by Meg Jackson
As the dust began to clear, Reign watched Gabriella’s eyes twinkle slightly. Their destination was becoming more vivid, less of the haze of heat to obscure their view. An oasis if there ever was one: the road ended in a ring of tiny but strong trees and bushes, all centered around a small lake, the water greenish-blue from the reflection of the sky. Gabriella turned to Reign, a smile on her face as big as the desert itself.
“What is this?” she asked.
“A lake,” Reign said.
“In the middle of the desert?”
Reign shrugged. Who knew how long it had been there, where it came from, how it formed? In the heat of the day, the oppressive monotony of the desert sand, it was a gift from God. Cold, clear water, perfect for swimming off the midday sweat.
“Can we swim in it?” Gabriella asked, brow furrowing. “Is it, like, polluted or, like, have weird algae?”
“Algae yes, polluted no. But we can swim in it; everyone does. The algae is just around the edges.”
As the car pulled up to the little lake, which was only about half the size of a football field, Gabriella peered in earnest at the still pool.
“I don’t have a bathing suit,” she said, turning back to Reign, who grinned boyishly. She blushed, knowing that he knew that as well as she did.
Reign loved seeing her blush. He wanted to make her do that all the time. He wanted to do lots of things to her, and for her, all the time. But he didn’t have “all the time”: he had now. And now he was going to do his damn best to show her everything he wished he had “all the time” to show her.
“Last one in,” he said, shedding his jacket and shirt quickly before dashing towards the water, kicking his boots away even as he undid his belt and threw his pants off to the side. Gabriella clasped her hands to her mouth to stifle a laugh; handsome as he was, he still looked hilarious, his pale butt nearly gleaming in the strong sun. He splashed into the water with a bellow, turning to her, his manhood exposed for only a moment before disappearing under the water.
Even that little glimpse, though, was enough to get Gabriella’s mind turning with memories of what she’d already experienced – and fantasies of what she might experience in the future. She walked slowly towards the water, still nervous about exposing herself to him. He floated on his back in the water, eyes closed, a serene smile on his face.
“Water’s fine, baby,” he said, craning his neck to look at her as she stood uncertainly at the edge.
Gabriella gulped. He’d only ever seen her in the dark…what if he didn’t like what she offered in the full light of day?
“If you don’t come in, I’ll throw you in,” he said, playfully threatening. He turned over in the water, his chest now facing her as he tread water.
“Is it deep?” Gabriella asked, desperate to stall.
“You think I won’t do it? I’ll do it,” Reign said, now beginning to stride towards her, the water parting before him.
“No, no! I got it, I get it, I’m getting in,” Gabriella said, the idea of being thrown into the lake the only thing worse than the idea of shedding all her clothes in broad daylight in front of this way-too-handsome-for-her man. Blushing, she kicked her shoes to the side and turned around.
“Aw, come on,” Reign groaned, and Gabriella shot him a look over her shoulder. With a deep breath, she shut her eyes and threw her shirt off, letting it land near Reign’s jeans. Like a band-aid, she thought, knowing that the longer she took to expose herself the more ashamed she’d be.
In a moment, she was undressed, still with her back turned to Reign. He didn’t mind the view one bit; her luscious hips opened up onto her wide, inviting bottom, plump and edible. Her long black hair hung to the middle of her back, and when she turned to look at Reign again over her shoulder he watched as it waved and slid like silk over her skin. He felt his cock twitching as he imagined that hair cascading over his chest, suffocating him with her scent, each strand tickling him from head to toe…
Gabriella was bolstered when she saw the way Reign stared at her naked body. It made her feel like Venus in the oyster shell. She turned and waded into the water, her tanned skin glistening in the sun and heat.
Reign let his eyes eat up the sight of her; she was perfect, every curve and inch of her inciting a riot in his nerves, his cock throbbing to life as the water parted before her. She gasped then giggled as she waded further, the water lapping up to her delicate sex, the blush in her cheeks only making her more attractive. She eased herself further in, the water slowly covering her, much to Reign’s consternation. She paddled over to him, the relief of the cool water evident on her face as she smiled and closed her eyes.
“Told you it was nice,” he said as she got closer. She laughed, the sound like tinkling bells to his ears. It was all he could do not to grab her right then.
