by Laura Day
He leaned over her and kissed her again before moving down to her breasts. He circled her nipples with his tongue and heard her sigh in pleasure. Then he reached out and pushed her legs apart as he slid his face down between her legs. As his tongue worked her over, he could feel her body respond immediately. He reached out with one hand and played with a nipple, as Maple’s body arched with ecstasy.
“Fuck me,” Maple moaned as she reached for Jax. “Fuck me now.”
Jax didn’t wait to be asked again. He pulled himself up and pushed himself inside her. He slid inside easily because of how sopping wet she was. There was no build up at all, Jax pummeled into her without taking it slow. He fucked her furiously until all she could do was grab at his body with her hands and legs and scream as her eyes rolled back in her head. There is nothing as amazing as hearing those screams, Jax thought, as he spurred himself harder. Making Maple come was the best feeling in the world.
Jax felt as though he was ready to burst, but he didn’t want it to end yet, so he flipped her around so that she was on top. He grabbed her hips as she started moving back and forth with her eyes closed and her chin tilted upwards as though she were lost in the moment.
Jax reached out and grabbed at her breasts as she started to move faster and faster. “Ride me harder,” Jax said, and immediately, Maple started bouncing up and down on top of him sending racing beats of pleasure through him that made him feel like he was losing his mind.
“Are you ready?” Jax asked.
“Almost,” Maple responded.
Jax pushed himself up, encircling Maple at the waist. She continued to move furiously against him, as he took her nipple into his mouth and waited for the wave to crash. He could tell by the chaotic shivers that ran through her body that she was almost there. Only after her body had convulsed in pleasure did he allow himself to come.
They stayed as they were for a long time, with Jax still inside Maple and his head pressed up against her breasts with her legs wrapped around his waist. Slowly, he kissed her chest and her neck, and Maple gave a sigh of contentment.
“Let’s go to bed,” Jax said, as he slipped out of her and pulled her down onto the bed beside him.
Maple nodded as she nestled into the nook of his arm. “That sound perfect,” she replied, as she closed her eyes and surrendered herself to sleep.
Jax took a little longer to fall asleep himself. He was still furious about Conor, and he still felt the urge to hunt him down and make him suffer, but the urge was somehow muted. It was almost as though it were buried under stronger, competing emotions, like the need to stay there with Maple and enjoy the quiet calm of the bed they shared.
“Forget him,” Jax said to himself. “For now, just concentrate on Maple.”
It worked better than anything else ever had, and within minutes, Jax was sleeping, too.
Chapter 7
Maple
Maple woke up to the soft glow of morning sunshine that streamed through the open window casting the little table by the kitchen in its golden spotlight. She turned over to Jax’s sleeping face and smiled at the memory of their night together.
She loved their moments of intimacy, but she enjoyed the aftermath of it almost as much. There was a different shade of intimacy involved; there was something that was reassuring and comforting in waking up to the same person. Maple propped herself up on her elbow and gazed down at Jax as he slept. She reached out and traced a tattoo on his arm, admiring its intricate artistry. She had become so familiar with his body art that she even had her favorites.
There was one on his leg that was a series of dots and lines that formed an intricate mosaic that was just beautiful, but she also loved the Samoan tribal symbols that lined his arms. When she really looked, Maple could see the distinctions between each tattoo, but from a distance it just looked like one complete painted canvas that stretched along the length of Jax’s body.
Maple leaned in and laid a kiss on Jax’s cheek before she slowly disentangled herself from the sheets and got off the bed. Jax stirred slightly and turned over, but he didn’t wake up. Maple tiptoed into the bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was stark naked; the only thing she felt like she was ‘wearing’ was the scar on her face.
She tried to ignore it, but there was no way she could simply forget the giant snaking scar that dominated her features. It was as though it had a life of its own. Maple did acknowledge that the scar had started to bother her less recently, and she wondered momentarily if that had anything to do with Jax. She had a quick wash and pulled on her underwear from the previous night. Her skirt and blouse were lying on the floor, but they had another day left in them.
Unable to stop herself, Maple moved around the apartment tidying up a little. It was the living space that was typical of a single man, but she loved the musky scent that pervaded through it. She had just organized Jax’s magazines when her stomach rumbled loudly, making her aware of how hungry she was. That led her to remember that she hadn’t eaten the previous night because of her run in with Conor.
Maple slipped into the kitchen, as she tried hard to make as little noise as possible. She looked through the cupboards, but all she could find was some stale bread and a half-empty egg carton. There was some salt and butter in the fridge, a carton of orange juice, and a carton of apple juice. Looking at the ingredients in front of her, Maple settled on some bare-boned savory French toast.
Within fifteen minutes, she had a full plate of warm French toast made. She had just set it down on the table when she noticed Jax yawn and blink awake. He stretched like some overgrown cat and then sat up as his eyes fell on her.
“Hi,” he said with a sleepy smile.
Maple smiled back. “Hi yourself. Sorry if I woke you. I tried to be as quiet as possible.”
“You didn’t,” Jax said. “What smells so good?”
“French toast,” Maple replied. “Come and get some.”
