Satisfaction (Taking Chances #2)

by Jeanne McDonald

  Her hips jerked as I teased the outer shell of her pulsating pussy. Each flick of my tongue incised deep moans and a rocking of her body that could only mean whatever apprehension she’d felt was not completely gone.

  My mouth latched to her, I grazed my teeth over her swollen clit. Watching how her body quaked with pleasure at such an act, I repeated it, making sure to lick and suck her in between each nibble. Her muscles seized and I knew she was getting close when she ripped at my hair. A sense of power washed over me. This woman had successfully given me the best blow jobs of my life. I was now going to do the same for her. Whatever this master of hers had done to cause her to believe she was unworthy of such acts being performed on her, well, I was about to destroy that lesson.

  My mouth feasted on her tight core. Her scent and taste created a ravenous hunger within my belly. I spread her sweet pussy open and delved into her depths. Her hips jerked and pushed against my mouth. The onslaught of delicious juices flowed from her into me and I drank all she was willing to give. I lapped and sucked, never giving an inch until finally her body became limp and her breathless sighs ensured I’d made her feel exactly as she had me.

  I lifted my face, proud of the dazed expression she wore. She crooked a finger at me and reached over to where a condom lay on the nightstand beside the bed. “I need you inside me,” she murmured, her voice husky.

  “As you wish.” I crawled up along her body and took the condom from her fingers. A few seconds later, I had my sheathed cock poised near her entrance, but it didn’t feel right.

  If I was to take her, to give in to the honesty we’d created, then I could no longer hide my identity. I reached behind my head and released the tie that held my mask to my face. It was the last barrier between us, and it needed to go. Cedar gasped and trailed her fingers along my jaw as my mask fell away. I closed my eyes, lost in the feel of her exploring the curves and edges of my face. “There you are,” she mused.

  I peered down upon her and smiled when she lifted her head from the pillow and withdrew her mask. She was even more beautiful than I’d remembered.

  She took my mask from where I had laid it beside her and laced it with hers. These two images of us were bound together. I couldn’t help but stare in amazement at the differences between us, yet the similarities were still confounding.

  “Brix,” she whispered. My eyes moved over her face and a bubble expanded in my chest at her smile. “You with me?”

  I brushed my fingers through her choppy hair. It was longer than it had been at the wedding. “More than ever.” My mouth captured hers, and my body pushed against hers, blanketing her skin. I coaxed my tongue between her lips. Her body seemed to brim with uncertainty but resonated with desire. She was as eager as I was to explore everything.

  I pushed inside of her and we both sighed in relief as our hips began to naturally move together. Even if I wanted to throw caution to the wind and simply ride her, I couldn’t. An invisible force inside me resisted anything but slow strokes and gentle touches. Each kiss we shared breathed life into us. Fused our skin together. Walls crumbled around us and though a piece of me knew this was fantasy, my mind refused to believe that was all that was there.

  When our climaxes found us, there were no intense screams, no nails digging into each other’s skin. It was a peaceful acceptance of the power within our bodies. Once the last kiss was given and the last sigh breathed, I rolled off of her and pulled her to my chest.

  The crackling sound of the fire and candles burning in the room lulled me into a blissful haze. Not sleep. Simple silence and contentment. Cedar rested in my arms, sated, if only for a little while. There was no need to speak. Magic hung in the air and we were forever bound by its spell.

  But like all good things the moment came to an end. The sound of our shared stomachs growling broke our blissful silence.

  “I guess we need that food after all.” She giggled.

  “Sounds like it.” I kissed her temple and moved to obtain our masks. I untied the strings she’d linked together and handed hers to her.

  She begrudgingly accepted it. “I really don’t want to put these back on.”

  “Neither do I,” I admitted.

  “You know, we could just leave.”

  “You’d do that? Really?” We both knew the rules. Leaving meant never coming back. Not that I wanted to. I knew without a doubt tonight was my last visit to Indulgence. Nothing Addison or Autumn could say would change my mind from that.

