by Aven Jayce
Impossible.
My brief thought of him trying to escape the trunk is replaced by a very different, very real scene. It’s two workers from Afterglow. One guy has his bare ass against Jack’s car and his hands on top of another guy’s bobbing head. He’s looking down with gasps of delight. I’ve never been this close to two men going at it before... two men oblivious that a dead man’s just a foot away... a scene of sex and death.
“This is how it starts.”
I grip my duffle bag and remain quiet, knowing Jack’s still within range. Was that said to Dylan or was it meant for me? His voice was faint, but I heard it. He said it.
That expression of his gives me the chills.
I listen to his distant conversation as it mingles with the heavy breathing in the parking lot and the rustling of bushes near the edge of the driveway. Sounds like a small animal over that way. Fucking rodents are surrounding me from all directions.
Don’t get paranoid.
Walk.
Stay on track.
Quinn whispered that to me while we were working earlier today. Stay on track out there. Don’t get lost in the woods or inside your head. The darkness can play tricks on your mind. Don’t stop. Keep your ass moving until you’re back in my arms.
Okay... I’m coming.
The early evening when I left has now become late night. He must be worried I haven’t returned.
But I’m coming. I’m doing this to be together with him... home with him.
Home.
Home’s a strong word, a term that I now realize changes meaning with age. My mom asked me way back when I was still in grammar school how I would define home. She often asked questions like that, always trying to get me to think, always wondering what type of person I was and who I’d be as I got older. “Exercises for your brain,” she’d say. “And information about your feelings for your mom.”
Back then, I said home was where we ate and slept. It’s where we kept our stuff. Basic answers. She told me to remember the question, to think about it again as I became an adult, to ask myself if the definition changes, and if it does, why? Will it hold the same meaning when you’re thirty? Sixty? Think about it, Addie.
Define home.
“Good question, Mom,” I say under my breath. When a home no longer physically exists, it’s easier to understand the real meaning, the sincere and heartfelt meaning of the word. It’s nothing artificial. I get it now.
Home is safety. It’s love and protection. It’s a feeling, not a place.
It’s where you gather with the people you love, but it doesn’t need to have walls.
It’s a sensation of freedom, peace, and harmony.
It’s emotional and spiritual, not materialistic.
Home, in this moment, is having a million feelings for one man. It’s the sound of Quinn’s voice, his gentle touch, and his kind heart opening to mine.
That’s my answer, Mom. It’s changed because I’ve changed. You’re no longer here to shield me from this new world I’ve found. These are different people with different goals and I’ve been awakened.
Branches and low foliage stir as a warm gust flits past. It rolls dead leaves along the forest floor while moving loose strands of hair from my face. The air is fresh and no longer scented with the aromas of Afterglow. Meat, chlorine, weed, it’s all gone. Only the piney mountain scents and rich dirt hang in the air. I take a deep breath and enjoy the moment, hearing the soft sounds of hypnotizing music coming from the dark woods ahead.
It’s him.
He’s using a playlist he found on my cell to guide me in the right direction. The way to our own little burrow in the woods... to our very own rabbit land.
It’s a long shot that we won’t get caught. I know that, he knows that, but if the two of us have beaten the odds and come this far, we’re willing to take the risk. A long shot at love, a long shot at survival. He’s all in and I’m all in, so we’re doing this. And the reward if we make it will be great. No, not if... when.
We’re gonna make it.
Oh wow...
Who’d ever imagine a place of hiding would look so pretty, but there it is... the outline of the barn lit by a candle, the glow between the cracks in the wallboards reminiscent of a thousand fireflies twinkling in the night.
The song Quinn’s playing becomes more distinct with each step. I recognize the melody and can hear the lyrics to “First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes. It’s one of my favorite love songs, labeled that way on my cell. Seems eerily perfect for my mood and this setting. I’m tearing up that he thought to play it.
I may have found myself a closet romantic, the best kind. A tough guy who’s a protective badass and will fight for his woman, but behind closed doors, he sure as fuck can make her all dreamy and weak in the knees. That’s him. I don’t want a man who’ll tell me he’s romantic. I want a man who’ll show it. Quinn shows it. The candle, the soft music, and...
“Oh, dear God,” I whisper, hesitating in the doorway. What a gorgeous sight.
He’s wearing only boxers and is holding a plate filled with steak and french fries in one hand, and has a beer in the other. It’s a divine offering of food and sex.
“Hello, beautiful,” he says with a toothy smile, opening his arms. His tan, muscular body blooms under the candle and the recent cut from his dad on his upper leg looks like it’s healing. Thank God. It’s so good to see him, especially to see him looking so cheerful.
I drop my bag and rush over, nearly knocking the plate out of his hand.
“You’re brilliant.” He kisses the top of my head and inhales the scent of my hair. “Everything okay? Did anyone see you?”
I offer a loving kiss before I answer, tasting beer on his delicate tongue, smelling the smoke from the grill on his smooth skin, and longing to touch his firm body. My hand drifts down his chest, giving his semi-erect cock a gentle touch, causing a swift moan to erupt between us.
With a joyful look into his warm eyes, I say, “Everything’s great, handsome.”