After he had brushed his teeth, Jax joined her at the table without bothering to put on any clothes. He seemed perfectly comfortable with his nakedness and Maple realized it didn’t bother her either.
“Orange juice or apple?” she asked.
“Apple please,” Jax replied, accepting the glass that Maple passed to him. He took a sip and then glanced around. “Did you clean?”
Maple smiled. “A little. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Maple for God’s sake, you clean enough at work. You don’t have to do that here, too.”
Maple shrugged. “I don’t mind, and I didn’t do all that much.”
Jax took a big bite of his French toast. “Mmm, that’s good. It’s so nice to have something hot in this apartment.”
Maple let herself enjoy the compliment. “I loved making meals when I was younger. I approached it as a challenge.”
“Challenge?” Jax asked in confusion.
“Well, if you recall, after my dad and sister left, it was just my mom and I when I was growing up. And because of the bipolar disorder, half the time she was in no state to look after me, let alone put food on the table. So I would raid the fridge and pull together everything we had, and then I would try and prepare something reasonably tasty from the scraps we had left. It was fun for me, so this was a breeze.”
Jax just looked at her as though he were trying to work something out in his head.
“What?” Maple asked self-consciously.
“Nothing,” Jax said, breaking eye contact. “I was just thinking about everything you’ve been through. A weaker person might have caved.”
“It’s not like I didn’t think about it,” Maple replied honestly. “I can’t count the number of times when I thought my sister had the right idea when she left. Sure, I thought it was selfish of her but...she was just looking out for herself. Sometimes you’ve gotta.”
“Maybe so,” Jax nodded. “But then you’ve got to commit to living your life alone, because when it comes to family, you’ve got to look out for one another. Thinking a
bout yourself alone won’t get you far.”
Maple smiled at his words, and she nodded unconsciously.
“You must have known that on some level,” Jax continued. “Otherwise you would have left too.”
“I don’t think I ever really made that decision,” Maple told him.
“Why did you stay?” Jax asked.
Maple thought about that. “I guess because...despite everything...I loved her.”
“See?” Jax said. “You did make the decision. Family trumps everything else.”
Maple smiled. “You’re right.”
“That’s something I don’t hear often enough.”
Maple laughed and reached out for her glass of orange juice. She had just finished when she noticed the time. “Oh God, I have to get knowing now or I’ll be late.”
She rose and made for the bed where she had dropped her bag, but Jax reached out and grabbed her, pulling her onto his lap. “Maybe you should just be late,” he suggested, nuzzling her neck until it tickled.
Maple shook her head. “Not a chance. I’m never late.”
“There’s a first time for everything isn’t there?” Jax said playfully, as he kissed her.
Maple laughed, but she stood firm. “When are you heading into the gym today?” she asked, as she struggled free from his grasp and retrieved her bag.
“In the afternoon,” Jax replied. “I trained late last night, so Evan said I could sleep in a little today.”
“Ok, well, enjoy your relaxing morning. I’m off to work.”
Jax rose and came forward to give her a kiss.
“Thank you...for last night,” Maple said sincerely.
“Anytime.” Jax nodded to her. “I mean it.”
“I know,” Maple said gratefully. “You have no idea how much I appreciate that.”
Maple reached up on her tiptoes to kiss Jax again, and then she headed down the stairs and outside in the direction of the gym. In the clear light of day, things didn’t look as bad as they had the previous night. Maple actually managed to enjoy her walk to the gym, but the moment she turned the corner, her heart sank like a lead rock.
Conor was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets and one leg bent casually. Before Maple could retreat from view, Conor raised his head and spotted her. His eyes lit up immediately, and he walked towards her with calculated purpose.
“Well, hello there, dearie,” he said licking his lips.
“What are you doing here?” Maple demanded. “Were you waiting here for me?”
“Can you blame me?” Conor nodded. “I so enjoyed meeting you last night that I just had to see you again.” He looked her over pointedly. “Though I can’t help, and pardon me if this is rude to point out, but you seem to be wearing the same clothes you had on last night.”
“That isn’t any of your business,” Maple snapped. “Now move aside and let me pass.”
“Aw come on,” Conor said. “Here I am, trying to be nice, and you’re being rude.”
Maple tried to step around him, but he blocked her path easily and laughed
“Seriously, what is wrong with you?” Maple asked.
Conor backed her into the wall and leaned over her until their faces were only inches apart. “You want the short list or the long one?”
“Please,” Maple said forcefully. “Just leave me alone.”
“You said that last night, too, and that’s clearly not going to happen,” Conor said calmly, as he straightened up. “I’m curious though—what happened to your face?”
“Do you care?” Maple asked through gritted teeth.
“Not particularly,” Conor shrugged. “Just curious.”
“My insane ex-boyfriend got into the knife drawer,” Maple shot at him. “The two of you would get along, you have a lot in common.”
Conor’s smile widened. “Huh... interesting...”
“What’s interesting?” Maple asked without thinking.
“How Jax gravitates to women like you,” Conor said snidely.
