by Brinda Berry
“We have several hours until we meet Collin.” She lets the sentence hang in the air like a promise.
“Hell,” I mutter. “Malerie. Talk to me. Tell me what you want. Say it.”
“I want you.”
She states it so matter-of-factly, so sure of herself, that I’m a goner.
I step forward and put my hands on her shoulders. “You know where this is headed.” I search her eyes for any shred of doubt.
“Yes.” She puts both her thumbs through the belt loops of my jeans, tugging me closer.
My mouth meets hers in a rush, her lips parting in acceptance and opening to my tongue with no hesitation. The tip of my tongue touches hers and both tangle in a slow teasing. Her mouth is no longer the forbidden fruit; she is more delectable than anything I’ve ever tasted.
My fingertips glide down her back, tracing her spine, lingering at her waist and stopping at the top of her low-cut jeans. I tease my fingers against a sliver of skin offered at the bottom of her shirt. She shivers and the reaction pleases me beyond words. Our kiss grows intense and urgent.
My hands itch to move lower. I’m dying to cup her ass but a remote and quickly disappearing warning signal in my brain halts me. Too much too fast? I’m exploring her body, the curves I’ve wanted to mold to mine since the first time I saw her and every day since. I walk her backward and without even realizing it, I’ve led her to the bed. I bend my head and my lips trail kisses along her neck and down to her throat where she hums in satisfaction. Her pulse hammers … or is that mine?
I lower us to sit on the edge of the bed and pull back, breathing heavily and unwilling to break eye contact. I place my fingers on the top button of her shirt, and watch her face for any hesitation, for any way she’s going to change her mind. I don’t want to be rejected, but I don’t want to see her regret later.
She nods as if she can read my thoughts.
Instead of unbuttoning her shirt, I trail my finger along the open neckline and dip inside to touch her skin. I run one finger along the top of her bra and watch her eyes flutter closed.
She runs her tongue along her lips and I’m torn between kissing her again and watching her face as she becomes excited by my touch.
“I didn’t know it would be like this,” she whispers. The corner of her mouth lifts.
We haven’t even done anything yet, but I know what she means. This delicious anticipation rockets my erection into a state of emergency.
I inhale and try to think of something less erotic for a second so I don’t move this along too fast. The problem is, my dick has a mind of its own that wants me to get on with things.
She must sense my hesitation because she reaches up to her buttons and slowly undoes the first, the second, the third button. I’m staring mutely as if it’s my first time instead of hers. “Are you sure?” I ask again.
“Quit asking me,” she answers with a good deal of exasperation in her tone. “I’m going to wonder if you don’t want this.” I have to laugh. Here’s the sassy Malerie that turns me on so much. Little does she know I almost recited the Pledge of Allegiance a second ago just to keep myself in check.
“Sweetheart, you have no idea how much I do.” As if proof is needed, I glance down at my erection and up at her.
Her eyes go wide and she gives me a shy smile.
She’s unbuttoned her shirt at the rate of the slowest striptease bearable to man, and then waits for me to make the next move. I part the cotton fabric and force myself to keep staring into her eyes, no easy task considering I want to record this moment in a frame and hang it on a wall. I know how gorgeous she is, but somehow that doesn’t prepare me for this.
Slow, go slow.
“Can I touch you?” I ask.
She nods and closes her eyes when I run my hand along the top swell of one breast not contained within the bra. I knew she had this thing for pretty underwear, but it’s still not beautiful enough to compete with the body it showcases.
The peach bra with cream lace at the top edges sets off her lightly tanned skin and I lean forward before I know I’m going to do it. She gasps as my tongue follows a path of touching, tasting, and teasing. She squirms and puts both hands in my hair, pulling my head up.
Malerie’s heavy-lidded eyes and unsteady breath remind me that every touch is new for her. “Your turn.” She tugs at the bottom of my shirt so I take one hand at my collar and pull it over my head. She devours me with her gaze, and then scoots backward toward the headboard and I follow, as though I’m being pulled by a string.
