Corrupt Idol

by Dinah Harper

  “Add the trailer too,” Jesse said.

  When she glanced at him, she found him watching her.

  “We don’t want to get separated,” he said.

  “Of course, you don’t,” the worker said jovially and added the trailer she had nixed to their total. “So, we’re doing a twenty-foot moving truck with a trailer to transport your car. Nice.”

  Jesse took over as she sat there frozen in her seat. The men went over the contract and in short order, Jesse had a set of keys in hand. When he and the employee went outside to look over the truck and trailer, she ambled in their wake, arms crossed over her chest.

  The day had been progressing nicely. She woke early and with Meg, Trent, and Jesse’s help, they were able to get everything sorted and packed. She was taking more shit home than she had ever dreamed, but she told herself it was worth it until she heard how much it would cost to rent the truck. She was indebted to Jesse, the last person on the planet she wanted to feel gratitude toward.

  When Jesse waved her over, she climbed into the passenger seat. He made some minor adjustments to his seat before he drove off the lot.

  “Thank you,” she said again, staring straight ahead.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “I’ll pay you back.”

  “I said, don’t worry about it.”

  She clasped her hands in her lap. “I think I can still drive even with a trailer on the back. It shouldn’t be too hard, right? I mean, especially on the long stretches. I think we should take turns. I don’t want you to—”

  “You’re rambling.”

  She glanced at him as he navigated the city with ease, thanks to his GPS. He looked calm, cool, collected while her image of a mature, adult Violet was in tatters. He got a front row ticket to the mess she had made of her life while he was still standing tall. She was so frustrated, she wanted to cry, but she’d be damned if she showed anymore weakness.

  “You want to talk about it?” he asked.

  “No,” she said through clenched teeth.

  The cab was uncomfortably intimate. Knowing that they would have to spend almost twenty-four hours in the small space made her palms sweat.

  When they pulled up to the house, Trent came outside to help disconnect the trailer so they could load the truck. When they finished, Trent drove her Jeep onto the trailer. As the sun set, Jesse parked the loaded moving truck on the street so they could leave bright and early tomorrow. Reese pulled up as Jesse hopped out of the cab. Reese looked from the truck to Violet and fanned her face as her eyes filled with tears.

  “I can’t believe you’re leaving!”

  “I know. I can’t believe it myself.”

  They walked into the house with their arms around each other.

  “You know you have to visit regularly,” Reese said.

  “Yes, I know.”

  Reese pushed her toward the bathroom. “Get dressed. We’re going out.”

  They piled into Abel’s SUV and headed to her favorite Mexican restaurant. Meg and Trent took their own car since Meg was spending the night at his place. As soon as they were seated, she ordered a margarita. Meg and Reese ordered sangria’s while the guys ordered beers. The girls didn’t need to look at the menu. They got a variety of dishes they were going to share amongst each other. This restaurant was their go-to for celebrations, breakups, and pick me ups. After the week she’d had, she was looking forward to good food and company… Minus Jesse.

  She spent most of the meal ignoring him and trying to cram in as much quality time with her friends as possible. The more drinks they slugged back, the more emotional they became until Jesse put a stop to it.

  “She’s done,” he told the waiter.

  “He’s a kill joy,” she explained to her friends.

  “You’re gonna feel like shit on the road tomorrow,” he said.

  She scowled at him. “I can handle it.”

  “I don’t feel like stopping so you can throw up on the side of the road.”

  “He’s right,” Reese said and slid a glass of water in front of her. “You have a long drive ahead of you.”

  Which is why she wanted to be shit faced. That long ass drive in a confined space with him? Hell no. Despite Jesse’s interference, she was feeling pleasantly fuzzy as she said a tearful goodbye to Meg and Trent. Apparently, Jesse hadn’t been watching Abel as closely as he’d been watching her. Abel and Reese were giggling and tipsy when they left, which made him the designated driver.

