“Yeah, we got engaged over the holidays.”
“That’s so cool!” Mari reaches for my hand to see the ring and shows it off to Anna. Kyle and Brent look very much out of their element and join the others playing video games.
*****
Thursday night rolls around and I’m exhausted. With all my schoolwork, I’ve had to stay up until midnight almost every night so I could help create a social circuit for Sayge. Kyle’s getting the footage of the show tonight and he promised to have the edited versions to me by 10am tomorrow so we can add it to the sites we created.
Sayge is playing tomorrow night at a new bar. That means they’re playing three nights in a row this week. I promised Declan I would go tomorrow since it’s a new place, but I’m taking a much-needed break and having a girls’ night in on Saturday.
I invite Anna to come along with me tonight to The Steamroom. When we arrive, I lead her through the bar to our usual room. Kyle’s in the corner trying to be conspicuous. I know he’s trying to make everyone forget he’s there so the material is genuine. I give a slight wave and get a beer. I don’t see Declan anywhere so I head backstage where I find him talking on the phone.
“You don’t have anything? Really? This is getting too close to home, Finn.”
Silence.
“Yeah, I know, but I don’t want to worry her. She’s got a lot going on right now with school and she’s about to start traveling with us on the weekends. Thank Christ for that. I wouldn’t be able to leave town if she didn’t come with us.”
Silence.
“Listen, I wasn’t insulting your ability to watch out for her man; I’m just fucking going crazy thinking about how something might happen to her.”
Silence.
“She’s coming here tonight and I’m going home with her. I’ll take her to school tomorrow. Can you get her after class? Oh yeah, tomorrow night is a new place. I know the layout, but you might want to come with her.”
Silence.
“Yeah, I’ll bring it to you tomorrow morning. Thanks, man.”
He hangs up. When he sees me, panic washes over his face. I cross my arms over my chest and plant myself in place. I raise my eyes, waiting on an explanation.
He sighs loudly and throws his head back. “How much did you hear?”
“Start from the beginning and I’ll let you know where I walked in.”
“Sparkle, I’m not sure-”
“Don’t you dare! You tell me right now or I’ll turn around and leave.”
“I was talking to Finn.”
“That much I know.” I shoot back angrily.
“The threats haven’t stopped. This morning, I found a note on your car in front of my house.”
“What did it say?” I soften my tone. I’m starting to get crept out.
“’BITCH’ in what looks like fingernail polish. But the way the polish dribbled down the paper, it looked like something out of a horror movie.”
“What else aren’t you telling me?”
He lets out another breath. “I’ve been getting weird, suggestive text messages and hang ups at the house. None of them have been traceable so far.”
“Weird how? Show me.” I walk over to him and motion to his phone.
“I really don’t want to; they’re gross.”
I stare at him again waiting.
“Before you see them, I want you to know that none of them are real. I’m not sure where this sick fuck is getting them, but there’s even one with an apa. I know it’s not me because the piercing’s not the same. I have never changed my barbell and very few people have actually seen it.”
He scrolls through his messages and shows me at least a dozen pornographic images of different poses and sexual positions. He shows me the picture with the piercing and I laugh out loud.
“You’re right; that’s definitely not you.” I cover my mouth. This is not a good time to be laughing.
“You’re not completely freaked out?”
“I guess I should be, but I’m more pissed at you and Finn. I can’t believe you guys kept this from me. Don’t do it again.”
“I’m sorry; I wanted to protect you. I was hoping to find this fucker so you wouldn’t have to worry anymore.” I can hear the shame in his voice.
I lean in and kiss him to let him know we’re okay. I don’t want him to know how freaked out I am inside. But I’m worried about him, not me.
“Baby,” he says against my lips. “Out of curiosity, would you have known that wasn’t my dick if I hadn’t told you?”
“Yep.” I emphasize the ‘p’.
“Want to tell me how?”
I look around to make sure we’re still alone. The coast is clear so I jump on him and his arms go under my thighs to support me. I try to sound seductive in a throaty whisper, “Because, sweetheart, yours is huge with a visible vein at the tip. The space where the apa comes through has a little ‘v’ that I like to rub my tongue over. Also, when you’re hard, your cock is so thick that your skin stretches over the piercing.”
I feel him thicken against me and the moisture pool between my legs. He walks me back until I’m against the wall so he can use it to help support me.
“You have no idea what you just did to me. You’re such a fucking turn on. When we get home tonight, we are going to discuss every word you just said in detail.”
“Promise?”
“I fucking love you.”
He kisses me, mimicking the motions of his tongue with his hips pushing into me. I beg him to stop before I come against his leg- again. Then a vision of our stalker recording us pops into my head and I pull back quickly. He puts me down and we compose ourselves before going back to the stage room.
Sayge had another great night performing and Kyle left after the last set to start editing. Mari took some pictures with her phone and uploaded them to the blog. Anna and I waited for the announcement at the end of the show telling people about Sayge’s new Facebook page. I didn’t care if I looked like a dork; I laid out my laptop on the couch next to us and kept refreshing the page. The guys joined us and started drinking while the two of us watched for activity. Thirty minutes later, posts start pouring in. Snapshots are tagged, comments are left, and we have fifty new ‘likes’ on the page. We jump up and down, hugging each other.
