ENSLAVED BY SHIFTERS

by Astrid Lee Donovan

  “I’m sorry, but it’s late and I should get home.” Elaine tried to hide the forlorn tone from her voice and finished off her drink. She’d get a good night’s sleep and wake up in the morning with a dry mouth and a minor ache to remind her of why she should avoid Jody’s invitations to parties. However, the final buzz she got from the alcohol would be worth it. She’d sleep without nightmares that night, she was sure.

  “I saw you come in with those boys in the mustang. You don’t have a ride?” Ethan took her cup from her and tossed it into a trashcan not too far from where they stood.

  “You offering?” Part of her wanted him to say no and the other was eager for him to drive her home.

  “It’s not a mustang, but I think it’ll do,” Ethan said as he pulled out a set of keys. He reached down to take her free hand again and she idly wondered why she would allow such a brazen move. They were no longer in the dark as they walked in front of the entrance to the barn, and everyone who wanted to look could see that she was leaving with the tall, dark fireman.

  A tiny voice at the back of her mind wondered if people were judging her in that instant. She was two years out from being a widow, but should she wait five before she was even interested in anyone? Then that tiny part of her mind chastised her for even going there. Ethan was giving her a ride home. It was as simple as that.

  “Whoa, wait. You’re a fireman and you’ve had a beer. Shouldn’t you call a cab or something?” He didn’t look dazed or tipsy in the least, but she knew that allowing him to get into a vehicle when he’d had alcohol could put his entire career at risk.

  “I’ve had water all night, sweetheart. I’ve seen one too many cars wrapped around trees to make that mistake,” Ethan told her as he looked down at his keys and pressed a button on the fob. A set of headlights flashed in the night and was low to the ground.

  Elaine stopped short when she saw she was about to climb into the passenger seat of an Audi with just two seats, which told her it was fast. “Wow, this is a nice car,” she said as he helped her sit down and pulled the seatbelt forward.

  “Thanks, saved up for it for a while,” Ethan told her before he closed the door. He made his way around to the driver’s side and turned on the heated seats. They felt good against her chilled thighs and back, and the blues playing from the speakers almost calmed her into falling asleep.

  Ethan drummed his fingers on the wheel as he drove. He wasn’t slow like a grandmother, but he seemed to take his time as he weaved through the back streets and carefully turned down his headlights when the high beams weren’t necessary any longer. Elaine watched the way his capable hands slid over the wheel as he drove and wondered if any man had ever looked as sexy as he did behind the wheel. There was a graceful power to his movements that fascinated her.

  Before she knew it, she was unbuckling her seatbelt and leaning over the console to get a whiff of the cologne mixed with the scent of heady male she had gotten earlier.

  6

  “Hey, what are you doing?” Ethan’s words were a contrast to the deep vibration of his voice that told her he felt just as lit up as she was. He took a left where he should have taken a right onto her street and pulled over next to a clump of bushes.

  “Don’t tell me you’re not feeling it. You’ve been holding my hand all night and giving me those wistful looks,” Elaine breathed into his ear as she reached her hand down to feel his strong thigh. She was feeling particularly warm due to the alcohol, and she wasn’t going to waste the opportunity when she hadn’t felt anything toward a man for a long while.

  “Elaine,” he told her firmly as he wrapped his fingers around her wrist and gently pulled her hand away. “You’ve had two beers and a shot of whiskey. I’m not about to take advantage of you,” he chastised gently as he turned to her.

  “You’re not. I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions, Ethan, and I’m telling you right now that if you don’t kiss me, I’m going to get out and walk home. This is your only chance.” He seemed to hesitate, and it was long enough that Elaine felt embarrassed and guilty about her actions. She turned away from him quickly and groped for the door handle, but she didn’t find it soon enough.

  Ethan wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and drew her back to him. He pulled her easily over the console and his lips found hers. They were soft, full, and moist. Ethan’s teeth grazed against her upper lip and she felt his tongue trace the seam of her lips. His warm, large hand fell onto the small of her back and her knees fell to either side of his hips, as she got comfortable. Elaine had to arch her head down to kiss him, and immediately opened her mouth to him when he pressed with the tip of his tongue.