“Good. My heart can beat again now that you’re back and safe. I’m so relieved you’re alright.”
I hold him tightly, wrapping my legs around his as he walks me over to the workbench. The food and drink are placed next to the candle and he pats one of the two stools for me to have a seat.
“Eat, drink, rest your feet, and get out of those clothes. You must be sweating in that heavy outfit. It’s fucking hot tonight.”
“Mosquitos,” I say, chugging half my beer. He nods and slides the barn door shut, placing a heavy plank on the inside track so it can’t be reopened. “And disgusting creepy-crawlies in the woods,” I add.
“They’re in here too. Not as many, but you’ll come across spiders and snakes.”
“Spiders are fine, except I forgot about the possibility of snakes. Fucking slippery, slimy creatures make me shudder.”
His dick brushes against my back as he puts his arms over my shoulders, cutting my steak into small pieces. “Slippery, slimy creatures?” He laughs, his cock now erect and dominating the space between us. “Here, eat,” he says, holding a piece of the juicy looking meat in front of my lips. I take a bite, closing my eyes as I chew the succulent food. “Eat and get your energy back so we can play.”
He removes my hoodie and shirt then unhooks my bra, leaving me topless at the workbench before walking off to the other side of the room. I chew a thick, salty fry and eye the room, noticing a change since the last time we were here.
“You moved the cot.”
“It’s better in the corner than across from the door,” he calls out, turning on the faucet at a small utility sink over by the mowers and garden tools. “It’s hidden over there if someone walks in, and we’ve got a better view of Grace.”
I notice a tuft of brown fur sticking out of the seed box.
“Aw. She’s still here.”
The water turns off and he heads back over. “I asked he
r if she’d put on a dress and hold some flowers when you walked in, but she wasn’t having any of it.”
“Cute,” I say with relaxed laughter. “You know the scene I did have when I got here was even better. How long were you standing there, waiting?”
“Doesn’t matter. I would’ve waited for days in that position.”
He begins to wipe the dirt and sweat off my back and neck with a wet towel, working to refresh my overheated body.
I eat and sigh, drink and sigh, enjoying his gentle touch. I could spend eternity in this moment and be happy.
“Beer, steak, my boyfriend pampering me with a sponge bath...”
The soft towel moves down the front of my chest, circling my breasts and leisurely passing down my shallow cleavage.
“... an adorable rabbit, a mellow candle, and a serene song. If the rest of the world didn’t exist after tonight, if we wake up and it’s just us, here, in this moment, I’d say we made it to heaven.”
He kisses my shoulder then nibbles the back of my neck to my cheek, cradling my jawline and guiding me closer until our swollen lips meet.
His kiss is so full of lust that my head whirls and my insides detonate. One vigorous kiss from him is all it takes to get me feverish and wet.
“Undress,” he whispers. “Let me finish cooling you down while you catch your breath after that long trip through the woods.”
I slip out of my sneakers and tug my jeans to the floor, kicking them to the side once they’re down.
“Panties, too.”
“This isn’t cooling me down.” I grin.
He squints as he repeats in a calm, but direct voice, “Panties. Too.”
I slip them off and dangle the pink cotton hipsters in front of his face before tossing them on top of my jeans.
“Better?”
He looks down with one side of his lip lifting in pleasure. “Much. Now sit, eat, and drink...”
“For tomorrow we fuck.”
“Tonight. Tonight we fuck.”
I do a half spin on the metal stool, face the wall and take another bite of steak. He rinses the towel and returns, using short and gentle strokes to wash my stomach and lower back.
“Who knows about this place?” I ask.
“Roxanne. Maybe Jack. Trent did. The two of us used to mow... that guy Sean your aunt was with when she was here took over the lawn after we left. He may come out next week to get some equipment, but I doubt you’ll be hiding out here for that long. We’ll either get caught doing this in a few days, or we’ll leave on our own and head back to Albany once things blow over. It’s a temporary fix. You need to keep out of sight, and I’ll sneak out each night to bring you food and to be by your side.”
“Do you think Roxanne will come looking for you tonight like the last time?”
“Not tonight.” He touches my nose with the towel and smiles. “Everyone thinks I locked myself in a suite with a six-pack to drink away my sorrows. Roxanne’s waiting for my brother to finish roaming the grounds with Jack so she can fuck him. She’ll be busy with her new toy for a while. I’ve been replaced.”
I kick my feet under the stool, overjoyed when the towel slides below my stomach. “I think they’re forming some weird alliance... Jack and Dylan. He’s got plans for your brother, I’m not sure what, but I heard them on the driveway getting chummy.”
“He was getting chummy with us, too. He passed us his gun and he wants to fuck us.”
“Yeah, but knowing that makes hiding out here a little bit easier. It’s better than him wanting to kill us, and he did say he doubted he’d ever kill a woman, but you still need to be extra careful.”
“Well, I sure as fuck won’t be touching his ears or bad-mouthing him like Trent did. Dylan’s the reckless one who could end up six-feet under.”
“All of us will end up there sooner or later.”
“One day sooner than later for him, not us.”
