Bears of Burden: THORN

by Candace Ayers

  “Shut up,” I say, blushing, but inwardly, I’m ecstatic. Maybe Jett is a good liar, but no one’s that good. If the expression on his face as he looks me in the eye isn’t proof enough, the bulge in his pants assures me that every word is true.

  “Seriously.” His eyes scan my body, “I had to jack off three times last night before I could even fall asleep.”

  “Jett!” My face must be crimson.

  “I’m just being honest.” He grins. “Would I have had to do that if you were so ugly, pathetic and disgusting?”

  I smile shyly. “I guess not.”

  “Exactly.” He slides closer to me on the bed. “And if you weren’t beautiful, I definitely wouldn’t be doing this.”

  I feel his warm breath fanning over my mouth seconds before his lips descend over mine in a passionate demand. A jolt of electricity shoots from my lips down to my most sensitive nerve endings. I gasp at the impact of it. When his tongue runs over my lips, they part in an open invitation, begging for more. He draws me tightly into his body as he wraps his muscled arms around me, pulling me even closer.

  When he breaks off the kiss, he doesn’t release me from his grasp. His strong arms remain clasped tightly around me and my head rests against his chest. I melt into him experiencing something that I haven’t in so long, I almost forgot it exists.

  For the first time in years, I feel safe.

  Chapter 6 CLAIRE

  It’s mid-Monday and Jett is driving me to Aaron’s apartment to help me pick up my stuff. Actually, Jett insisted on driving me and refused to take no for an answer. Aaron has, judging by the multiple, curse-filled texts to my cell phone, read about my marriage somewhere, so it won’t be too big of a shock for him to return home from work and find all of my belongings gone.

  I rifle through my purse for my keys, hoping Aaron hasn’t changed the locks as Jett pushes the door open.

  “Is it usually unlocked?”

  “No. Never.”

  “You stay here.” He creeps into the apartment. A minute later, he comes back out with a solemn expression. “I don’t think you should go in there.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re not getting your stuff back, Claire. Let’s just go home. We’ll get you new clothes and everything- whatever you need.”

  I should listen but I have to see for myself. I push past him into the apartment and drop my purse. “Oh my God.”

  The place looks like an absolute hellhole. A pile of my clothes sits on the living room floor covered in dirt, grease, and cigarette burns. All of my books have been torn to shreds. When I search through the closet for my keepsake box, I find all of my necklaces pulled apart, my earrings smashed, and the word “BITCH” scrawled across every page of my photo album, which is now empty. Snippets of pictures litter the ground like confetti.

  Jett gently wraps an arm around my shoulder and guides me out to the car. I walk like a zombie where he leads.

  “Are you okay?”

  Okay? No, I’m not okay. But I’m also not surprised. Mostly, I just feel empty.

  “Just take me home.”

  Jett spends the next hour doting on me trying, no doubt, to improve my mood.

  “Can I make you some tea? Or I could set up a bubble bath. Or we could watch reruns of The Bachelorette and you can tell me which contestants are assholes and why.”

  “Jett,” I finally say softly, “I don’t need any of that, okay? I just need…” I swallow hard. What do I need? I’m not sure. I think of the few possessions I had that had meant anything to me. Pictures of my mom and myself that I’d hoped one day to show to my future children. The fact that someone could be so viciously vindictive to deliberately destroy them…

  “I need to feel cared about,” I mumble almost under my breath.

  “Okay.” He still seems unsure. “Tell me what to do.”

  He is seated next to me on the couch and I climb into his lap. “Make love to me,” I whisper in his ear, and I press my lips to his.

  His hands on me move tentatively at first but when I deepen the kiss, thrusting my tongue into his mouth, I feel an animalistic energy roll off of him and he responds full force. He grabs my thighs, pulling them apart until I’m straddling him. When I pull back, I see the raw lust in his bright blue eyes.

  He slides my shirt over my head and his lips and teeth graze down my neck sending waves of tingling pleasure shooting through my core. His fingers deftly unhook my bra and it drops off my shoulders. Next, his hands snake their way under my skirt and he grips my ass. I use his shoulder to stifle a moan as his fingers hook the back of my thong and pull at it teasingly. I gasp, feeling the silky fabric rub against my clit.