  “Yeah. I mean it.”

  I rubbed my hand along my jaw and nodded. “Well, all right. Let’s get out of here.”

  Cedar rolled over and placed her feet on the floor. I followed her. We both tied on our masks, with the full knowledge this would be the last time we did.

  She stood up and offered me her hand. “Ready?”

  I accepted and bounded off the bed. Towering over her, I leaned in and placed a tender kiss to her lips. “You bet I am.”

  With our masks in place and our hands clasped together, we exited our little cubby hole, elated. Relieved. And completely exhausted.

  What we were doing was right, even though it was wrong. By doing this, by walking away from Indulgence, I was tossing aside Sebastian and Addison’s generosity, although I doubted either of them would be upset by my decision.

  Were Cedar and I in love? Absolutely not. Not by any means. We barely even knew each other. All I could think about, though, was finally getting to know her.

  The real her.

  As we made our way past the fireplace, I stopped. My feet dug into the carpet and I pulled back on Cedar’s hand. Caught off guard by my abruptness, Cedar stumbled. I managed to keep her steady before she planted face first into the floor.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. “You change your mind?”

  I chuckled. “No. I just realized I have no idea what your real name is.”

  She bobbed her head from side to side, contemplating my words. “And what makes you think Cedar isn’t my real name?”

  “Past experience.”

  Cedar’s head fell slightly forward and a smile pierced her lips. “You’re quite intuitive, Brix.”

  “Blame it on my ajna.”

  Her brow scrunched, which made her confusion all the more adorable since the ajna in Hinduism is the chakra for the third-eye. “Your what?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I brushed aside the question. “What I want to know is your real name. I think if I’m about to walk away from Indulgence permanently, I have the right to know whom it is I’m walking away for.”

  In the burning light of the fireplace, I watched as her cheek sunk into her mouth, almost as if she were chewing on it. “Brix, is it really necessary that we do this now? I promise I’ll tell you everything. I will. But not yet. Not here.”

  I took a step back, stung by her unwillingness to tell me. “No. I think I need to know now.” I crossed my arms over my chest, locked in my determination. Her holding back on her name was silly, as if her name held the secrets of the universe. I wouldn’t stand for it. Not this time.

  Both her hands lifted to her hair. She stomped her foot and ripped at the roots of her dark locks. “Why are you being so difficult? All I want to do is get out of here. We can talk about all this afterward.”

  “No. That doesn’t work for me. Tell me your name or I walk.”

  “Brix,” she pleaded.

  “You left me once without telling me your name. I searched weeks for you. Months! With no luck. I am not putting myself in that position again. Especially when you want me to leave tonight, which could potentially cause a rift in a friendship for me.”

  She raked her nails back and forth against her scalp, groaning in frustration. “I’m going to tell you. Just not here.”

  I took a step back from her. “Then I can’t leave with you. I’m sorry, but I won’t do this again.”

  I sidestepped, ready to bypass her for the door. This was a sore spot for me, one I was willing to forgive, if she
could simply trust me with the truth. A truth I deserved.

  Her hand reached out for me as I moved past her. “Brix, sto─”

  “Holy shit! It is you! I thought I recognized you coming in here earlier.”

  Cedar whipped around to face our intruder. “Excuse me?” she hissed.

  The woman waved her hand at Cedar as if to dismiss her. “Oh, not you. I’m talking about Marshall, here.” I looked from the woman to Cedar and back to the woman. “You don’t remember me?” the woman gasped in mock horror. “We spent a great deal of time together in this room last year.”

  My mouth dropped and my eyes widened in recognition. “Trish?”

  The woman moved closer into the light and I instantly recognized her blonde hair and the shape of her breasts. The mask was different and her curves weren’t quite the same, but her eyes were a dead giveaway.

  “You know this woman?” Cedar demanded.

  Trish acted as if Cedar was invisible, and continued as though she hadn’t asked a question. “You do remember me! Although, this year I’m going by Amara.”