“Girl on girl love, that’s what I’m talking about!” Someone yells from the crowd behind us.
“No, you idiots; come here quick.” I refresh the page and show the guys. Their ‘Fan Page’ now has fifty-five likes.
“That’s fucking cool, Rave! When will you load the pics from tonight’s show?” Nate asks.
“Tomorrow, my precious Natey.” I started calling him this after his mock proposal last week. He likes it, but Declan thinks it’s a little too touchy and rolls his eyes when I use it.
After an hour of watching the internet, Anna says she’s tired and leaves. I lean into Declan’s shoulder while he finishes his beer and end up drifting to sleep against him.
I stir awake to the sound of a car buckle clicking. Declan has carried me to his truck and strapped me in.
“Don’t forget my laptop, please.”
“Got it right here with the rest of your stuff. Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you up when we get to your place.”
“I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“Don’t be, Raven; I’m so fucking proud of you and your friends. That Facebook site looks great.”
“Hmm, thanks,” I say as I fall asleep against his headrest.
*****
I set-up a meeting to take place today after school with Declan and Finn. I asked the boys if we could have it at Declan’s house because no one else in our group of friends knows about the threats. I have a theory about the stalker and I want to run it by them. Whoever this person is has been watching us closely.
Finn has turned colder towards Declan and I know it’s because of the sex video. Declan and I have discussed the upcoming out-of-town shows with Finn and he’s dead
set against me traveling with Sayge. There’s been a few heated discussions among the three of us and I still haven’t decided if I should go or not. I have to tell them my theory and find out what they think before I make my final decision.
We’re sitting in Declan’s front room and I decide to get this meeting started. “I think the stalker is a woman.”
“I think so too,” Finn replies.
“Why do you think that?” Declan asks.
“Well, he or she obviously hates me. Both the note and the video were shots directed at me, Dec, not you. The DVD was meant to make me upset and break my heart. This person was trying to get me to break-up with you. The message on my car was meant to scare me in to leaving you.”
Finn shakes his head in agreement with me.
“Declan, the hang-ups are purely amateur moves. It reminds me of high school when you have a crush on a boy and call just to see if he’s home. And the pornography sent to your phone is gross, but not threatening.”
“I guess you have a point, but who the hell would do this?”
Finn pulls out a folder and tosses it on the table. “All the calls and texts came from a burner phone. I traced the signal, but I found it laying in a trash can this morning. The video doesn’t give too much away. The overlay music covers up any conversations that may have taken place. It might help if you could remember any of the girls names on the video.”
The revulsion in his tone is aimed directly at Declan.
“I already feel like shit, Finn. No need to rub it in. I’m well aware of what a dick I was.”
Tears spring to my eyes and fall down my cheeks. The man I fell in love with and agreed to spend the rest of my life with used to be a complete bastard. And now one of my best-friends has proof of it.
Finn’s eyes soften towards me. “I’m sorry to upset you, RJ. What I meant was if we knew the girls names, I might be able to find and talk to them. We could see if any of them know anything about the being recorded.”
“What about Christie? Didn’t she say something about a video when she showed up at The Steamroom?”
“Yeah, she said she received a text from an unknown number saying they saw a video of her and me. She asked me if I did it and I assured her I didn’t record us. As a matter of fact, you know the ending of that story.”
I smirk and nod.
Finn gets up to leave and pulls me with him. He holds me tight and kisses my forehead. “Don’t worry, RJ. I’ll keep watching out for you. Hopefully this crazy will go away. Just so you know, I could’ve lived my whole life without knowing your boyfriend has his junk pierced.”
My laughter fills the room. I hadn’t realized Declan had to tell him when he showed him the text messages. The look of horror on his face is priceless.
We says our goodbyes after Finn lets me know he’ll be picking me up here to go to the bar tonight.
Declan pushes my hair to the side and starts kissing my neck. Even though he’s sweaty from his work-out, he smells incredible. I turn and lift up on my toes to kiss his lips. He opens to allow me access and I kiss him greedily. He squeezes my hips and urges me to jump up. He walks us to the bedroom, never breaking our connection. I lift the hem of my sweater and toss it over my head. Declan swirls his tongue over my tightening nipple and lays me down on the bed. It only takes a few seconds for us to undress.
“So fucking sexy.”
I remember our conversation last night and push him over so I can straddle him.
“I believe I need to show to you exactly how I knew that picture was not you last night. His erection twitches against his stomach. I look at him, lick my lips, and scrape my fingernails over his tight abdomen. I kiss a trail from his belly button to his groin and position myself between his thighs.
“We already established your size.” I lick his crown with just the tip of my tongue in slow motion.
“And when you’re this turned on, you thicken and the skin stretches.” I rub the pads of my fingers over his entire cock. “Lastly, there is this little ‘v’ that I love to kiss.” I give feather like kisses over the area and see the tip start to glisten.
“You’re torturing me, baby, please.”
“Please, what?”
“Please, suck my dick.”