  She must have fallen asleep during the drive because she woke draped over Jesse’s shoulder. She thumped his buns of steel.

  “Can walk,” she groaned and began to giggle. Everything looked so weird upside down.

  Her world spun as he set her on the bed. She clutched the covers because her head was spinning.

  “Oh, God.”

  “You’re plastered,” he said as he slipped off her shoes.

  She grunted and closed her eyes. She felt like she was on a rocking ship, which was actually quite pleasant. She was about to drift off when her body jerked.

  “What the—?”

  “You need your jeans off.”

  “Why?” she grouched.

  He didn’t answer. He pulled them off and then unbuttoned her wrinkled blouse.

  “What doing?” she huffed and batted at him.

  He rubbed her belly with a calloused hand. She smiled and lazily kicked her feet, which dangled over the side of the bed.

  “Feel good?” he murmured.

  “Umm hmm.”

  “I’ll make you feel even better.”

  He brushed sweet kisses over her face. She didn’t fight. She lay there with her arms spread wide as he soothed her with comforting strokes over her bare skin. She felt a whoosh of air as he sank to his knees beside the bed and pulled on her heavy body until her butt rested on the edge. He kissed her knees before he parted them.

  “Tickles,” she mumbled.

  When he did it again, her toes bumped against his abs. What happened to his clothes? He braced her feet on his stomach and massaged her calves, kneading the tense muscles. She moaned. Ooh, that felt nice. His lips brushed over her inner thighs and her toes curled.

  “Who am I?”

  His voice seemed to bounce off the walls. She jolted.

  “Why are you yelling?”

  “I’m not yelling. I need to know you’re with me, Vi. Who am I?”

  “Fucking boogieman,” she said as she plucked at the quilt beneath her.

  “What?”

  “Mr. Perfect. No one knows the real you.”

  He rose over her and planted his hands on either side of her head. The streetlights coming in through the blinds gave him strange orange stripes. He looked evil, dark, otherworldly.

  “Hunter,” she said and placed a hand on his bare chest.

  He gripped her chin. “My name, Vi.” When she stared at him, he pressed a kiss to her parted lips. “Foolish girl. Drinking leaves you defenseless.” His finger traced her jaw and then the line of her throat. “You should take better care.”

  He nibbled on her lips while his hands shaped her body. He pressed his groin against hers and let out a soft groan.

  “I jerked off with the underwear you left in the bathroom last night. I didn’t want to do that tonight and you gave me the perfect opening.”

  His next kiss was so deep, he stole her breath. She clutched at him as he ground himself against her. When she arched, he broke the kiss.

  “I’m gonna cum on your fucking leg,” he hissed as he gripped her hair and pulled. “Say my fucking name.”

  “Jesse.”

  He pressed his forehead to hers. “Yes. Jesse. That’s the only name that should be on your lips.”

  His hand played with the waistband of her underwear before slipping beneath. Thick fingers parted her folds and then slipped inside her. She closed her eyes and hummed as she enjoyed the fire heating her blood.

  “Beautiful,” he breathed as he kissed her collarbone
. “You were made for me.”

  His weight and heat disappeared. Her eyelids fluttered as firm hands folded her legs up and pinned her knees to her chest. This position wasn’t as comfortable as her being splayed on the bed. She was trying to gain the energy to move when she felt something move through her folds. It took less than five seconds for her to be okay with her legs being pressed to her abdomen. Nothing mattered except that tongue dancing over her. Her blood fizzled in her veins. As pleasure built, her hands moved restlessly over the covers, herself, and then found anchor by gripping handfuls of sweat soaked hair. Her breath hitched as that talented mouth worked her into a frenzy. She trembled like a plucked string.

  “Jesse.”

  The mouth disappeared. Before she could cry out in disappointment, a large body covered hers. A thick penis intruded, stretching her unbearably. She grunted and a mouth covered hers as he began to thrust, fucking her on the edge of the bed where it was firmer so he could go deeper. His strange, uneven rhythm ripped through her and she screamed into his mouth. He gave her his groan as he shoved deep and came.