I release the front clasp of her bra and groan as the cups fall away to reveal her breasts. I cup the bottom of one, and then move up to palm the pink, hard tip. Her body arches toward me like she wants to get closer, and there’s an answering response from my body.
“Take off your jeans.” My voice sounds hoarse and so low I’m unsure if she hears it at first. Her eyes are closed and I know she’s in the moment, feeling my hands as both cup her breasts and lightly squeeze.
I move back long enough to remove the rest of my clothes. She takes off hers. She watches me and I grin at her expression. Her gaze lingers on my groin. I’m as hard as a flagpole and ready to feel her.
Her skin is hot and so very soft under my hand. I lie beside her and slip my hand up her thigh and she tenses. I stroke gently higher until I reach the inside of her thighs.
She gives a little exhale and I move up and kiss her. I want to swallow that little sound and keep it for myself. Her mouth is one of my new favorite things. She uses it like a siren’s call when she makes her sounds of pleasure. She opens her thighs and I tease her with light touches of my fingers. Her wriggling hips and sexy moans tell me she likes the places I touch.
Make it about her, I remind myself. I’m dying to bury myself inside her.
“Tell me if I go too fast or if it hurts or…” I rub my free hand over my face. “Or if you want to stop.”
She nods. “I trust you,” she says. My heart breaks a little at that. My little brother trusted me and I left him at home with my meth head mother so I could go off to college. I trusted my mother but she brought home a boyfriend who beat the hell out of me when they got high. And she left my brother in a hospital to die alone without letting me know he was there.
Trust.
The word makes my heart race even more.
“What’s wrong?” Mal pushes up on her elbows. “Did I say the wrong thing?” She actually looks worried.
I focus on the here and now and the fantasy before me that I don’t deserve “No, beautiful girl, you didn’t say anything wrong. We’ll need a condom.”
I pull the wallet from my back pocket and remove the package, place it on the night table, and throw my wallet beside it.
“I’ve been tested and I’m clean,” I say and see a flash of hurt in her eyes. She doesn’t want to think I’ve been with anyone else and I can understand. For the first time in my life, I wish that, too.
“Show me how to make you feel good. Show me how to do it right.” Malerie is so serious I want to smash any self-doubt she may have.
“There’s no way it won’t feel good. Mal, it’s with you.” The look on her face is still there, so I try to give her more. “I care about you and that’s why it will feel good.” I cradle her face in my hands because she’s not looking me in the eye. “And because your body feels amazing. I think you were made just for me.”
I have a disturbing feeling this is how it’s supposed to be. Not that sex in the past was bad, but it was only sex. And sex is always good. But I look down into her eyes and feel her beneath my hands and I know having her in my arms is different. Better. Un-fucking-believable in intensity.
“I want you to love me,” she says, pulling my mouth down. The heat between us sparks again and there’s no more talking. I forget about everything else but her.
23
Malerie
“She looked like sex in a foil candy wrapper. Once I had a taste I had to have her.”~ Jelly B
ean Queen
“Don’t you have a dress that covers more?” Ace’s wide eyes take in my red mini-dress, and I worry he doesn’t like it. “Like one that falls to the ankle?”
“No.” I’m laughing at him, but I can’t help it. He’s all kinds of cute in the role of possessive boyfriend.
He narrows his eyes. “There has to be something else in that steam trunk you call a suitcase. This one,” he says, waving a hand up and down my body, “doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”
The purchase of the dress was more of an indulgence in fantasy than a plan to actually wear it. It fits a little tighter than I remember from the day it arrived via mailman. But I feel good in the dress and good because I gave my love to Ace. My world is right at the moment.
Knowing Ace’s touch is the third but unwritten item from my list of last wishes. Maybe the prophecy is wrong and nothing will happen.
“Quit worrying about what I’m wearing. Get ready.” I give him a playful shove toward the bathroom as he attempts to kiss my neck.