Gabriella felt the heat that had taken up residence in her skin slipping away as the cool water enveloped her. She cast short, furtive glances at Reign, still ashamed of her nakedness. His hair was wet and clung to his forehead and neck, like a frame for his handsome face. Droplets of clear water clung to his beard. His lips were parted, his mouth full and moist, her own tongue darting out to lick her lips, instinctively, wanting to be nearer to him.
Her body felt weightless, her nipples tight and hard from the sudden cold of the water, her pussy awakening as she let her body relax. The water seemed to warm up the closer she got to Reign. Or maybe it was her imagination, her own body temperature rising as she felt that magnetic pull towards him, his torso gleaming and shimmering, his manhood hidden under the rippling water.
The thought of it, though, was enough to increase the blush on Gabriella’s cheeks tenfold. They were close now, close enough to touch; Gabriella felt Reign’s eyes on her, the distorted view of her body beneath the water’s surface.
When she thought she couldn’t stand another moment under his gaze, the heat and promise of him making her almost pained with wanting, he leaned down and laid a soft kiss on her lips, light and fluttering, like her heart as it raced beneath her ribs. Gabriella closed her eyes and moaned into the kiss as Reign’s arms came to encircle her; she found she could stand in the water, on her tiptoes, and stopped paddling, letting herself be drawn into his embrace.
Reign’s fingertips picked up on each inch of her body as they made contact, sending back thrills of energy to his mind as he drew her in, her face tilted upwards to meet his lips. She tasted like salty desert dust and cool water all at the same time, her lips full and soft beneath his.
He felt a humming moan escape her lips, felt the vibrations roll through his body, making him want her even more. He raised one hand to her throat, gently taking hold of it and tilting her head back as his lips fall to her jawline, kissing alongside her chin and towards her ear, then down her long, slender neck. Each kiss made him want the next one more, seemed inevitable, inciting little shudders from her body and cries from her mouth as she closed her eyes and lost herself in the pleasure.
Gabriella felt Reign’s kisses like feathers against her flesh, tickling her down to her pussy, filling her with a tingling need for more. She felt her eyes roll back, a feverish heat in her body, her desire rising up and threatening to overcome her. No one had ever had this effect on Gabriella; she had always been so demure, so shy. Now, with Reign, she wanted to be dirty, she wanted to be taken wantonly, she wanted to beg for it.
“I want to feel you inside me,” she said, suddenly, shortly, the sound of her own voice surprising her. Reign growled against her, dragged his teeth against the tender flesh of her neckline, his cock springing fully to life at the sound of her voice. He gripped her tighter, one arm around her back, the other cradling her ass; she could feel his hardness pressing between her thighs, squirmed in his clutches, heart beating heavy now as her own desire reached a peak. “Please, fuck me.”
“Not until I’m ready,” Reign said, his voice a snarl, his mouth buried in her throat, his fingers digging into her, sending fireworks to her brain with
each pressure point. She felt her nipples graze his hard chest and moaned, arching her back, wanting more.
Reign pulled back slightly, their eyes locked as he brought one hand to her chest, his thumb just grazing one of her nipples as he took hold of her breast. She moaned as he massaged her, his fingers now coming together to tweak her nipple gently, drawing her closer, her body asking for more. He responded by pushing her back, keeping her in a state of need, the sensation of his fingers playing with one breast, then the other, a slow and delicious torture.
“Please,” Gabriella moaned, her eyes closed in pleasure as Reign’s head dipped low once more, his lips taking the place of his fingers, closing over her erect nipple and flicking it gently with his tongue. His hand favoured the other nipple as his tongue danced over the hard nub, sucking it inwards, feeling the slight shaking of Gabriella’s begging body as he kept her at bay.
Suddenly, Gabriella felt herself lifted as Reign grabbed her waist, raising her halfway out of the water, her clit pressed against his stomach. His mouth still hovered over her breast, his tongue darting forward to lap at her nipples as her clit ground against his hard torso. She shivered, the fire between her legs roaring, moaning as he took her nipple between his teeth, giving it the slightest nibble, making her clutch him closer and tighter. Her pussy, wet with desire, rubbed into his ribs as his hand came up to fondle her breast; she felt weightless, airy, dizzy with desire.
And, just as suddenly as he’d lifted her, he let her fall, her clit screaming with need for stimulation. She landed on her tiptoes once more, and Reign spun her around, now grabbing her from behind, his hard cock pressed against her plump ass, just barely grinding between her thighs.