  In a swift move, he rolls me over onto the couch, and quickly rids himself of his shirt, shorts, and boxers. He kneels in front of me, divesting me of my skirt and panties, allowing me to drink in the sight of his toned, muscles, tan skin and massive cock, already standing at attention. My pussy throbs. I need him in me. Now.

  But, he buries his face between my legs and I feel his warm breath ghost over my pussy lips. I shudder. His tongue darts out and makes slow, gentle circles around my clit before running up and down my folds. He sucks my clit into his mouth and I cried out in surprise - I’d never had a man exhibit such skill on my lady bits before. It’s not just skill, I realize, the way that he touches me, the way that he kisses my pussy with his tongue, lips, and teeth, it’s as though he’s worshiping me.

  I feel a warmth begin in my core, the start of my orgasm, but before it can progress to its climax, Jett sits on the couch, grasps me with both hands around my waist and pulls me onto his lap. He positions the head of his thick cock at my entrance.

  “Ride me, baby,” his voice is thick with desire. His hands roam from my ass up to my chest, where he massages my tits, tweaking my nipples. “Show me how beautiful you look with my cock inside you.”

  I suddenly feel in a position of control. I slowly sink down onto his shaft. It stretches me apart; it’s so big that it almost hurts. I take him inch by inch sliding back up then down a little farther each time until I sink all the way down and his rod is fully immersed inside me. I’m wrapped tightly around his cock. I feel so full and every nerve ending in my pussy is being stimulated. He moans and pulls me toward him taking one of my nipples in his mouth.

  The feeling of Jett sucking my nipple and flicking his tongue against it sends tingles of electricity shooting to my core and I start moving and grinding against him. I’m filled to capacity by his enormous cock but I want more - I am desperate for him. Every inch of him that slides out of my pussy makes me crave him, long for him to be buried back inside me. I don’t know what’s happening to me, to my body. I’ve never had this reaction to a man before. Everything with Jett is intensified. I cling to his shoulders moaning and increase my pace, bouncing on his cock, pounding it into me as hard as I can.

  He looks at me through hooded eyes his own pleasure clearly evident on his face. He is watching me. Studying my face.

  “You like my cock, baby?”

  “Oh, God yes.”

  “You like riding me? Like putting on a show for me with that hot fucking body of yours?”

  “Fuck yes,.” I cry. I am bucking wildly, feeling the telltale tingling start to pool in my pussy. “I love riding you.” My body is glistening with sweat. I can feel a droplet of sweat roll down my chest between my tits. Jett seems mesmerized by it.

  “Show me how much you like it, baby. Cum for me. I want to see the look on my beautiful wife’s face when she cums hard on my dick.” I see stars when I feel his thumb massage my clit in slow circles.

  “Oh God, yes!” White light flashes behind my half-closed eyelids, my body goes stiff, even as he continues thrusting into me. My orgasm crashes over me, wave after wave of shooting, tingling ecstasy. “Yes, Jett, yes, yes - JETT!” I hear the voice screaming his name but it takes a few seconds for me to realize the voice belongs to me.

  “That’s it, beautiful,” I hear Jett’s
groaning getting louder, thrusting into me harder, “Oh fuck, you’re so fucking incredible, so sexy, I’m gonna cum -”

  “Please,” I beg, still in the throes of pleasure, my pussy clenches around him with every thrust. “Cum in me. Jett, fill me up.”

  That’s all it takes for Jett to pull me into a fiery kiss, moaning into my mouth. His arms hold me tight as I feel his dick pulse, shooting his seed deep inside of me. We continue to kiss, gasp, and twitch with pleasure as we come down from our high. I fall against him, chest to chest, my head falls over his shoulder.

  “That was amazing,” I murmur in his ear. “I wish we could do it again right now.”

  Jett chuckles, his deep voice sending shivers through me. “Who’s says we can’t?” And before I know it, I’m tossed over his shoulder like a rag doll as he carries me off towards his bedroom.