While he’s in the shower, I remove the Chinese box from my suitcase, take it apart once again, and stare at the UNIX timestamp. Two hours until the time on the box. I trace my finger over the numbers. I need to be far away from Ace when the time comes. The people I love always end up dead, and I can’t take that chance.
It would be selfish to let him get caught in the crossfire of my life.
Ace comes out of the bathroom in dark jeans, a black T-shirt that molds to his chest, and boots. His blond hair is damp and tousled and sexy. He oozes hot guy pheromones without effort.
I shake my head. “Maybe we can stay in this room.”
His eyebrows come together. “That works for me.” His heated gaze runs down my body.
“No. I was kidding.” I stroll over to him, enjoy the way he never breaks eye contact, and pull his hand into mine. Then I remember we can’t stay here because I want to meet Collin and cross that off my bucket list. I play with the brown leather bracelet across one of Ace’s wrists and avoid his gaze.
I imagine I can hear the ticking of the UNIX timestamp on the box and I lean in to place my head on his shoulder, smell his warm scent, enjoy his strength.
“Let’s get this over with,” he says like a man sentenced to hard labor.
I grab a beaded purse, and we head out to the address Collin has given me.
The cab ride is silent except for the radio playing 80s hair band music converted to some kind of instrumental crap. Ace doesn’t let go of my hand the entire time, and he periodically squeezes it and stares out my window.
The night lights are amazing. I text Collin that we’re on our way. The cab pulls to the curb and Ace pays him. I don’t want to argue, but it’s silly for him to pay when I have more money than I can use. He also pays at the door and we get our hands stamped since we can’t buy alcohol.
When the bouncer smiles broadly at me, Ace tucks me to his side. We go through the heavy black doors, and Ace leans to talk in my ear. The music pounds a beat that vibrates all around us.
“Crowded. You’ll be all right?”
I nod. I have to be okay. There’s no choice.
The club is dark except for the strobe of colorful lights. A silver ball hangs over the dance floor at the far end, sending shafts of light across the dancers. Ace’s hand tightens on mine as I lead him toward the bar where Collin said he’d be.
I check my text and it says to use my flashlight app as a signal that it’s me. Collin’s seen me before on my webcam, but this huge room is dim and filled with people. There’s a moment of panic that rises in my stomach like a bad meal, but I look at Ace and he smiles. The panic settles and disappears.
I hold my cell phone above my head, so Collin can see the light.
Suddenly, there’s a familiar face in front of me. He’s a handsome guy, tall with dark hair and a bulky build. I’ve only seen him over the web.
“Hi,” Collin yells.
“Hey,” I answer.
He smiles at me with a flash of white teeth, gives Ace a friendly nod, and holds out his hand. “Collin,” he says loudly while leaning in to be heard.
“Ace.” They shake, and we stand awkwardly for a beat.
I can feel the tension in Ace’s arm. I grip his hand harder to shift his focus.
Collin raises his hand to point at some tables near the back. Then he pulls a girl from behind him, and I realize he has a date. She gives us a friendly ‘hi’ wave and lets him pull her through the crowd to lead us.
I check my cell phone for the time before putting it back in my purse. Thirty minutes.
We scoot in to the table. It is barely any quieter, but enough I don’t have to scream to be heard. Collin introduces his date, Trina, and we all smile at each other and look at the dance floor. I’m unreasonably shy in spite of the fact that I’ve talked to Collin for what seems forever, and we’ve had the podcast show for two years. It’s unreal to finally meet him in person.
“How do you like Chicago?” Collin asks.
Ace puts an arm around my back and pulls me as close as possible in the separate chairs. I get the feeling he’d put me in his lap if I’d go for that. “I used to live here when I was a kid, but I haven’t been back,” he says.
His statement surprises me because it’s oddly coincidental. He’s never told me this and it’s silly that I wish I’d known. Known we both lived here as kids. That somehow this little bit of information matters because I see an intertwining of our lives.
Trina grins at me. “Let’s dance. Come with.”
