Bad Seed

by Rye Hart

  “Of course,” I said. “I am a gentleman, you know.”

  “You are?” Julie teased. “I never would’ve guessed.”

  “Very funny.”

  I climbed out of the car and hurried around to open her door. We walked slowly toward her house. We weren’t touching, but the tension between us was palpable.

  “I had fun,” Julie said. She turned to face me, and my eyes flickered down to her lips.

  “Me too.”

  Julie’s eyes met mine. Her lips looked soft and inviting. I couldn’t stop myself from stepping forward.

  Julie inhaled sharply but didn’t move away. Her eyes were locked on mine, and when our lips touched, she melted into me. My arms went around her waist, and she sighed against my lips. The kiss was soft at first, but within seconds, my entire body was on fire.

  Julie wrenched herself away from me and took a step back. She fumbled with her keys and quickly unlocked her front door. Pushing it open, she turned back to me with a hungry look in her eyes.

  Without a word, she held out her hand to me. I didn’t need to be told twice. I grabbed her around the waist, and we fell over the threshold, our lips thrashing against each other with desperation.

  CHAPTER 5

  JULIE

  Michael’s lips were on mine before I could think. One second, we were staring at each other on my doorstep and, the next, we were crashing inside the house with a reckless abandon I’d never felt before. The only thing that existed was Michael. His lips on mine. His tongue sliding into my waiting mouth. His strong, rough hands gripping my hips tightly. Soon, I was out of breath, and my entire body was on fire.

  A soft moan escaped my lips as I wrenched myself away from Michael to take a breath. He didn’t let me get far. He kissed my neck playfully, licking and nibbling my sensitive skin. I gasped and tightened my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his dark hair.

  “Where’s the bedroom?” Michael asked. When his eyes met mine, they were full of need. My stomach burned, and a wave of desire flooded between my legs.

  “Come here.” I groaned and kissed him again, my lips working furiously against his.

  His tongue slid in my mouth, and I could taste the wine from dinner. It fueled my desire even more as I led him backward toward my bedroom.

  I’d never slept with a man on a first date before. I’d never even come close, but with Michael, I didn’t want to stop. His hands were all over my body, cascading down my back, tightening around my waist, sliding over my butt. He had touched every inch of me, and it still wasn’t enough. I cursed the light fabric of my blue dress, hating that it separated me from his fingertips.

  I kicked open the door to my bedroom and pulled Michael inside by his tie. He grinned at me slyly, his eyes trailing down my body. I could feel his gaze as sharp as a burning flame. It whipped over my breasts and stomach, down to my legs. He wanted me, and that was enough to send me reeling.

  My hands flew to his tie, loosening it quickly. I pulled it over his head, leaning forward to kiss his neck while I unbuttoned his shirt. I couldn’t stop. My body had taken control, and I wasn’t complaining. The sounds that came from Michael’s throat when I kissed his chest were enough to make my legs tremble with desire.

  “God, I want you,” Michael groaned.

  I threw his shirt off his shoulders and wrapped my arms around his neck again. Our kiss was more intense, and his lips didn’t slow for a single second, and neither did his hands. He kissed me hard and fast, reaching around my back to unzip my dress. I moaned when his hands touched my bare skin. This was the moment I’d been waiting for all night.

  Michael’s fingertips were rough on my back, but they felt amazing. He unhooked my bra and slipped both it and my dress down my body. In seconds, I was standing before him, wearing nothing but a pair of lacy blue panties. They matched my dress, but when I got ready earlier that evening, I never imagined Michael would see them.

  Still, I didn’t want him to stop. I longed to feel his fingers and lips on every inch of my skin.

  “You’re gorgeous.” Michael’s voice was low and sexy as he looked me up and down.

  My lips were still tingling from our kiss, and my chest was rising and falling with every labored breath. He was staring at me with so much desire that I felt yet another wave flood between my legs. My panties were soaked, and when I glanced down at Michael’s pants, I saw that he was already rock hard.