  Chapter 7 JETT

  I toss Claire onto the bed, and she squeals in anticipation, grinning up at me. We’ve barely worn any clothes for the past week, and she still seems enthralled by me. I don’t know how I got so lucky to score this amazing woman in my bed in the first place, but the fact that she’s into me too is the most potent aphrodisiac a man could ever need. She throws her hands above her head and wiggles her hips, her legs spread wide. I see the glistening of her arousal juices between her legs.

  “Take me, baby,” she breathes.

  Oh, fuuuck!

  “Not yet.” I crawl onto the bed, settling between her legs. I have to taste her sweet pussy first. I run my tongue up the inside of her thigh and she shudders. I’m going slowly, taking my time, savoring her. The closer I get to her pink folds, the louder her sighs and gasps become. It’s an incredible rush knowing I have this effect on her. I gently kiss her clit and flick my tongue across it, she shivers. Yesss, that’s it.

  I love teasing her, and as much as she begs, I know that she’s being pleasured and loves it too. I suck, kiss and lick at her pussy lips, slowly running my tongue around her entrance without dipping inside or touching her clit.

  “I hate you,” she pants. I just smirked and continue building her up. My tongue trails delicately around and around until she is squirming and moaning, her breathing coming out in shallow pants. I plunge my tongue into her and wrapped my lips around her clit.

  “Oh, fuck!” she screams, her hand flies to my head, fingers entangling themselves in my hair while I quicken the pace of my tongue. I flick my tongue over her clit and she thrusts up into my mouth. She is getting wetter by the second, and I swallow every drop of her sweetness I can.

  She pushes my head back and wiggles out from under my face.

  “My turn,” she smirks, and she’s instantly on her knees in front of me. Her lips wrap around my cock and she slides me all the way to the back of her throat. Her moans vibrate up my shaft. She slides her mouth back and forth over my length before running her tongue up and down the veiny underside of my dick.

  “That’s it, baby,” I groan, guiding her head gently. “Get it nice and wet so I can fuck you the way you want.” I watch her sexy lips sliding along my cock and suddenly, I can’t take it anymore, I have to be inside her, connected to her primally.

  I push her onto her back, and she spreads her legs for me immediately. “You want this, baby?” I ask. I rub the head of my cock against her wet entrance.

  “Oh God, yes, baby,” she mewls. “Please, give me your cock. I need to have you in me.”

  “Well. I’ll never deny my beautiful wife,” I whisper, and in one thrust, I plunge myself into her balls deep, fully sheathing myself in her wet, velvety warmth.

  She moans with pleasure, wrapping her legs and arms around me, her nails dig into my skin as I pound her. I bite into her neck, growling, a primal sense of overwhelming pleasure rolls through me. She’s so incredibly tight, and the way she scratches at my back like a wild animal drives me crazy. I bend her almost in half, fucking her hard into the mattress, my hands running all over her body. They come to rest on her ass, and I give it a tight squeeze. The noise she makes tells me she approves.

  “Oh fuck, Jett, I’m gonna cum,” she whimpers. Her words only spur me on faster. “Jett, Jett, oh, oh!”

  I pull out just after I feel her pussy start to convulse. She shouts in frustration, glaring up at me, but she doesn’t have much time to be angry. I flip her over onto her knees as fast as I can, driving into her from behind, feeling her continue to cum around my cock as she shrieks with renewed passion.

  I can feel her starting to wind down as my own passion starts to well up to painful proportions. “I’m not going to cum alone, baby,” I whisper in her ear. One of my hands clamps onto her breast, rolling her nipples in my fingers, and the other reaches for her clit, drawing circles around it and strumming back and forth over it. Her weak spasms soon return to a full-blown orgasm, and I feel my dick twitch. I bite down on her shoulder as I release, shooting out in pulses what feels like a gallon of my cum into her still-clenching pussy. I let her ride out her orgasm, pushing back against me, until she finally collapses on the bed and I roll off her back and collapse next to her.

  I reach for her hand and lace our fingers together. I feel my heartbeat slow, and I know I want to say something to her, but I’m not sure how. So, I close my eyes, open my mouth, and let the words come from my heart.