  Fire shot through her veins and warmth pooled between her legs as he explored her mouth. Their tongues danced around each other and swirled effortlessly. Elaine wondered what it would be like to have him between her legs, lapping at her nub and biting it just like he was nibbling her lips. He caught her bottom lip between his teeth and gave a gentle tug.

  They stopped for just an instant to look at each other, neither one of them saying a word. Then she leaned down and picked up the kiss where it had left off. Ethan’s free hand turned off the car and the interior light dimmed, leaving the two of them in the dark. His hand on her back pulled her closer and she could feel the warmth radiating from his erection. She wanted to reach down and free it but wondered if he would stop their antics if she did.

  Ethan’s left hand was on her right hip. Gently, as if he were peeling off a Band-Aid, he lifted up the hem of her shirt and his bare flesh touched hers. “Oh,” she whispered at the jolt of electricity that seemed to shoot through her entire body.

  After that, everything seemed to become a blur. Ethan’s hand roamed higher until he was fumbling at her bra clasp with both hands. His tongue was doing wicked things to her lips and he was nibbling at her neck in between trying to get the clasp undone. When it finally broke loose, she felt her breasts sigh with relief at being released and helped Ethan pull off her shirt. He took his time and trailed kisses as he removed each bra strap. When she was topless before him, he held her at arm’s length and ran his knuckles gently across her cheek.

  “You’re more beautiful than I imagined,” he told her gently. Elaine averted her gaze and felt her cheeks flush at his absurd words. She’d had a child, and she knew that some things were not the same as they once were. “Hey, look at me,” he demanded gently. He used his thumb and forefinger to guide her chin so that she would look him in the eyes.

  Words were unnecessary after that. Ethan told her with his gaze just how much he thought she was beautiful, and then he raked his teeth against one of her erect nipples and sent her over the edge. It had been months since she’d even given herself the pleasure of her own hand, so the touch of a real live man’s tongue flicking over her nipple sent her into a premature orgasm. She arched and gasped as her hips writhed on his lap.

  Ethan reached between her legs and felt the warmth confirm that she had indeed come without him even having to touch her nub. He seemed both shocked and pleased when she became warm and loose in his hands. He took her hips and pulled her in close so that she could feel the hard length of him poking out of the top of his jeans. The he took her other nipple between his teeth and fondled the free one with his thumb and forefinger, sending waves of pleasure through her body.

  Elaine throbbed and squirmed as she tried to pull her pants down, but Ethan wasn’t helping her. He removed her hands gently and put them on his shoulders, never losing pace with his tongue and his teeth. His eager lapping at the pink peaks sent her over the edge a second time and she cried out his name. She had feared the wrong name would be spoken between her lips, but Ethan’s came out clear and loud.

  “God, twice?” he asked with a chuckle and had a look of profound gratitude. He pulled away from her and gently helped her into the passenger seat. Her legs were still over the console and he deftly unbuttoned her jeans.

  “Oh, yes,” Elaine whispered when she
felt him tugging her pants off. Next were her undies, an embarrassing shade of hot pink. Ethan didn’t seem to think they were embarrassing in the least when he tossed them to the car’s floor with her pants. He dropped his seat back as far as it would go and leaned over so that she could feel his five o’clock shadow tickling between her thighs.

  Elaine realized she was going to get what she was hoping for and shivered with anticipation. Ethan’s wet, warm tongue swirled kisses down her leg until he was almost at her nether lips. She felt the rough pads of this thumbs as his hands trailed up her small waist and she sucked in a deep breath when she felt his fingers grasp hold of her nipples.

  “I want to hear you say it,” he told her gently and she could feel his breath on her throbbing clit. “Say you want me to,” he demanded of her.

