Running Away With You (Running #3)

by Suzanne Sweeney

  Evan uses his teeth to nibble, biting gently. I whimper again, my fingers twisting in his hair.

  “Open your mouth.” Evan quickly obeys and this time I place my lips on his, slowly trickling sweet red wine from my mouth into his. As he swallows, I follow with my tongue, licking the inside of his mouth and nipping on his lip.

  Evan takes my mouth with searing possession, tasting me with slow, deep licks. His passion and hunger explode across my senses and I whimper, my hands tangling in his hair. His answering groan vibrates through me, tightening my nipples and sending goose bumps racing across my skin. “Playtime is over,” he pronounces, removing the blindfold and tossing it to the side.

  He stands up with me in his arms, my body responding instantly to everywhere he touches me. I am on fire as his fingers travel around to unsnap my bra. He turns and places me back on the chair. I sit back and watch as he anxiously tears the jeans off his body and stands before me wearing nothing but a pair of boxers that barely hide his throbbing erection.

  “You lied to me,” he warns. “I was promised a seven-course meal, and you only delivered six. I’m entitled to another course. And I have to warn you, I’m starving.”

  Grinning devilishly at me, he drops to his knees in front of me. He pushes my thighs apart and then all I can feel is his mouth on me.

  I whimper as his tongue licks inside me and out. By the time his fingers join in, I am panting, barely able to stand the assault on my body. My hips jerk as he sucks at my core, his tongue circling, his fingers sliding inside me. I lose control of my breathing, my heart pounding in my ears.

  My hands glide through his hair, tightening, urging him closer as he masterfully spurs on my climax, licking and finger-fucking me into a frenzy.

  “Evan,” I moan when he withdraws his fingers. I was so close. So close!

  And then he begins thrusting them back inside, in and out, in and out, his tongue working its magic.

  “Evan!” I explode against him as he wrings every inch of that orgasm out of me. My body shudders with more spasms.

  I sit there panting, staring in dazed wonder until Evan appears above me again. He doesn’t say a word, but he leans down and kisses me, letting me taste myself as he flicks his tongue against mine.

  “Open your eyes.”

  My gaze finds his and he’s smiling gently at me, brushing stray strands of hair off my temples.

  “Are you okay?”

  I kiss his lips softly. “I’m okay.”

  “Good, because I’m not done.” He lifts me effortlessly into his arms and cradles me against his chest as he carries me to the couch. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his cheek and breathe him in.

  “God, you’re strong.” I run my hands through his hair, loving that he can carry me so effortlessly.

  He lays me gently on my back along the couch, kneeling between my thighs, and covers me with his large body. I wrap my legs around his hips, and he settles against me, his long, hardness nestled at my entrance.

  “I love you,” he whispers, just as softly, and sinks into me, slowly, until he’s completely buried in me. He’s holding my head in his palms, his elbows braced on the couch under my shoulders, his face less than an inch from my own.

  I cup his face in my hands as he starts to move inside me, gently, in long, smooth strokes. Holding my head firmly, he lowers his lips to mine and makes love to me, completely connecting his body to mine, until in a slow-building crescendo, we both let go and come apart in each other’s arms.

  And as we regain our senses, I hear him whisper, “Forever.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Seal the Deal

  I wake up Saturday morning in a sour mood. The last few days have been Heaven-sent, but this will be the day from Hell. Today is D-Day – David Day. In just a few hours, I will arrive in Indianapolis for the last game of the regular season, along with many of the other wives and girlfriends. I’m sure they have lots of great ideas for how we can spend our time waiting for the game, but unfortunately I already have other plans.

  Evan drives us to the airport together. My carry-on sits on my lap and I hold it tightly, as if my life depends upon it. Tucked carefully inside are exactly one hundred hundred-dollar bills. I hope and pray that I can get through security without alerting anyone to my stash. I have no idea how I would explain to Evan why I was carrying that kind of money with me.

