s obvious that is over now. Still, she does as I order, giving me a wide berth, so she doesn’t get close to me.
“Fuck you, Maxwell! You said we were even!”
I shoot his other knee and walk towards him. “I lied. I warned you, Hernandez. No one touches what’s mine. You really should have listened.”
“I didn’t…”
He never gets the chance to finish his sentence because I shoot him again, making sure to end it quickly. Tess cries out again and as I’m turning around to face her she doubles over and retches, emptying the contents of her stomach. I go over to her and gather her in my arms as she heaves, holding her hair away from her face. When she’s done, she remains bent over and stiff in my arms, but she doesn’t pull away, so I guess that’s something.
I take the backpack off my shoulder and search in it to find a wash cloth and hand it to her. She stares at my hand for a minute and then takes it. Next, I hand her the canteen, and she rinses her mouth out and hands it back to me. All this happens without a word passing between us.
“Tess…”
“You shouldn’t have killed them,” she counters before I can say anything else.
“He shouldn’t have touched you!” I growl taking another cloth from the backpack and putting it on the still bleeding mark on her neck. She jerks away like I’m going to fucking hurt her, and that pisses me off.
“You can’t just kill people, Max. That’s not the way the world works!” She yells, holding the cloth to her neck.
“It’s the way my world works!” I counter, not exactly telling the truth, but she’s got me so pissed off I might as well let her have it all. I turn away from her and start dragging Hernandez’s body away.