  I reached forward and grabbed him by the belt, yanking him closer as I quickly worked his pants off his body. His hands tangled in my hair, pulling my head back just enough for him to attack my neck with his lips.

  “Oh god,” I mumbled as his tongue lashed against my skin.

  He pushed me backward until I bumped into the bed. In one motion, we fell over, and Michael pinned me down with his strong body. I moaned as his lips moved lower, his tongue teasing my nipples one at a time.

  I writhed beneath him, lifting my hips to grind against his dick. He grunted, thrusting forward and quickly losing control.

  Unable to wait another second, Michael ripped my panties off my body and threw them to the side. His boxers followed close behind, and soon, he was staring down at me while I stroked his thick cock in my hands.

  “Fuck.” His voice was deep with desire as he twitched in my hand.

  “Condoms are in the drawer,” I said, pointing to my bedside table, silently thanking God that I even still had the damn things.

  Michael flew forward. He tore open the top drawer and grabbed a condom. I barely knew what was happening as he adjusted me beneath him and slid the condom over his length. My head was spinning, and my heart was pounding in my chest.

  I could feel my wetness dripping onto the bed. I wanted him so badly. I’d never felt such a primal, animalistic need before. I had to feel him inside of me.

  Michael didn’t make me wait long. He positioned himself above me. All the urgency drained from his body as he stared into my eyes. My room was dark, but I could still make out the dark blue of his eyes as he slid forward and buried his cock deep inside me.

  “Oh,” I gasped and lifted myself to meet him. He grunted and slowly rocked his hips back and forth.

  I could tell he was trying to take his time, giving me a chance to get used to it, but that wasn’t what I wanted. My body took over. I rammed my hips upward, slamming into him and making him groan with pleasure.

  Michael gripped my hips hard, pulling me to him and pounding into me roughly. All he needed was my silent okay for him to lose control completely. He fucked me hard, making me cry out with pleasure and hold tight to the bedsheets.

  My first orgasm built quickly and spilled over even faster. My knuckles were white as I held onto the sheets for dear life. My moans were deep and earth-shattering. I didn’t bother to hold back. My legs trembled, and my pussy tightened around Michael’s dick.

  “Holy shit.” He groaned and pulled out of me for a split second.

  In one quick motion, Michael pulled me up and positioned me on his lap. We held onto each other while I slid down on top of him. He buried his face in my chest, kissing and biting my tits hungrily. I groaned and threw my head back, bouncing my ass up and down while he squeezed it roughly.

  It wasn’t long before I felt my second orgasm coming. I tried to hold back, but when Michael bit down on my nipple, I came undone.

  “Fuck!” I screamed and rode him harder, bucking up and down and crying out with renewed pleasure.

  “You sound fucking amazing,” Michael said. “Come for me again, baby.”

  I giggled, but Michael wasn’t kidding. He flipped me onto my back, staying inside me the whole time. He pinned me to the bed with all his weight. I gasped and wrapped my legs around him while he pounded into me harder and harder.

  I could feel him seeking his own release. He was so close, his cock already beginning to throb inside of me. I raked my nails down his back, making his eyes roll back in his head. A cry of need ripped itself free from his chest, and jus
t like that, I came again.

  “Oh, Michael!” I screamed his name as my body convulsed with ecstasy.

  Michael finished at the same time, throwing himself forward and collapsing against me. We were both dripping with sweat and sex as we held onto each other tightly. The three orgasms made my body weak and exhausted. I could barely breathe. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think.

  It wasn’t until Michael pulled himself away from me that I slowly came back to my senses. He laid down beside me and wrapped his arms around my shaking body.

  “Holy shit,” he said. “Holy fucking shit.”

  “That was…” I began, but I couldn’t find the words.

  “Uh huh,” he said with a deep laugh.

  We both erupted in laughter as we held each other. It wasn’t long before we started talking, falling yet again into our easy banter.