  After parking in the garage, we walk the short distance to the airport entrance. Having no bags to check, we walk straight to passenger screening. I hold my breath as I place my bag on the conveyor belt and watch it make its way toward the scanner. We pass through the metal detector without a problem. I slip my shoes back on, all the while keeping a watchful eye on my bag as it emerges from the X-ray machine. There are no alarms, and no armed guards come rushing to interrogate me. No one noticed a thing.

  Evan escorts me to the only restaurant in the airport, Sam Adams Brew Pub. Brianna is there too. Anthony has already dropped her off and boarded the team’s plane. After a quick kiss, Evan is off too. In less than an hour, Jocelyn should be here. Then she, Brianna, and I will board our flight to Indiana.

  Our flight is a quick one, only slightly longer than two hours. The boys have a driver waiting for us when we land who drives us directly to our hotel. We’re staying at the same hotel as the team, we just can’t stay on the same floor with them. I text Evan to let him know we’ve arrived. I won’t be able to see him until after the game tomorrow, so he tells me to have fun with the girls and to be safe.

  After we check in and find our rooms, Brianna calls me on my cellphone. “Jette, get ready. Jocelyn and I are picking you up in ten minutes and we’re heading downstairs for a hot stone massage.”

  This may be my only opportunity to slip away, so I have to think fast. “I’m going to pass this time. Go without me. I have a terrible headache and I just want to put my head down for a little while. I’ll meet you downstairs for dinner.”

  She’s not going to give up so easily. “You know, a good massage is the best way to get rid of a headache. Maybe a Swedish deep tissue massage?”

  “Maybe next time,” I tell her, and thankfully she drops it. We make plans to meet at six o’clock for dinner at the hotel restaurant. That gives me a few hours to make the hand-off.

  Before calling David, I have to come up with a plan. The girls are downstairs in the spa. They will most likely head to the bar for a drink before dinner. The last thing I need is for them to spot me as I leave the hotel, or run into me as I’m returning – or worse yet, for Evan to see me sneaking off. The meeting will have to be here, someplace where we won’t be seen.

  The hotel has small boutique, a fitness center, a restaurant, and a spa. The fitness center is attached to the spa, so that’s out. The restaurant is a public place, but I think the chance of running into someone there is exceptionally high, so it’s not worth the risk.

  That leaves exactly three choices. First is the boutique. I could make the hand-off quietly and discreetly and make a quick escape. I would be taking a chance that we might be seen, but it’s a very slight risk.

  Another option would be to leave the envelope at the reception desk and trust that he’ll leave me the memory card. It’s the easiest and safest choice by far, but that’s a gamble I’m hesitant to make.

  The third choice is to invite David up to my room. It would give me a chance to talk to him face to face and try to end this once and for all. It’s private, and the chance of us being spotted is negligible.

  Given the three choices, I have to decide what my main goal is. Is my goal to satisfy David’s demands and hope he goes away, or to establish limits and end this once and for all?

  I look around the suite Evan reserved for me. It’s furnished with a spacious sitting area completely separate from the bedroom, outfitted with a small table, chairs, a couch, and a mini bar. This would make a good meeting place. I know it’s not the choice Auggie, Adam, or Derek would have me make, but it’s my life an
d I need to end this ridiculousness now. My decision is made.

  Before I can change my mind, I send David a text to let him know I’m here and I only have a short time to meet with him. Almost immediately, my phone rings in my hand. It’s David.

  “Hey, Kitten. I was just thinking about you.” He has such a smug tone to his voice, it makes me shake with anger and contempt for this man I once thought I loved.

  “Listen, David, I’m not your kitten. I’m not anyone’s kitten. I don’t have time for your stupid mind games. Drop the arrogance and try not to piss me off. Got it?”

  “Well, considering the reason for this call, I don’t see how we can avoid pissing each other off. But your point is well taken.” He’s right, of course. Regardless of his attitude, he’s going to piss me off. “Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. I have something you want. You have something I want. Let’s make each other happy and get on with our lives.”

  “Nothing would make me happier,” I concede. “Here’s how this is going to work. You’re going to stop whatever you’re doing and meet me here at my hotel. I don’t have a lot of time.”