I close my mouth over him and slide up and down, swirling my tongue as I go. He grips my head with one hand and the other clutches at the sheets. He lifts his hips, pushing all the way in. I continue sucking, nipping and licking until he is close. Then I move back up to play with the barbell and wrap my hands around his base, squeezing until he starts panting. I tease and taunt him on purpose to see how long he can take it. I risk looking up at him to see his expression. His eyes are hooded and his rapid breathing is increasing. He sees me staring and a smile forms on his lips. Before I know what he’s doing, he rips away from me and hauls me up so we’re face to face. He runs his fingers against my slick center and throws his head back to the ceiling, “Thank you God.”
He impales me with such intensity that I cry out at the invasion. My body quickly adjusts to him as he moves. He slows, but then increases his speed. Pretty soon, he’s pounding into me and I shift so my legs wrap around his waist. Going deeper and deeper with each thrust and I feel every inch of him inside me; he’s claiming me. He pulls one of my legs from around his back and pushes it against my hip. Then he swivels his hips against mine. He hits a new spot and I scream out in pleasure. The orgasm I’m trying to hold at bay is coming. I arch my back, throwing my head against the bed and lifting my hips to meet his. I grasp his shoulders, using pressure to tell him I’m close. He moves faster and my release strikes like lightening. I scream his name and faintly hear him groan over the pulsing in my ears.
We stay entangled for awhile. Our bodies are covered in sweat and I cans see scratch marks on his shoulders from me.
“That was possibly the best sex of my life. You are fucking amazing.” He murmurs against my cheek.
“Possibly?”
“Top three at least.”
I open my eyes to give him an evil glare, but he grins. “All three include you. Two of them in this very bed.”
“That’s a relief,” I reply sarcastically.
“I think we need a shower.” He smiles down at me.
“Probably.”
He chuckles as he swings his legs over the bed. He lifts me and carries me to the shower.
Chapter 35
Valentine’s Day
It’s been three and a half weeks since we launched our project. As expected, Sayge has a massive local following. And since they recorded a few of their songs on a CD, they have secured a spot at some of the best stages around our area. They recently got word they would be playing the Main Street Festival in Franklin in April. Jay’s been great and even more fun to work with. He’s been taking a great interest in my group work, asking for all the data numbers. He’s using the data as leverage with his company to break away from just scouting; he’s working towards representing.
Finn hasn’t been able to get anything on our stalker yet, but he said there was a partial print on the note on my car. It was blurry, but he’s still trying to work with it. I’ve received a few hang up’s at my house, but nothing else. The only thing big that happened was an anonymous post on Sayge’s Facebook page. It was the image of a man against a wall with a woman giving him head. His hands were shoved in her hair with his head thrown back. To an outsider, it just looked like smut. But to me, I knew it was Declan with a random girl in the back of a bar. I removed it immediately, but called Declan and Finn to let them know it had happened. Finn looked into it, but he didn’t get any leads. Declan knew it bothered me and he tried repeatedly to make me forget the image in my head. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t get a blow job for two weeks.
Tomorrow is Friday and it’s also Valentine’s Day. Declan has made plans for us, but he won’t tell what they are. I did some shopping and picked up some lingerie, but had no idea what kind of dress to buy. I enlisted Abbi and she
helped me pick out a slinky, strapless red dress with lace overlay.
I have a project to work on so I’ve decided to spend some time at the library. The band’s playing tonight so Declan and I won’t see each other until tomorrow after class.
After three solid hours of studying accounting and finance, I close down my laptop and get ready to leave. When I get to my car, there’s a note under my windshield wiper. I break out in a cold sweat and look around to make sure no one’s watching me. I don’t see anyone so I pick-up the note from the corner so as not to contaminate it with my fingerprints. The message is in blood red fingernail polish again.
FUCKING WHORE
I lock myself in my car and call Finn. He doesn’t answer, but I leave a message. I know Declan isn’t near his phone so I send him a text to call me.
When I get home, I take a hot bath and crawl into bed after setting the alarm. I start on a new book and try to distract myself from that stupid fucking note. I fall asleep engulfed in my romance novel.
The beeping of our house alarm wakes me up. I hear it cut off and wonder if Abbi and Ella just got home. There’s a knock at my door, but before I can say anything, Declan lets himself in.
“Baby, you decent? Finn’s with me.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Come on in.” I turn on the bedside light and reach for my backpack to give them the note. Declan has a look on his face that I can’t read. He looks sad.
“Hey, Baby Girl, got your message a little while ago and I called Declan to come over here with me. Let me see the note.”
I hand it to him and they both read it.
“I’ll take it with me and let you know if I find anything. No more library by yourself. This person is still watching you and it makes me nervous. They knew you were alone tonight. They could have tried to hurt you.”
“Okay, I won’t go anywhere unless I’m with someone or going to a public place.”
Finn nods and kisses my forehead before he leaves. He exchanges a look with Declan, but doesn’t say anything. He shuts the door behind him and Declan sits on the bed next to me. He hugs me tight. “I’m gonna take a quick shower and sleep here tonight. Be right back.”
Surrendering Page 33