  Michael had to leave an hour later. He had work in the morning, a conference call first thing. As we said goodbye, I felt a weight fall into my stomach. I didn’t want him to leave, but when he kissed me, I knew I’d see him again.

  CHAPTER 6

  MICHAEL

  When the sun rose on Friday morning, my eyes protested. I squeezed them closed and slapped my hand down on my alarm clock before it had a chance to ring twice. The last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed. It had been hard enough to leave Julie the night before, but after dreaming about her all night, work was the last thing on my mind.

  Seconds after I silenced my alarm clock, my phone rang sharply. I groaned and rolled onto my side, reaching for my phone before my eyes were even open.

  “Hello?” I barked.

  “Just calling to make sure you’re up,” Marcy said. “The conference call with Alaska is in an hour, Mr. Smart.”

  “I know, I know.” I groaned and pushed myself out of bed. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  “See you soon.”

  Marcy hung up, and I tossed my phone on my bed. Stretching my arms above my head, I felt a familiar soreness in my legs.

  With a grin, I jumped in the shower and tried to regain my focus. My mind was so full of last night that I could barely think of anything else. As I showered, I saw Julie’s perfect body in my mind. Her gorgeous eyes and soft hair, her perky tits and shapely ass. Last night had been one of the best, and I never wanted to forget it.

  Once at the office, I was able to push Julie to the back of my mind and get to work. The conference call started at exactly seven-thirty. It was too early for my taste, but I’d done business at worse hours.

  I sat back in my chair with my office phone on speaker and listened. Most of the call was useless. It centered around the time frame for this new job and the amount of manpower needed, neither of which was my area. I was just there to consult on tools and make sure they had everything they needed when they needed it.

  Truthfully, the call could have happened without me. As I tried to listen, I cursed myself for leaving Julie’s the night before. I had dragged myself out of her bed, away from her naked body, all so I could be awake in time for this conference call. It definitely wasn’t worth it.

  “Michael?” a voice said from the phone. “Does that work for you?”

  “Sorry,” I said, shaking myself and sitting up. “I was just reading an email. Can you repeat that?”

  “We need a ten count by next Friday,” the same voice said. I recognized it as Ernie’s voice, the owner of the rig company. “Then the next hundred by the following Tuesday. Is that doable?”

  “Easy,” I said without pause. “I’ll get it done. Anything else?”

  “I want to try out your new tech drill,” Ernie said. “You’ve been rambling on about it for months. Go ahead and send one up for a test drive, okay?”

  “Hold on,” I said with a laugh. “A test drive? Ernie, come on now.”

  “What?” Ernie asked innocently.

  “You want me to send a fifty-thousand-dollar piece of equipment to you?” I asked. “Without any promise of payment? I know we’re friends, Ern, but you and I both know that’s not going to happen.”

  “Hardball?” Ernie asked with a laugh. “Fine. You want to play it that way, let’s play.”

  Ernie and I excused ourselves from the conference call to sort things out privately. We both knew how the conversation would end. Ernie would agree to pay half the price up front, promising to pay the rest after the test drive. I would hem and haw for a few minutes before I agreed. It was all good-natured business, and after working together for over five years, Ernie and I knew how to play each other’s game.

  “I’ll have my guys process the order today,” I said.

  “Sounds great,” Ernie said. “Thanks, Mike.”

  We hung up, and I leaned back in my chair. Now that the conference call was over, the rest of my day was wide open. I had emails to return and orders to oversee, but before any of that could happen, I needed coffee.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I told Marcy on my way out. “You want anything from the café?”

  “Small latte?” she asked.

  “You got it.”

  I hurried out of the office. The weather was finally starting to cool off, but it wasn’t yet cold enough for a coat. With the holidays right around the corner, I hoped the temperature would drop any day now. It just didn’t feel like Christmas when it was seventy-five degrees out.