  I furrowed my brow. “Amara? That’s an unusual name.”

  “Sick, isn’t it? I figured I’d bring out my darker side this year. So what better name to go by than that of the Darkness,” Trish...or Amara boasted with pride.

  “I don’t get─”

  “Supernatural. Bitch, puhlease. How lame can you get?” Cedar spat.

  Trish jerked her head to Cedar, finally paying attention to her. “As if you’re one to talk. Where’d he pick you up at? A circus freak show?”

  Cedar took a step toward Trish, her teeth gritted and her fists balled. Trish was more than a head taller than Cedar, but I knew from experience that Cedar could take her out. “At least I’m not some teeny bopper wanna be.”

  “Ladies,” I interjected, stepping between them. “This is beneath you both.”

  Trish trailed a finger down my bicep. “I’d much rather be beneath you.” She bit her lip, her eyes trailing down my body like an invisible hand. “What do you say?”

  I glanced at Cedar. Her dark eyes glowed red under the light of the fireplace. She shook her head, silently pleading with me to end this charade and for us to leave without ever looking back.

  “You know, if you want, you can bring your trampy girlfriend along. I don’t mind sharing,” Trish added.

  “Why you piece of─”

  Cedar tried to push me aside but I stopped her, holding her by her arms.

  “Trish, um Amara, can you give us a second?” I asked, struggling against a flailing Cedar.

  “For you, sugar, I’ll wait all night.”

  “Don’t call him that!” Cedar screeched. “That’s my nickname for him.”

  “It’s fitting,” Trish jibbed. “I’ll be right over there, waiting for you.” She cupped my face in her hands and pressed a hard kiss to my lips. She hummed as she released me. I had to fight back the repulsion I suddenly felt. Trish was a beautiful woman. I’d enjoyed her company last year, but tonight I wasn’t interested. “Just as I remembered.”

  Maybe I should’ve said something, but I had no clue what to say. Thank you? Off with you? Nothing seemed to fit. And really she didn’t give me much of a chance, because she quickly teetered off to the corner, grinning from ear to ear.

  I returned my focus to Cedar and sneered, “What on earth is wrong with you?”

  “Me? What about her?” She indicated toward Trish.

  “I don’t care about her right now. I want to know what that was all about.” I gave her a bit of a shake.

  “It’s about that bitch getting all up on you. What gives her the right…?”

  “You’re jealous.”

  “Come off it. I just don’t like her.”

  My hands lowered down her arms a bit. “No. You’re actually jealous.”

  “I am not!”

  I pursed my lips. “Fine. Then I think I might─”

  “You're not going with her!”

  My eyebrows shot up over my mask. “Excuse me?”

  Cedar’s teeth barred, her face burned bright. “I forbid you to go with her!” Cedar exclaimed, shoving my hands off her.

  “You have no authority over me. I can do as I please.”

  Cedar shook her head wildly. “No. You’re leaving with me.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, straightening my back. There was no way I was backing down now. “Does that mean you’re telling me your name?”

  Cedar’s shoulders sank in defeat. “I will. Just not here. I told you that.”

  “Then I’m not leaving with you.”

  Cedar scratched above her mask, frustration rolled off her in heavy streams. “This is ridiculous. You’re being ridiculous.”

  “I’m being ridiculous? I’m not the one who carts a guy off, screws his brains out, then disappears into thin air without a trace. All I’m asking is for your real name.”

  She threw her arms in the air. “Not now!”

  “It’s now or never.”

  A flash of hurt crossed Cedar’s face followed by a pang of anger. “Fine! You want my name so bad…” Her nose snarled and her lips twitched. “My name’s Aspen. Aspen Church.”

  My heart sank in my chest. Wasn’t that the name of the woman who…

  But she barely stopped talking long enough to let me process what she said, let alone take a breath. “I get why you like this room so much. In here you come off as this nice guy, caring, sweet as sugar.” Her face twisted as if she’d tasted something bitter. “But you’re no different than any other asshole who attends Indulgence.”