  “I like that you’re excited to see me,” he teases. “We have all weekend. Why the rush?”

  “Listen, I flew out here with the other team wives. I’m meeting them for dinner at exactly six o’clock. I want you out of here before then.”

  “Now is that any way to speak to an old friend? Ask me politely.”

  I take a deep breath and try to remain calm. He’s just trying to get under my skin and force a reaction from me. I can’t let him get the upper hand. “David, we are not friends and I won’t pretend that we are. I’m staying at the Conrad Hotel and Resort. Can you come over right now or not?”

  “As luck would have it, I’m sitting in the bar at the Hyatt, just two blocks away. Do you want to meet at the bar like last time?”

  “No!” I tell him. “I don’t want anyone to spot us. Come up to my room. I’m on the twenty-first floor, room 2106.”

  “Oh, how romantic, Kitten. Inviting me up to your room alone. You’re not going to try anything funny, are you?”

  “I’m not in a very funny mood, David. Are you coming or what?”

  “I’m on my way.” Not wanting to waste any more of my time on this childish conversation, I hang up the phone and get ready. Hidden in my overnight bag is a pocket full of cash. Carefully, I verify the amount is still intact, and I stow it in the top drawer of the desk.

  No one knows about this meeting and I know it has to be that way. But I don’t want to be stupid about this. I have to consider all possibilities. Suppose something goes horribly wrong and David ratchets things up? Suppose he has additional demands or makes threats? I have to protect myself.

  There is only one person I trust never to betray me or judge me. I pick up the phone and call Auggie. Luckily he doesn’t answer, so I leave him a voicemail telling him that I’m meeting with David today to hear what he has to say. “I’ll call you when he leaves and let you know what happens,” I tell him. I know he’s going to worry, but if he doesn’t check his messages right away, he won’t be worrying for very long. I put the phone on silent and finish preparing for my meeting.

  Within minutes there’s a knock on the door, and I take one final look to make sure everything is right. The door to the bedroom is closed tight.

  I take a deep breath and open the door. David is standing there. I open the door to let him in, and as he walks past me I get a whiff of his cologne. It’s the same cologne he used to wear when we dated. It brings back bittersweet memories. I close the door, and when I turn back around, he’s staring at me. This time I notice a few other familiar things. He’s wearing the Colorado Rockies baseball hat I bought him, along with the blue flannel shirt we bought together on a trip to Boulder. But then he smiles and I’m immediately reminded that he has no soul. There is no warmth or joy behind his eyes, only coldness and emptiness.

  He walks around the room, checking to confirm we’re alone. First he checks the bathroom, then the door that leads to the bedroom. “Did you think I’d have an assassin hiding in the bathroom?” I ask.

  “You never know.” Satisfied, David sits on the couch and pats the seat next to him, inviting me to join him. “Come on, Jette. Sit down. I won’t bite. Unless you ask me to.”

  Refusing to play along, I take a seat in one of the armchairs across from him. “Can we please get this over with? I want you long gone by dinner.”

  David reaches into the pocket of his shirt and pulls out the SD card. “Is this what you want?” he asks.

  “It’s the only reason I’ve agreed to see you.”

  He places the memory card back in his pocket. “I think we have a few details to iron out first, Kitten.” He sits back on the couch, crosses his legs, and stretches his arms across the back of the sofa. God, I want to choke him so badly right now.

  “I have your money, David. But first we need to come to some sort of an understanding. This is the last you’re going to see of me. This is the last time you will ever get one dime out of me. I will not be your cash cow. I’m giving you what you demand, but it ends here and it ends now.” My hands are trembling badly. I hope he can’t tell. I grip the arms of the chair tightly, hoping to gain some modicum of control over my body’s reaction to the stress of this situation.

  I get up, walk over to the desk, and retrieve the wad of cash. I toss the money onto the table and sit back down. David reciprocates by tossing the SD card onto the table too.

  “Well, I suppose it might be best to lay all our cards on the table, so to speak. See, I have one more video I think you might be interested in. Do you remember that night we all went camping at Estes Park in the Rocky Mountain National Park?”