  “I really love you, Claire.”

  Her head snaps toward me, a startled expression clouding her features. We stay that way for several minutes until, slowly, a contented smile spreads across her face.

  “I love you too,” she whispers, and for the first time, I feel at peace.

  Chapter 8 CLAIRE

  The next three months fly by in a haze of happiness. I have never had a man treat me so well. Hell, I’ve never had anyone treat me so well. My coworkers are the perfect balance of jealous and impressed, and I’ve had plenty of them ask to come over just to catch a glimpse of my handsome husband.

  The money is nice, too, and the house is excellent. Plus, the fact that I don’t have to worry about Aaron is amazing. But the best thing of all, truly, is Jett. Our marriage started off as a fake, but it took us very little time to realize that we each fill a space in the other that was hollow and empty and had been for long time.

  Yes, I’ve fallen head over heels for my husband.

  It turns out that Jett is so much kinder and goofier than I ever expected, and I think he was surprised when he found that I actually have a decent sense of humor. Somehow, overnight almost, he went from being the guy trying to help me out to being a real, honest-to-God husband. I am so damn happy that I sometimes have to suppress a giggle or two at work so my coworkers don’t think I’ve gone completely bat-shit crazy. We click so well that it doesn’t even matter that we skipped the dating stage. I am entirely his, and he is entirely mine.

  Right now it’s NFL offseason, and offseason conditioning hasn’t started yet which means two things. One, Jett is at home waiting for me, and two, I have to concentrate on not getting a speeding ticket. I ease up slightly on the gas pedal. I used to dread going home at the end of the workday, but now, a few short months later, it’s all I can think about in the afternoon.

  I picture Jett at home fixing dinner, wearing that goofy apron that always gets a giggle or two out of me, an episode of a show we both like on the DVR, and an ice cold beer ready and waiting for me. My husband likes to spoil me. Often all of these things are abandoned until we after a quick but passionate roll in the sheets… or the floor, couch, kitchen table…

  “Hey, Jett!” I call, rushing through the door. “I’m home.”

  No response. The massive house gives nothing but silence.

  “Jett?” I creep through the hallways, a niggling thought at the back of my head has me wonder if Jett has some sort of surprise planned. It would be just like him. Something feels off, though. I make my way towards the bedroom hoping my husband’s in there waiting for me in his b-day suit. I push the bedroom door open.

  “Jett?”

  Th
e scene in front of me stops me cold. I feel hypothermic, my legs too frozen to move, my blood turned to ice.

  On the bed, our bed, Jett is in his underwear snoring softly. His arm is thrown over a slender, leggy blonde wearing heavy makeup and nothing else. She slowly opens her eyes. As soon as she sees me, she sits up abruptly, her massive fake breasts barely jiggling as she does.

  “Jett,” she shouts.

  Jett moans something and groggily rolls his head, but doesn’t fully awaken.

  “Jett,” the blonde is louder now and nudges him hard in the ribs with her elbow.

  Jett raises his head, props himself on his elbows and looks as though he’s trying to focus.

  “Claire?” His words are slurred. Is he drunk? A ridiculous grin slowly spreads across his face. I want to slap him- slap the grin right off him. I want to claw out his eyes and spit on his bloody face. If I could get my feet to move from this spot.

  “What? What’s wrong? Claire?”

  He turns to the blonde beside him. “Jesus Christ!”

  “You son of a bitch,” I hiss shaking with rage. “How could you?”

  “It’s not what it looks like, I swear,” he says quickly. He tries to stand, but stumbles and sits back down on the bed. “I don’t know this woman.”

  “Excuse me?” the woman whines. She stands, and shows just how long and shapely her tan legs are. “You said you told her. You said you officially left her.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Jett looks confused, and I have to give him credit, he’s doing a damn fine acting job. “Claire, I’m serious -”

  “Save it,” I snap. My entire body is trembling now. I curse the tears that I now feel streaming down my face. I wish to hell he didn’t have the satisfaction of seeing me cry. “I should have known. I knew before we started this whole ridiculous sham that you were a bad idea, I should have listened to my gut instinct. A tiger doesn’t change his stripes.”