He takes a mammoth drink of beer and wipes his mouth, putting the bottle by my plate and resting his hand on my shoulder. “But we’re good for now. I actually think that dumping Trent’s body may change the situation we’re in. The cops will think the pimp got him as payback, the pimp will be happy he didn’t have to take him out himself, and all of this may die down quicker than we thought.”
“Maybe.”
“Yeah... maybe.”
“Are you upset about Trent?”
“Of course. He was a bastard, but it still gets to me that all that shit happened.”
“Me too.”
“There’s not much we can do about it.”
I nod. “Maybe.”
“Yeah... maybe.”
He kneels next to me to wash my legs, quiet for a moment, focusing on my body and not our problems outside the room.
“That’s fantastic. You’re treating me like a queen.”
“Mhm.”
“I want to do something super nice for you... it’s too bad I suck at massages, you’re the expert at that, but I’ll think of something... something epic that will blow your mind.”
“... first day of my life, mmm-mm.” He hums the Bright Eyes song, keeping the track on repeat. I graze his cheek and sing the next line about being glad I didn’t die before we met, my action producing a boyish smile that he tries to hide behind sealed lips.
“That’s your coy look.”
“What?”
“Your face right now. It’s telling.”
“Of what?”
“That you want me, but you’re pretending to be shy because you know it turns me on.”
“Mhm.”
I twist to face him, enjoying the cool towel around my ankles and between my toes as I run my fingers through his soft, short hair.
“Acting like a badass turns me on, too. So does a rough fuck. I found that out last night.”
“Mhm.”
“And quickies... I really like quickies.”
He nods and grins. “I’m making mental notes of all this. What else?”
I chug the rest of my beer as I think, licking my lips and setting the empty bottle down.
“Look at me.”
He tosses the towel onto the empty stool and looks up. Still on his knees, his strong hands grip my ankles.
His touch is electric, sending a tingling current from his palms, up my legs, to my young, inexperienced heart. What he said early this morning to Jack about not needing much—that his dreams revolve around love—gives me insight into just how lonely his life has been. Similar to how mine was after my mom was killed, right up until I met him.
“I’m in awe of you... truly happy.”
“In your head or your heart?” he asks, throwing me off for a second.
“That... that’s a good question. I was taught to use my head over my heart.”
“I can tell. So are you?”
He takes my hands and helps me off the stool, both of us aroused with full, wet lips as we walk over to the cot.
“No,” I respond, seduced by a finger sneaking down the front of my chest to my clit. “It’s not one or the other with you, it’s both. My head and my heart are both happy.” With a deep breath and a quick peek down, I anticipate the movement of his frisky finger. “And now other parts of me are happy too.”
“You mean this?” He ignites the room with a killer smile, slipping his finger inside while pressing his lips to mine with a maddening kiss. We fall to the cot in a burst of laughter, the scent of clean sheets filling the air as our bodies roll in wild play. Quick strokes, slow strokes, a light skim and a deep rub, our hands move incessantly, caressing one another’s flesh into sensual pleasure.
He hurries out of his boxers and kisses my belly and tits, sweeping his finger deep inside my excited pussy.
“Fuck, nothing should feel this good.” His eyes flow down my torso to his hidden finger, watching it move in and out. He lets out a quick inhale followed by a dirty smirk, stretching his body alongside
mine, reclining on one elbow to study my face as I’m fingered.
“Are you going to stare at me until I cum?”
“Yep. You better believe I am. Nothing in this world is more stunning than watching you, and I’m not budging until I hear ‘oh, I’m cumming,’ tumble from your mouth.”
“You said that in such a sexy voice.”
“I try.”
My pulse races as he leans closer. His powerful kisses are telling me that his heart is heavy in love. He’s been awakened by an inescapable desire to have me. The greedy movements of his tongue and the coveting of my body make that apparent.
I’m his.
He’s mine.
“I bet that feels good,” he says with a nip to my chin.
His thumb prowls over my clit, tendering calculated and delicate movements... side to side... round and round... side to side.
“God, yes.”
“I have more to offer. I’m gonna take care of you. I promise.”
He changes positions, sitting upright between my legs so he can touch and play while witnessing my orgasm build throughout my entire body. His hot breath coats my stomach while his finger and thumb continue to pleasure my pussy and clit.
“I’m gonna protect you, beautiful. Be your man and love you hard... provide for you the best that I can until we get the hell outta this place... then I’m gonna do all those things twofold.”
My knee is gifted with affectionate kisses, making me giggle and reach out for him, needing to touch the taut muscles on his chest.
“Fuck me,” I whisper.
“Not yet.”
His dick swipes my inner thigh, leaving a warm trail of pre-cum on my skin.
“Tease.”
“I’ll be fucking you the moment you start to cum.”
“Uhhh.” I grab the sheets, my face beaming with heat. “This is torture.”
“You need me that badly?”
“Yes!”
“Perfect... but not yet.”
My leg’s raised and my calf nibbled, his tongue slinking to the sensitive area behind my knee, kissing and biting it until I squirm from the penetrating sensations shooting up to my clit.
“You’re so good at that... I’m lightheaded...”