  Six

  Her rage was ice cold. It didn’t matter that her head was pounding, her mouth was dry, and despite drinking water and coffee, she could still taste tequila on her tongue. The cloudy day matched her dark mood. Jesse woke her at the crack of dawn. He was dressed and ready to go while she was naked, hungover, and dirty. There was a moment of disorientation as she stared at him, a hand wrapped in his shirt as she tried to think.

  “A shower will help,” he said as he brushed her hair back from her face.

  She grimaced and ran a hand over her aching body. “What?” She had a fuzzy recollection of their drunken fuck. She stiffened. “Did you…?”

  “We,” he confirmed as he brushed a kiss over her lips. “Come on, let’s go.”

  She erupted from the bed and shoved him. “Damn it, Jesse! How could you?”

  “Easily,” he said without a shade of remorse. “Shower, get dressed. We leave in twenty minutes. We have a long day ahead of us.”

  He left her standing in the middle of the empty room, staring after him.

  She didn’t understand him. He knew she hated him for it, yet he continued to push and use her for sex every chance he got. Was he a sex addict? A sociopath? A rapist who got off on her resistance? One moment he was helpful, generous, caring. The next, he reverted back to the monster, intent on sating himself no matter the cost. Lynne’s impending death didn’t affect his libido. He was as forceful and ravenous as he had been five years ago, maybe even more so.

  Why?

  She woke Reese and Abel to say her farewells and was pissed when Jesse made an appearance and thanked them for their hospitality. His ability to fool everyone infuriated her. She was incredulous when Abel extended an invitation to Jesse to attend their wedding. She hoped Abel was just being nice and not serious. These were her friends, not his. If Abel and Reese hadn’t been drunk and gone upstairs, would he have made a move? Who was she kidding? Even if their rooms were side by side, he dared. What the fuck was wrong with him?

  Not one word was said between them as they headed out of Salt Lake City. The only sound in the cab came from the impersonal female on the GPS giving them directions and the radio playing classic country tunes.

  She should sleep since she couldn’t have gotten more than a few hours, but she was too angry. Hazy images from last night kept slipping through her mind. He had been gentle with her. He aroused her with petting and sweet kisses before he took her. To her, this was worse than the other times because it was a complete farce. He took advantage of her inebriated state to bend her to his will. Her blood curdled with resentment and shame.

  Hours passed. Jesse didn’t seem bothered by the prolonged silence. On the contrary, he acted as if she wasn’t present, which pissed her off even more. He hummed along with the radio and drove hour after hour without complaint. He acted as if road trips weren’t out of the ordinary for him. To her knowledge, this was the first time he had ever done such a thing. Once again, he was showing his adaptability while she scrambled to keep up.

  She updated her friends and parents on their progress through text and during their first rest stop, received a voicemail from Planned Parenthood who said the STD test was negative. That was one small piece of good news. Every time they stopped for gas, she used the facilities and took the time to stretch her legs. He didn’t ask her for her credit card to put fuel so she didn’t offer it. She didn’t feel like she owed him anymore. Apparently, he thought her body was his to use whenever he felt like it so if he wanted to pick up the tab for this move, she would let him. She waited until the last possible second before she reluctantly climbed back into the truck with him.

  They crossed into Colorado and then New Mexico. By one in the afternoon, she was over it. Traveling on the road had a very similar feel to flying in an airplane. She was dehydrated, exhausted, and felt dirty even though she had done nothing more strenuous than sit for hours. She had seriously underestimated how taxing this move would be financially, emotionally, and physically. She tried to sleep, but it was impossible when every fiber of her being was focused on the devil sitting within touching distance.

