Along for the Ride

by Michelle M. Pillow

  ‘Ah,’ she panted, pushing her breasts into his hands.

  Ryan pinched her nipples, opening his mouth as if he’d like to take a bite. He held back. ‘I like looking at you move,’ he said, gliding his hands down to massage her stomach. He didn’t spend as much time as before, instead letting his fingers roam down her thighs and back up to her breasts.

  ‘You like watching, do you?’ Megan pushed up, only to pull away from him. Though weak from his deep massage, she stood and walked over to the television. Grabbing the small card beside it, she looked through the movie list until she found one she wanted.

  ‘Don’t tell me you are bored already,’ Ryan said. ‘Come back to bed.’

  ‘One second. It’s too quiet in here.’ Megan pressed a code into the box on top before reaching for the remote control on the dresser. Walking back towards the bed, she hit the power button on the remote, before dropping it on the floor. The sound of a woman talking filled the room, the type of airy cheesy dialogue only found in porno films. Ryan’s eyes rounded slightly. Megan giggled. ‘I like to watch, too.’

  ‘I didn’t think women, I mean, I’m sure there are women who . . . but I never met one who liked . . .’

  ‘To see people fucking?’ Megan said. ‘I love it.’

  ‘Mm, come here.’ He motioned to her with his hand. It was strikingly erotic the way his hair fell around his face. ‘You are so beautiful. I love the way the light shadows your flesh.’

  ‘Wait –’ she held up her hand, not taking his offered one ‘– we’re going to play a little game. Whatever they do, we do.’

  ‘Then I hope they have sex really soon.’

  As if to answer his wish, the telltale music started, followed by light moans. Megan glanced at the television.

  A busty blonde woman was on the floor on her hands and knees in front of a fireplace, her breasts so big they had to be a creation of plastic surgery. Fire glowed off her as a dark-haired vampiric-looking man came up behind her. He was naked except for a cape and fangs.

  ‘I’m scared you’ll hurt me. I know what you are, Vladimir. I saw what you did to Jules.’

  ‘You cannot resist me, my love. I can control your mind, Kiki.’

  ‘You don’t expect me to act like that, do you?’ Ryan asked, mimicking the bad porno accent. He still knelt on the bed, his hands resting at his sides.

  Megan smiled, as she crawled on to the bed, facing the television as she waited on her hands and knees. Throwing her voice into a bimbo whine, she said, ‘Oh, Ryan, I’m scared you’ll hurt me with your vampire ways.’

  Ryan chuckled. Megan arched her ass towards him, glancing over her shoulder. His hands were lifted, as if cupping her through the air. She did it again, pushing her body to him, rolling her hips in small circles.

  ‘Why am I like this? Why can’t I move? What did you do to me?’

  ‘Because I want you like this. I told you I can control you with my mind. It happened when you let me bite you at the party.’

  ‘No!’

  Megan backed up to Ryan, bumping along his cock. Ryan groaned, saying, ‘You have a great ass.’

  ‘Yes.’ Instantly, the music became louder and there was no more talking on screen, only moans as Vladimir had his way with Kiki.

  With a staggered breath, Ryan mimicked some of the movements on screen. Megan watched, aroused by the game as he drew his cock to enter her. Slowly he thrust, keeping time with what was happening in the movie. She moaned at the tight fit. His fingers dipped around to her clit, rubbing it. Megan rocked her body back and forth, taking him deep. Each gentle movement slid her wet sex along his firm shaft. She ran her palm over her breast, tweaking the erect centre.

  ‘Ryan,’ she panted. The slow speed set by the television was pure torture. He touched her wherever he could reach.

  Suddenly, on the screen, the couple’s position changed. The man was on his back as the woman sat astride him, facing his feet.

  Ryan didn’t wait to be asked as he pulled out and fell on to his back. Megan climbed on top, grabbing his thighs to angle her body to the new position. She clawed at his legs, using them for leverage as she rotated her hips in small circles, even as she moved up and down. Now that she controlled the pacing, she ignored the television, only hearing the sounds of sex in her head as she closed her eyes and made her own hard and fast rhythm. Leaning forwards, she kept his cock deep inside her as she bent it, putting deliberate pressure on the root of the shaft. Ryan groaned loud and long in noisy approval, nearly screaming like the people in the movie.