  Ouch! That hurt.

  “And to think I thought you were special. But I should’ve known better after I heard you last year. You weren’t being chivalrous.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Cedar...Aspen ─good grief this name thing was becoming more and more confusing to me─ let out a mirthless laugh. “Of course you don’t remember.”

  “Remember what?” My stomach churned. Her features had transformed. Anger pulsated from her in waves.

  “One year ago, this very night, I bumped into you. Right here.” She pointed toward the fireplace. “I’d had a shitty night, but my luck turned for the better when I overheard a conversation coming from that bungalow over there.” I turned my head to where she’d pointed. It was the same cubicle I’d been in with Addison. Like lightening, understanding struck me.

  “You overheard us.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Damn right I did and I gained the scoop of a lifetime. To make things even better, I was offered the opportunity to be a liaison for Sebastian.”

  “What?”

  A maniacal grin formed over her face. “Yeah. Why else would I have been invited to the wedding? Mercy needed a member of the press there.” Her chest bounced with her dry laugh. “I saw you there and I remembered how sweet you were to Addison and I just had to try you. Only problem was, afterward I found myself a little too into you, and I didn’t need that.”

  “So you ran…” I forced air into my lungs. The sensation of drowning overwhelmed me.

  “Marshall,” Trish called out to me. I looked up to her wiggling her fingers in a flirtatious wave.

  “I may have ran the last time, but this time I’m simply walking away.” Cedar pushed me out of her path. “Go fuck your whore!” she growled and stormed away.

  I’d been kicked in the balls a few times in my life, but this…this was far worse. I’d just discovered that it was because of me that Addison was outed last year. Wait! They knew Aspen was at the wedding. They knew and said nothing. I swallowed hard, nausea bubbling in my chest. My instinct was to yell out to her that she should run. It was what she was good at. But I held my tongue. As she disappeared through the doors, my irrational urge was replaced with another ─to run after her. Again, I did nothing. I stood there, furious, confused, betrayed.

  I took in a deep breath and my feet began to move toward the darkened door. I needed answ
ers and there was only one place I could go to get them at this moment.

  “Marshall...Marshall?”

  A tug at my wrist stopped me from leaving the room.

  “Marshall, are we not going to fuck? I mean, I really want to take a ride on that massive pogo stick of yours.”

  I pulled my arm from her and glared into her eyes. “Do you really think that stunt back there would make me want to sleep with you?”

  “You looked like you needed an out? The way you two were arguing…I was only trying to give you one.”

  The sincere expression she wore told the truth. Trish’s intentions were real. She only wanted to help. The problem was, she didn’t realize she’d done more harm than good.

  I gently cupped Trish’s cheek and kissed the top of her head. “You meant well. I get it, but Trish, I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  “You have a thing for her.” Her tone was so matter of fact that it stunned me for a moment.

  After collecting my thoughts, I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. But it doesn’t matter now.”

  “That’s not true. Your matching tattoos say it all.” Her fingers splayed across my chest. Sweet. Unabashed. True. “She does matter.”

  “Maybe, but it’s too late. She’s gone.”

  Trish brushed her fingers over my chest then dropped her hands to her side, taking a step back. “If you really want to find her, Marshall, you know where to go.”

  Seriously! Fate wanted to repeat the same freaking words I’d spoken to Addison last year. I hated vulgarity, but this time I simply couldn’t stop myself from thinking, Fuck you, Fate!

  I felt my face flinch, but hoped I recovered quickly. It was time for me to vámonos, but there was one thing I needed to rectify with Trish before I left. “It’s Brix.”

  The look of confusion on her face made me clarify my statement. “My real name. It’s Brix.”

  “Ah. Cool. I like your real name much better than the fake one.”

  I laughed. “Funny. My alias for tonight is Flex.”

  “Brix is better than that one, too.” Her nose wrinkled with the smile that formed on her lips.