  His fingers gave a gentle twist and she arched as she gasped for air. “Yes, please, Ethan-” She was cut off as his lips formed a circled around her nub and his tongue gently flicked back and forth across the delicate, erect flesh. Tears of gratitude and pleasure filled Elaine’s eyes and she felt them leaking from the corners as she tried to contain her third orgasm.

  The walls of her pussy tightened and warmth sizzled through her, but she held off until the last second. It was an explosion of heat and undeniable pleasure as his teeth grazed against her clit and brought her to her climax. Her hips thrust up and wave after wave of pleasure pulsed through her as her clit throbbed eagerly.

  Ethan continued to suckle and lap enthusiastically at her clit until she began to pull away because it was too sensitive. He stiffened his tongue and drove it into her, lapping and diving in and out of her swollen pussy. When he had eaten her out completely, he pulled back and she saw him unbutton his jeans. He leaned over her and pulled a condom from the glove box. Elaine noted how large he was in the dark and bit her bottom lip when he gestured for her to climb on him.

  She was hesitant as she hovered over the large, mushroom-shaped head of his erect penis, but Ethan wasn’t having her be shy at that moment. He grasped her hips with his hands and gently lowered her onto him. She was tight and swollen from her orgasms and he hissed as he slid into her. “You’re so fucking tight,” he told her in a deep, husky voice.

  “You’re so big,” she gasped as she gripped the door and the headrest to stop her descent. Ethan leaned up and took her nipple in his teeth. He suckled gently and she felt herself relax enough to allow him to slide in all the way.

  He was a tight fit, and she couldn’t help but think that no one had been as big as him. There was a moment of stillness and she framed his face with her hands as she looked down at him. Her hair hung in her face a little and she felt her pussy tighten and relax with the after waves of her previous orgasms. Then she began to rock her hips back and forth gently, feeling the way his erection throbbed with each movement.

  She had imagined it would be fast and hard, but Ethan pulled her up to the tip with precision and pulled her back down with a cruel, gentle slowness. He pulled his pants down so that she could feel the way her bottom hit his large, bulging sac and her anus puckered each time it was tickled. When she thought she couldn’t take any more of the torture, Ethan reached down and gave her needy clit a small flick. Her gasp of appreciation was all he needed. He thrust into her hard and gave her nub a small pinch, bringing her to her fourth and final orgasm.

  His thrusts became quicker and less controlled as he felt her pulsing around him, and she could feel his sac tightening into a hard ball as she bounced up and down. “Ethan!” she cried out as he came inside of her. She could feel his hot cum pouring into the condom and was blissfully aware of his orgasm.

  “Fuck,” he whispered hoarsely as he settled her on his still erect penis. “Elaine,” he said as he pulled her in for a deep kiss. Then he helped her off and helped her find her clothes. He was cleaned up within a few minutes, and she wondered if any of it had happened at all.

  When they pulled up beside her home, she turned to him and they shared a smile. His was brazen while hers was shy and wicked. “I didn’t get your number,” he told her quietly as he drummed his fingers on the wheel.

  Elaine shrugged her shoulder and opened her car door. “You have my address,” she told him as she slipped out of the car. She waited by the driver’s side for him to roll down the window. They shared a deep kiss and she sighed as she pulled away from him. “Goodnight,” she told him quietly.

  “Goodnight. I’ll see you around,” he told her as a promise. Elaine felt both sexy and a little confused as she walked up the front steps of her mother’s home. The porch light was off, so she slipped in quietly and closed the door behind her. Then she peeked out the curtain and watched Ethan’s Audi disappear into the night.

  She wondered if he meant what he said about not knowing her number. Most guys probably wouldn’t call or show up after a night like they just shared, but she hoped he would. Elaine crept up the stairs to her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed without removing her clothes. She pulled the covers over her head and promptly fell into a deep sleep. The last thought she had before she fell asleep was a mental image of Ethan’s face as he came. He had been so innocent at that moment, so naked and exposed.

  It had felt like more than just a random night of car sex. It had felt like the beginning of something.