  Megan opened her mouth wide, but no sound came out. Frantic, she bucked wildly against him. Her body tensed, jerking as she finally met with sweet release. Ryan grabbed her hips, his finger digging into her flesh.

  ‘I’m coming,’ he cried in warning. Megan fell forwards, though it was hard to let her body release his cock from her depths. The movie continued as the onscreen couple finished up. She reached over to the side of the bed, grabbing the remote to turn down the volume. Smiling, she crawled next to him on the bed and propped herself against a pillow.

  ‘Mm,’ Ryan moaned, instead of talking.

  ‘Liked that game, did you?’ Her voice dropped into a purr.

  ‘Mm-hmm.’ Clearly beyond words, he gazed at her in what could only be adoration and amazement.

  ‘I’m glad –’ Megan rolled over and kissed his ear ‘– because the movie’s not over and there is no way I’m going to be outdone by some bimbo named Kiki. And, when we show up Kiki and Vladimir, we’ll take on the next couple.’ He looked worried. Megan nodded wickedly. ‘We’ve got an all-night pass to the channel.’ She pushed up from the bed and crawled over so her lips were right above his. ‘That’s right, stud. You better get recuperated, because I’m not done with you yet.’

  Chapter Ten

  ‘What are you doing?’ Megan watched Ryan shove glossy pieces of paper into his back pocket from the sparse hotel-room dresser. Frowning and grunting in soft irritation, she struggled to put her all-too-relaxed body back into the tight dress she’d worn the night before. Her hair was wet from a second shower, but, with only the plastic comb from the outside vending machine to pull through the locks, it was still a little tangled.

  ‘Brochures.’ He held one up. ‘Your family seems to like looking at them so I thought I’d bring these back to them. They’re different from the ones at the cabin.’

  ‘Hmm,’ she hummed thoughtfully. The late hour had crept up on them as they slept in and they’d missed the free breakfast provided by the hotel. Though the clerk did let them sneak a couple of cups of five-hour-old coffee with powdered creamer. The thick black brew reminded Megan of tar, but she drank it anyway. ‘Brochures about what? I think I want veto power over them before we give them any more bad ideas. No museums. No amusement parks. No water parks. No miniature golf.’

  ‘I liked the miniature golf,’ Ryan said.

  ‘No miniature golf,’ she repeated.

  ‘You’re just sore because you lost.’

  Megan wrinkled her nose at him. ‘I still say you and Sasha cheated.’

  ‘Only once.’ He kept his eyes on the brochure in his hands, giving a crooked grin.

  ‘What other ones do you have?’ Megan turned back to the mirror, sighing as she decided it was no use trying to fix the wild mess of her hair.

  ‘This one is about sightseeing and has some nature trails listed. It says the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana has a diverse number of species that have lived on the prairies and mountains for centuries before man came. Including bears, elks, white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose . . .’

  Megan nodded her head, hiding her smile as she heard the excitement in his voice as he talked about it. He really was interested in the little nature facts. Yet somehow, as he talked, she found what he was saying incredibly sexy. Or maybe it was the sound of his low voice. ‘You don’t say.’

  ‘. . . bobcats, wolves, beavers –’

  ‘I have a beaver you can se
e if you want to take in some sights.’ Megan stepped closer to him, parting her legs in an unmistakably unsubtle invitation. ‘I’ll even draw you a map so you can follow the trail to get there.’

  He arched a brow, glancing at her before continuing, ‘Mules, mountain lions –’

  ‘And I’d really like to play with your mountain lion.’ She reached forwards, grabbing him by the front of his slacks. He too wore the same clothing he had the evening before. His shaft didn’t stir as readily as it had through the night. ‘Oh, is your lion tired?’

  ‘He had a busy night,’ Ryan defended. ‘Do I have to remind you about the two-hour marathon you put me through?’

  ‘You didn’t complain last night.’

  ‘I’m not complaining right now. Just reminding you to take it easy on my fella.’ Ryan kissed the tip of her nose. ‘Now, do you want to hear this brochure or not?’

  ‘I didn’t ask to hear you read it all to me.’ Megan continued to play with his cock. ‘But go ahead. Your smart talk turns me on.’

  ‘Oh, does it now?’ He cleared his throat.