  I look at him, wondering where he’s going with this story. About ten of us went hiking and camping, and from what I remember, we had a lot of fun that night. “Yeah, what about it?”

  “What do you remember about that night?” he asks.

  Unsure of where he’s going with this, I play along. “We played Thumper and Bizz-Buzz with shots of Captain Morgan all night.”

  “Do you remember anything unusual that happened after the game?”

  I think hard, and honestly, I’m not sure. I don’t remember who put out the fire. I don’t remember who went to sleep first. All I remember is waking up with one hell of a hangover. I was disoriented, confused, and dehydrated. “David, why am I having trouble remembering what happened after the game?” He looks at me and smiles. I’m suddenly nauseated.

  “It’s hard to say. It might be the dozen or so shots of Captain Morgan, or it might be the Molly I slipped you and Reese.” He actually seems pleased with himself.

  “You drugged me and my friend? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “Oh, please. Drop the holier-than-thou attitude, Jette. We both know you’re no fucking angel. We’ve smoked weed together. And I know you used to take Ben’s Adderall during finals. Besides, I didn’t mean to slip one to Reese – that one was entirely your fault. I made you a drink and you gave it to her. Lucky for me, I had an extra just for emergencies.”

  “You’re a fucking pig. Why are you telling me all this? What’s on the goddamn video?”

  “Let me try to refresh your memory. After the tenth or twelfth round of Thumper, you suggested we play a new game: Flip, Sip, or Strip.” I gasp. I vaguely remember begging someone to find a quarter so we could play.

  David continues. “At that point, everyone else turned in for the night, leaving just the three of us. Both you and Reese were feeling very friendly, and in no time at all, the two of you skipped the flip and sip and went straight for the strip.”

  I cover my face. I don’t want to hear what I know he’s going to say next. “Being the true gentleman that I am, I offered the two of you our tent to finish your little game. It was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, Jette. I swear to God. You can’t blame a guy for wanting a keepsake of such a memorable evening. It was the first ti
me I recorded you. I have to admit, I’ve watched that video a hundred times. I’m going to miss watching you, Kitten.”

  “You’re lying,” I accuse. “It never happened. I would never. Reese would never. It’s not possible.” God, please tell me it’s not possible.

  “Oh, it’s possible. But just in case you still don’t believe me, how about we take a stroll down memory lane?” David pulls out his phone and cues up a video. “Want to see?”

  I hold out my hand for him to pass over the phone. Instead of passing me the phone, he grabs my hand. He gives a little tug and pulls me toward him. “Come on, don’t be shy now. Let’s watch together.”

  I reluctantly agree, but only because I need to see for myself. I sit on the couch beside him and he pinches the screen so I can see up close and personal exactly what he’s talking about. There, right in front of my eyes in full color, is everything he claims.

  I get up from the couch and walk over to the window, unable to look at him. All I want to do is curl up in a ball and cry. I’m ashamed, humiliated, and shocked by my own behavior. I can’t let anyone else see this video – ever! “I have no more money,” I whisper, barely audibly.

  David gets up from the couch and stands beside me, gazing out the window. “Don’t play me for a fool, Kitten. You must have money coming in from that fancy restaurant of yours.” Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him greedily counting the money to make sure it’s all there.

  “I have nothing. We opened the bar late in the busy season, and now all the tourists have gone home and won’t be back until the spring. I had to borrow that from a friend.” I tell him, barely fighting back the tears.

  “Well you’ve certainly moved up in the world. I bet you could find another friend to give you the money.”

  “And what if I did?” I turn to him, grab the money, and toss it onto the couch. “What if I got you another ten thousand? Then what, David? How many more? How long is this going to go on? Are you going to show up at a PTA meeting one night with more pictures? Or at my daughter’s first ballet recital? When does it end, David? Please tell me.” I can hear my voice cracking under the strain. I want to be strong. I want to find the inner strength to stand up to him and force him to retreat and back off. I just don’t know how.