Maple bit back her tongue before she could ask exactly what he meant. She tried to slip out from underneath his large shadow so that she could run to the gym, but he saw the direction of her gaze and trapped her between his arms. “I’m not done with you yet,” Conor said in a dangerously quiet voice.
Maple froze in place. Conor’s face was so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her cheeks. He raised his hand slowly and traced the line of her scar. “That is amazing,” he said without blinking. “Some guys have the weirdest fetishes. Always knew Jax was one of those types.”
“Jax is twice the man you are,” Maple said furiously.
That amused Conor. “Well, after our fight...you won’t be able to call him a man at all.”
Then before Maple could stop it, Conor grabbed her face and kissed her full on the mouth. She felt a gag come on, but she couldn’t concentrate on anything apart from the slippery tongue he had shoved into her mouth. She tried pushing him away, but her efforts did absolutely nothing. She struggled against him, but his body might as well have been carved from stone.
When he finally pulled away, Maple doubled over gagging and breathing deeply. She could feel the French toast in the back of her throat. “You sick fuck,” she managed to scream.
Conor just laughed. “As always, it was a pleasure. I’ll see you around, honey. Oh, and say hi to Jax for me.”
With that, he walked down the street and turned the corner, leaving Maple feeling violated and marked. She stayed where she was for a long time before she was calm enough to walk into the gym. She felt as though she was in a daze, and she knew it would take her awhile to snap out of it.
“Maple?” Evan’s voice cut through her scrambled emotions.
“Yes, hi,” she said distractedly.
“Are you alright, kid?” Evan asked in concern.
“I... I’m fine. Am I late? I’m sorry I’m late.”
“Hey calm down,” Evan said raising his hands. “You’re only twenty minutes late; it happens to the best of us. Don’t worry about it.”
Maple nodded gratefully and managed a weak smile in Evan’s direction. “I’ll get right to work,” she said, trying to move off towards the bathrooms.
“Maple?” Evan called.
“Yes?” Maple asked without turning back fully.
“Are you sure you’re ok?”
Maple nodded and then walked to the back of the gym. She spent the whole morning reliving her second meeting with Conor in her head. There were moments when she could still feel his tongue in her mouth and she had to suppress her gag reflex all over again.
When Jax finally showed up around two o’clock that afternoon, he moved directly towards Maple with a smile on his face. “Hi,” he greeted her. “Were you late this morning?”
Maple tried to keep her expression normal. “A little,” she answered. “Evan was cool about it though.”
“Sounds like him,” Jax nodded. “You could have blamed me though.”
Maple smiled weakly. “It wasn’t necessary.”
Jax nodded. “So how was your morning? Anything interesting happen?”
Maple contemplated her answer for a split second. Then she forced a smile onto her face. “Nothing,” she replied. “Nothing at all.”
Chapter 8
Maple
The group home was called Sunny Hills, but for Maple, there was nothing remotely sunny about it. The building was Spartan in appearance, made up of sharp lines and no character; it held no sense of comfort or homeliness about it.
The gardens were slightly better, but it had the appearance of neglect about it. She noticed that there seemed to be a little more color dotted through the gardens in the form of small pink petunias and little blue forget-me-nots, but for some reason, it didn’t seem to make a huge amount of difference. Maple wondered if it was her own perception that was affecting the mood of the home, rather than its actual appearance.
She walked through to the main entrance. I
t was setup like a foyer, albeit a rather run down one, with a desk set up in the center so that it sat directly in front of the entrance. Maple walked up to the gentleman behind the desk. He had silver-grey hair, round spectacles, and a nose that was so sharp it could possibly cut a cake.
“Hi,” Maple said when he didn’t look up.
“Hello,” he replied back without enthusiasm, but he still didn’t look up.
Maple spied the nametag on his shirtfront. “Greg, I’m Maple, I’m here to visit someone.”
“Wonderful,” Greg replied sounding supremely unconcerned. “Name?”
“Umm... Maple.”
“Not yours,” he said pointedly, as he cast her a cursory glance.
“Ah right, sorry,” Maple said shaking her head. “Delia Hudson.”
He nodded once and then referred a clipboard at length. “She’s finishing up a shift in the kitchen. She should be done in fifteen minutes. I’ll inform her that you’re here; in the meantime, you can wait in her room. Do you know where it is?”
“Still room one-three-two?” Maple asked.
“That’s right,” Greg nodded after referring to his clipboard again. “You know the way.”
“Thanks,” Maple nodded, as she took the door to the left and made her way up the staircase.
Her mother’s room door was open when she found it so she slipped inside and closed the door behind her. The room was different from what she remembered. It had been tidied up, the bed was made, and there were no clothes lying around. It was the first time that Maple had been in this room without her mother being present.
Unable to help herself, she walked around, paying careful attention to all the little details she had missed on previous visits. The bed was pushed up against the wall and just above it was a window that overlooked the gardens. Maple liked that; it was a better view than her last room had offered her. As she sat down on the bed, she noticed a little notepad. She lifted open the cover and saw her mother’s handwriting scrawled across the page. She closed it immediately realizing what it was. She was not about to invade her mother’s privacy that way.