  ‘Besides, it doesn’t matter what you say. I can turn any conversation topic into a dirty one. It’s a gift.’ She unbuttoned his pants, reaching in to continue massaging. Check-out was in an hour and she was going to get all the sex she could before they went back to the cabin. With her family near by, they had to be quiet when lovemaking, but at the hotel there was something freeing about keeping all the other guests up all night with their loud marathon.

  ‘The prairie grasslands are used to graze livestock,’ he read, pausing to arch a brow in challenge.

  ‘Interesting,’ she lied, before proving her point by saying, ‘My lips are used to graze the length of you.’

  ‘Many different grasses cover the plains, steppes and rolling hills.’

  ‘Many different positions cover my body with yours.’

  ‘OK.’ The word became huskier than before as the blood began to fill the pliable flesh beneath her hand. ‘On average they receive sixteen inches of rain.’

  Megan laughed, tossing back her head. ‘You really want me to comment on sixteen inches? Sorry, pet, I didn’t bring any toys on this trip.’

  ‘Sixteen?’ Ryan gave her a look of mock horror. ‘Then it’s a good thing I didn’t mention the forty-five-hundred-to six-thousand-feet elevation.’

  ‘Ouch.’ Megan wrinkled her nose. ‘Are you done with the brochure now?’

  ‘Well, there was a section about the wetlands I was interested in.’

  Megan laughed as he picked her up and tossed her down on the messy bed. This time, they came together slowly, not bothering to strip out of their clothes. By the time she came, he was right behind her, pumping his way to the grand finale.

  Afterwards, as he lay next to her on the bed, panting for breath, he lifted his hand to show the crumpled brochure. ‘I told you that you were different. You are the only woman I know who’s been turned on by a land survey.’

  Lightly, she punched his arm. ‘Tell a soul and you are a dead man, Mr Lucas. Farmers everywhere will be knocking down my door.’

  ‘About time,’ Zoe teased as Megan snuck quietly into the cabin’s living room. ‘Wow, sis, you look like you were up all night having –’

  ‘Shush!’ Megan frowned at her in warning, pressing her finger to her lips. The last thing she wanted was her parents seeing her come in, smelling of Ryan and looking like a dishevelled hooker. Motioning to Ryan to follow, she led the way up the stairs.

  Zoe giggled. ‘Don’t worry. They’re all outside picking wildflowers. You’re safe.’

  Megan sighed in relief. Taking the stairs two at a time, she almost ran into Kat on her way down the hall.

  ‘Oh, Megan, I forgot, Kat’s up there!’ Zoe yelled from below.

  ‘Kat,’ Megan said.

  Kat glanced at her and then behind her to where Ryan was at. ‘Long night?’

  Megan almost jumped to hear her sister speak. ‘You could say that.’

  Kat nodded, walking past them to the stairs. Megan’s smile fell into a frown. It appeared as if Kat was still upset with her. Megan didn’t chase after her sister as she went to the blue room to change.

  Ryan shut the door behind her. ‘It’ll be all right. Kat can never stay mad at you for too long. She’s said before that she tries, but loves you too much to –’

  ‘I can handle my relationship with my sister,’ Megan snapped.

  ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘I don’t need your advice about Kat,’ Megan said, lightening her tone, though it was still firm. ‘I’ll handle it. My relationship with my sister is my business.’

  ‘I just meant –’

  ‘Ryan, please, I don’t want to talk about it.’ Megan unzipped her dress, as she crossed to the bathroom to wash up. The material whooshed to the floor.

  Ryan didn’t answer as she cleaned her face and brushed her teeth. He didn’t even try to come into the bathroom, which was fine with Megan. Any more sex and her sore, but sated, body would fall apart.

  She came out refreshed, and quickly put on a fresh pair of panties and a bra. Ryan was still on the bed, his arms crossed over his chest. He hadn’t moved.

  When he still didn’t speak, she asked, ‘What do you think about suggesting horseback riding today?’ She pulled on a pair of sweatpants. ‘I’ve wanted to try that. And maybe we can go fishing tomorrow morning. Or hiking.’

  ‘Why won’t you talk to me about anything serious?’ His eyes lifted to meet hers, but his body stayed still.

  Megan blinked, swallowing nervously at his tone. She turned her back on him under the pretence of getting a T-shirt. Pulling the tightly fitted shirt over her head, she took a deep breath.