  As I stepped into the café, my eyes immediately roamed around the tiny space. It wasn’t hard to take in the entire room, and it was impossible to miss the familiar face sitting by the window. I grinned and made my way over to her, reaching down to play with her hair.

  She jumped when I touched her.

  I laughed. “It’s just me. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Shit.” She laughed and put her hand on her chest. “Warn a girl next time, would you?”

  “Sorry,” I said again.

  She smiled at me, a faint pink hue on her cheeks. We hadn’t spoken since last night and, for a second, I wondered if she regretted what happened between us. Then, her foot found mine beneath the table, and all my worries disappeared.

  “How’d the conference call go?” she asked.

  “It was boring but necessary,” I said, flattered that she remembered to ask about my call. “How’s the job search?”

  Julie’s computer was sitting on the table between us. It was open to yet another online journal. It seemed she, like me, had devoted the early morning to work.

  “I have a Skype interview on Monday,” she said. “It’s with this online journal that specializes in small-town news. I figured it would be perfect. I can keep up with my writing and get to know this town better in the process. That is, if they hire me.”

  “Why wouldn’t they?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “Shit happens.”

  “You’ll get it,” I said confidently. “I’m sure.”

  “It all depends on whether they like my stuff,” she said. “If my writing isn’t what they’re looking for, they’ll pass. And I’ll be back to square one.”

  “Didn’t you work as a journalist up in Dallas?” I asked.

  She nodded. “For three years,” she said. “But still, you never really know.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” I said. “So, when do I get to read your stuff?”

  She froze. I thought the question was innocent enough. I smiled playfully and poked her foot with mine beneath the table. And yet, her entire body tensed when the words left my lips. I frowned and sat back.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “No,” she said quickly. “You didn’t. Not at all.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked. “Because—”

  “A lot of my old stuff is online,” she said, talking over me. “You can look it up whenever you want.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  Julie smiled, but I could tell she was preoccupied by something. Her reaction to my question wasn’t at all what I expected. I wondere
d if I’d inadvertently crossed some line I didn’t know was there.

  “Listen,” I said. “I have to get back to the office, but when can I see you again? Tomorrow night, maybe?”

  “I’m busy tomorrow,” Julie said. “I have to go to my parents’ house for dinner. My sister is in town with her husband, and Mom wants the whole family together.”

  “Ah,” I said with a nod. “Typical mom stuff.”

  “Exactly.” She smiled and added, “But, I’m free Sunday.”

  “Sunday is perfect.” I grinned, relief flooding my body. “I’ll see you then.”

  I stood up to order my coffee and, when I did, I considered leaning down to kiss her. I don’t know what stopped me. My eyes found her lips, and I was immediately drawn in, but I forced myself to walk away. We’d had an incredible night, with mind-blowing sex, but we didn‘t think we were quite at the intimacy level of a public kiss.

  After I had my coffee and Marcy’s latte in hand, I chanced a glance back at Julie. She had already immersed herself in her laptop, her headphones planted firmly in her ears. I smiled and waved, and she grinned back at me, filling my chest with warmth. Forcing my gaze away from her, I pushed open the café door and left.

  Julie wasn’t like the other women I’d met. She was different, confusing in her own way. From the first time I saw her, I was intrigued, and every time we spoke, she left me wanting to know more.

  CHAPTER 7

  JULIE

  Since I’d moved to Ennis, my parents had barely spoken to me. They weren’t angry about my decision, but they didn’t support it. To them, I’d given up everything I worked for while in college and the years after. I’d built my reputation as a successful reporter, only to leave Dallas for a know-nothing town. They weren’t happy, and as I drove toward their house on Saturday morning, my chest was filled with anxiety.

  Deep down, I knew they’d behave. My sister Bethany was in town with her husband and their daughter. My niece, Layla, was only two and a half. She was the cutest little girl I’d ever seen, and I loved her more than anything. My parents felt the same way, so I hoped her presence would keep them in bright spirits for the duration of my visit.