  He was too close for comfort. The cab had two captain’s chairs with an empty space in between where they had their bags and a small cooler. Directly behind their chairs was a wall. Thankfully, the windshield was massive and gave the illusion of space, but the confines were stifling. He was slightly slouched in his seat, completely relaxed, with one hand on the steering wheel. He was in his customary jeans, white shirt, and boots. It annoyed her that no matter the setting, he looked like he belonged there. Asshole.

  She couldn’t take in the landscape, not when memories she thought she smothered rose up to taunt her. Years, she had kept everything bottled up, but he roused everything to a fever pitch. When she moved to Utah, she kept busy with school, partying, men, shopping—anything to keep herself from thinking of the past. Time had done it’s work and made the memories easier to bear, but his reappearance brought them back to the fore. Emotions rocketed around inside of her. She wanted to weep, rage, attack. Instead, she sat there with her hands in her lap, staring straight ahead while everything in her revolted in reaction to his presence.

  “You’re lucky you found such good friends in Salt Lake City.”

  His voice, so unexpected after hours of silence, made her jump. She shot him a lethal glare before she returned her attention back to the road. She knew she was fortunate. She didn’t need him to tell her that.

  “You’ve been busy.”

  Something about his deceivingly casual tone made her tense.

  “Lots of jobs,” he said as he tapped a finger on the steering wheel.

  His attempt at making conversation was fucking lousy.

  “Lots of men, too.”

  She sucked in a breath, but the sound was drowned out by the white noise of traffic and the truck as it rattled down the interstate.

  “Did it work?” he asked.

  “Work?” The word left her mouth before she could stop herself.

  He glanced at her, but she couldn’t see his eyes since they were covered by dark shades.

  “You fucked them to forget about me. Did it work?”

  Her mouth dropped open. “You conceited son of a bitch!”

  “Mom would be hurt if she heard you say that,” he said mildly.

  “You’re the biggest narcissist I’ve ever met!”

  “If I have nothing to do with your body count, then what’s your explanation for the man parade your friends talked about?”

  She leaned toward him so far, her seat belt locked. “I wanted, so I took. That should sound familiar to you!”

  He didn’t even look at her as he continued in that placid tone that made her want to hit him.

  “Seems no one measured up. None of them lasted longer than a few months.”

  “I have high standards!”

  “Doesn’t sound like
it. I heard one of the guys you dated a few months ago worked at a video game store.”

  “Justin was sweet!”

  “It’s Dustin, actually,” he said coolly. “Seems he wasn’t sweet enough for you to remember his name.”

  “His name is Justin!” It was, right?

  He shrugged. “You should know.”

  “Yes, I do know. What I do and who I do it with is none of your fucking business!”

  He shook his head. “We’ve been over this before.”

  Everything you do is my business.

  “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  “Debatable. It sounds like your friends have been carrying you for a while now.”

  She felt as if she had been kicked in the gut. “You don’t know anything about my life.”

  “You dropped out of school, can’t keep a job, and bang anyone who catches your eye. Am I missing anything?”

  He had turned into Mr. Hyde again. Now that they were alone, he had morphed back into the monster she brought out in him with little effort. His succinct and brutal summary of her life made her flush with a cold that smothered all emotion.

  “You haven’t changed. You’re still dating losers because you don’t want it to go anywhere and you want to be in control. The few times you ran into good guys, you gave them to your friends or walked away. You took what you wanted before you got bored and moved onto the next schmuck.”

  “Stop,” she said faintly.

  “Empty fucks.” The tendons in his arm flexed as he gripped the steering wheel. “I know exactly how that feels. I took every woman who offered. No one came close to you.”

  He was no longer slouched in his seat. He was sitting up straight, body radiating with tension. He was driving a little faster than he’d been a minute ago. The unaffected veneer he had maintained throughout the day was beginning to shred.

  “You used those men to forget about me. It didn’t work, did it?” he challenged.

  “Shut up!”

  “Last night, you gave yourself to me.”

  “I was drunk! You took advantage of that.”

  “When your guard is down, you show your true feelings.”