  ‘I said, why –?’

  ‘I heard what you said.’ She wound her hair into a bun and secured it with a ponytail holder, leaving it a messy version of her normal hairdo. ‘But I don’t know what you expect me to say. I already told you I don’t want to talk about my relationship with my sister. If you insist on asking, I’ll have to insist on ignoring you until you stop.’

  ‘I’m not just talking about your fight with Kat. You never talk to me about anything. It’s almost like . . .’ He sighed heavily.

  ‘Like what?’ She put her hands on her hips. This was not a conversation she wanted to have, not today, not after the great pressure-free night they had. Today should have been easy, light. She had started to relax and truly enjoy her vacation. Why couldn’t he just go with it? Why did he have to ruin it with talk?

  ‘Like we’re not even . . .’ He paused. Megan didn’t move. Weakly, he finished, ‘Friends.’

  Fine. He was going to force her to have this conversation. He couldn’t leave well enough alone. This was supposed to be a stress-free day. Things had finally become effortless between them. The night before had been wonderful. ‘What exactly do you want from me, Ryan? I don’t know you, not really. We work together – sometimes. But aside from this week, we’ve not spent any real time together. You have more in common with Kat than you do me.’

  He didn’t speak, merely sat unmoving, his arms crossed, his brow furrowed.

  His silence prompted her to continue. ‘We’re good in the bedroom, and that’s great, but we’re not close friends. It’s not in the cards. I’m a cop, my friends are other cops. It’s the way it is.’

  ‘Are you trying to convince yourself or me?’

  ‘It’s the way it is,’ she repeated, her tone harder than before.

  Ryan slowly stood. ‘So that is all I am to you? Something to fuck.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have put it that harshly.’ What was wrong with him? She’d actually gotten the thought into her head that they could work their little situation out. Of course, they wouldn’t be married, but there was no reason why they couldn’t continue to be of service to each other when they got back to the city. It wasn’t like her job allowed for relationships. Seeing his face now, she knew how impossible that idea had been.

  ‘Har
sh or not, Megan. Truth is truth.’

  Megan had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew where this conversation was headed. He wanted some sort of sentiment from her. ‘Truth. Hmm, truth. Like the truth you told my parents when you said we were getting married?’

  ‘You’re the one who said you wanted to get married. You listed the traits, I fit the traits . . .’ He threw up his hand. ‘Why can’t we be engaged? Why is it so impossible for you to even consider marrying me? I filled your requirements. They were your words, not mine.’

  ‘Right. You gave me a choice.’ She snorted, shaking her head in disbelief. Motioning her arms around, she said, ‘I don’t remember being asked if this all was OK or not.’

  ‘The cabin? Your mom picked it out, not me.’ His voice rose in anger.

  ‘I mean Montana,’ she argued. If he wanted to have it all out, she’d give it to him. ‘I mean this family vacation. Only wait. This isn’t your family, Ryan! It’s my family. This is my life you are messing with.’

  He looked like she’d slapped him. His face paled.

  She lowered her voice, not wanting the others to hear them. ‘I know you are holding that picture over my head to get me to go along with your ploy to integrate yourself into my family, but it’s over. I know you want to replace your family and I’m sorry they’re gone, but this isn’t your life. This will never be your family, not like you want it to be. And I will not be blackmailed. Now, you seem reasonable for the most part and I have no choice but to appeal to your rational side.’ Megan went to the bed and pulled her carry-on bag out from under it. She took out the Preying Mantis’s case file. ‘I have a few pictures of my own I want to show you. These aren’t anything you’ll see in your newspapers.’

  ‘Megan,’ he began to speak, but stopped as she opened the case file.

  She threw the victim photos down on the bed, one at a time as she said their names. The women’s battered lifeless faces were framed in a sea of insects. ‘Janice. Lucy. Patricia. Madeline. Consuela. Constance. Shanita.’ Megan pointed at them. ‘Now, you look at them and you tell me if you can live with yourself if you publish that photograph of me stepping on evidence. You might earn a few bucks, but you’ll ruin my reputation and my credibility before I testify for these women – women who can no longer testify for themselves. These seven were only in three years. Can you imagine what would happen if the guy got off on some technicality?’