  TAKEN BY THE HERO

  1

  “Shit,” Elaine whispered as she rolled over in her bed. “What did I do?” she thought aloud as she pulled the covers over her crop of ash blonde hair and closed her gray eyes. There were blurs of a man. Ethan, his name was Ethan, she mentally chastised as her head throbbed and her body ached in response.

  There was the sound of something crashing downstairs and she winced as the vibrations resounded in her ears like the echo of screeching nails on a chalkboard. Why had she drunk so much? Why had she slept with a stranger? And what was going to happen now that she’d exposed herself so vulnerably?

  You’re going to get up out of bed and be a mother because that’s who you are now. No more lying around moping about a hangover. Chop-chop, she thought as she pulled the covers down and felt her eyes water with pain when she opened them. She’d forgotten all about drinking two glasses of water before bed because she’d never been much of a drinker before her husband passed away. And she limited herself to once a year.

  It probably wasn’t a healthy habit to drink on the anniversary of her husband’s death, but it was the one day where she couldn’t handle anything. But it’s not today, she thought as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and heard her mother laughing. Whatever had happened, at least Thomas was still right where he belonged and her mother was still being the crazy woman she knew.

  They were most likely acting out pictures on tarot cards again. Elaine hoped they weren’t looking at the one where the man was jumping off the tower burning. It was grotesque and disturbed her, but she often wondered if it hit close to home. The man seemed to be spiraling out of control, and despite her best efforts to remain a good mother and a present human being in her life, she felt out of control.

  Her feet whispered across the floor, she grabbed the robe from the back of her bedroom door and slipped it on. There was another laugh and the sound of something else crashing. She’d better get downstairs, but not until she cleaned herself up a bit and got rid of the smeared makeup. Thomas didn’t need to know where she had been last night or what she had done. He didn’t need to have an inkling that his mother hadn’t come home at an appropriate time.

  “Elaine, breakfast is ready!” called Priscilla, Elaine’s fifty-something mother and crazy tarot card reading roommate, called up the stairs.

  “I’m coming. Just a minute,” she whispered back hoarsely. Her hand went to her throbbing forehead as if she were trying to keep it from cracking open, and she imagined little aliens banging around with hammers as she brushed her teeth.

  By the time she had the ick out of her mouth and her face was pristine, her headache was starting to disappear. It
might have been the three or four handfuls of water she gulped before she started her morning ritual. She pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and went back to her room to change into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

  The smell of eggs, pancakes, and bacon assaulted her as she took each step down the stairs very slowly and painfully. There was an ache between her thighs that she wasn’t sure she should regret or not. Ethan had been nice, but she really didn’t know much about the fireman that she’d jumped the previous night, and she was a little reluctant to bring him into her life now that she was sober.

  Too late for that, she thought as she sat down at the kitchen table.

  Thomas turned to look at her with a flushed face and a bright smile as he dutifully mixed up more pancake batter. She’d never get over how dark blue his eyes were and how much they reminded her of her late husband.

  “Are you two cooking for an army?”

  “Of course we are!” Her mother turned around with a spatula in hand and smiled. It was odd how much her smile looked like Thomas’.

  “Cooking for the army!” Thomas echoed. He giggled innocently and dipped one of his army men into the batter.

  “I’ll have a cup of coffee,” Elaine muttered as she stood to grab a mug. Her mother gave her a look that suggested she knew exactly why her daughter was opting for only coffee. Elaine couldn’t tell if there was disapproval or interest in her mother’s gaze.

  “Are you working today?” Priscilla asked as she flipped an egg.

  “I’m not. Haley needed the extra hours so I gave her mine. She’s saving up for something.” Elaine took a sip of the black coffee and shivered with disgust. She liked her coffee with a lot of sugar and cream, but she’d need it black this morning if she were going to take Thomas to the park. She always took Thomas to the park when she was home.

  “Park?” Thomas asked eagerly and dipped his hand in the batter by accident. Elaine set down her coffee and picked him up by his waist so that he could wash his hands in the sink.