She tries to grab my hand, and Ace shakes his head at her. “I get the first dance.”
I’ve danced in my room alone, crazy uninhibited dancing. Of course, I also sang into hairbrushes while alone. The dance floor is daunting.
“Dance?” Ace whispers against my ear.
I raise an eyebrow. “You like to dance?”
I’m not sure if he hears me until he looks at the dance floor and back. “You’re not going anywhere without me.” He nods to the beat and a slight, cocky smile lifts one corner of his mouth.
His confidence is contagious.
He takes my hand and pulls me through the throng of people to an even more packed piece of floor meant for dancing. As if by some miracle, the DJ’s next song begins and it’s Jelly Bean Queen.
Ace rolls his eyes, something I don’t believe I’ve ever seen from him, and smirks. He puts his mouth against my ear and a tremor rocks through me to match the beat of the song. “Shake it, baby.”
His hips and shoulders begin to move and his rhythm makes my reticence turn to uninhibited joy. I don’t care what I look like. I can’t stop my body as I let myself go and enjoy the song. It’s Jelly Bean Queen’s breakout song and the dancers love it.
Ace gives a nod to something above my head and I look up to see the DJ in a glass room suspended above us.
There’s a lot of bump and grind going on. Someone moves close to my back and I feel the heat of another body. I glance over my shoulder to see a guy’s back.
Ace moves behind me briefly, puts his hands on my hips and his lips to my hair. “I’ve got you.” His hands move up to caress my waist and back down to pull my hips closer to his. A tingling heat pools in my belly and shortens my breath.
He puts his mouth to the back of my neck. “You’re the hottest girl in this place. And you’re all mine.”
I gasp at the way my heartbeat accelerates, pounding louder than the beat of the music. He dances around to face me, encircles my waist with his embrace, hypnotizes me with the way he moves.
“You’re dangerous,” I say because I can only visualize one thing when he moves his hips. I see him moving above me and into me, giving me that intense stare that tells me we’re bonded.
I remember the fine sheen of sweat on his lean body. The male scent of him. The way he leaned down in the final moments and kissed me hard and deep.
He places his lips against my ear. “Only to you.”
; The song ends and he takes my hand to lead me away. I’m breathing harder than he is, maybe from my own little sexual fantasy at the end of the song.
“Pop or something else to drink?” he asks.
I nod, so we go to the bar and grab two drinks. Collin and Trina are still at the table, laughing with their heads close together. They stop when we sit down and Ace bends forward.
“Mal says you have tickets to Jelly Bean Queen. Can I pay you for them?” Ace asks. He’s relaxed and friendlier than when we came in. I’m pretty certain Trina’s appearance helped with that.
“Tickets are yours, brother. No need. Complimentary. It’s a backstage pass. You can have them. I’ve seen them before,” Collin says. “JBQ gave them to us because of the podcast. They loved it.”
“You’re not going?”
Collin shakes his head, a broad grin on his face. “Take your girlfriend,” he says to Ace and winks at me.
It’s evident Collin is giving away his pass, but Ace nods. “Thanks. Much appreciated. I owe you.”
Collin waves him off with a hand. “JBQ said to pick the passes up at the concert window.”
I realize I’ve had so much fun that I haven’t paid attention to the time. I unsnap the top of the small purse strapped across my body and check my cell. My breath catches in my throat and a chill envelopes me like I’m flash frozen.
I have fifteen minutes. Death follows me around and kills the people I love.
“Restroom,” I say to Ace. I rise from the chair and Trina scoots hers out, too.
“I’ll walk you,” Ace says.
“That’s silly.” My chest aches and regret pinches my mouth into a forced smile.
“Want me to come with?” Trina yells across the table. She’s already standing and grabbing her purse.
I shrug, my breaths coming faster as I try to think of a way to get outside alone and as far away from this place as possible before my time is up. If the prophecy is wrong, I’ll come back inside. If the timestamp does mean something, I can’t be with Ace.