His hands came to her breasts once more, kneading them, as his teeth grazed her earlobe, his hot breath entering her there, seeming to sweep away any thoughts in her brain that weren’t entirely devoted to her lust. She moaned and pressed her ass against him, feeling his hardness, wanting it more and more with each passing second.
“Reign…” she murmured, reaching behind her to clutch his body closer, spreading her legs as best she could while standing on her toes. He entered her quickly, slipping into her wetness with a groan, her pussy welcoming him as though it had waited an entire lifetime. She whimpered as he held his cock deep inside her for a long, lurid moment, his hands pressing into her, their bodies glued together in the cool water that gently rippled around them.
Reign let one hand gently fall across her stomach, her flesh jumping as his fingertips trailed downwards. He found her pussy and parted the lips, her clit straining forward, begging for his touch. He drew one finger across it, slowly, and pumped into her.
“Oh, fuck,” Gabriella moaned, her head lolling backwards against his chest as her body sang with pleasure. His tongue snaked around her ear as his finger circled her clit, his hips now thrusting against her ass, his hard cock massaging her pussy as it tensed and clenched around his shaft.
“Yeah, baby,” Reign moaned into her ear, his cock throbbing as her cunt enveloped it, her wetness tickling every nerve, her pussy sucking him back in greedily with each thrust. He rolled her hard clit under his fingers, feeling the blood rush to her sex, her panting a metronome keeping the pace.
He wanted to feel her come on him, wanted his dick to swim in her juices, wanted to watch her buck and writhe in his arms. He sped up his attentions to her clit, pressing harder against the tender button, even as he thrust harder and deeper into her.
She struggled to stand in the deep water, and he walked her forward until she stood on her feet, her chest now exposed above the water, heaving and glistening. She was thrusting against him now, her body hungry for him, her pussy almost vibrating around his cock as he plunged into her, faster and harder with each stroke.
“Come for me, Gabriella,” he growled into her ear, and she felt the reverberations all the way down to her clenching toes. His fingers on her clit sped up, and she felt jagged darts of pleasure shredding her mind into pieces, her fingernails digging into his skin, her muscles stretching to the point of snapping as his cock stroked her pussy over and over, digging into her most sensitive being, driving a bubble of pressure into her stomach that built and built with each second.
She panted, eyes closed tight, mouth open, until she felt him slam into her hard enough to rock her body forward, and like a key turning in a lock she came, his fingers pinching her clit, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her body as her muscles rippled and gave in blissful release.
Reign felt her pussy clench violently around his cock, felt the flow of warm juices spilling forth from her, bathing his cock as he plunged into her again, holding her tight to him, feeling the head of his cock being massaged by her vibrating cunt. With a groan he felt his balls churn and the deep satisfaction of his cum spilling into her, filling her womb with sticky, warm seed.
His body shuddered against her as he came for what felt like forever, her pussy milking the cum from his cock, each spurt of his seed hitting her rippling walls, mixing with her juices, filling her. The sound of her moaning through her climax only made it better for him, only made each twitching release seem to last and last.
His teeth bit down on the soft flesh of her shoulder, one hand clutching her breast, pulling her close to him, while the other rubbed gently at her clit. It was too soon when he felt the last of his cum burst from his shaft, and the gradual softening of his cock began.
He stayed inside her as long as he could, eyes closed, the feel of her pussy still gently contracting a warm glow of pleasure. Finally, he slid from her, the cold water shocking in comparison to her heat. He didn’t pull away until she shook and her knees seemed to buckle. Then, he released her, only to feel her clutch him against her, Gabriella’s hands desperate and hungry on his back. Sweaty, overheated, they stood in the water, which could never have been cold enough to put out the flames between them.
22
Silas’ plan was convoluted, but to him it seemed easy as pie. He assumed – from snippets of overheard conversation – that little Gabriella was planning on ditching Ditcher’s Valley in short order. He’d already convinced dear Jeremy to wait until the right moment to strike – a hard task, to be sure, but one he’d handled with admiral tact.
It was a good plan. Not a perfect plan, but then again there was no such thing as a perfect plan. Silas had been down enough roads to learn that. Like that rap song said, you can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather.
But all Silas had to do was be patient, be alert, be cautious, and be smart. And he already was all those things. Even if he couldn’t pull it all off, chances of his own demise being a part of the catastrophe that would ensue were slim. His biggest asset, greatest skill, was the ability to get his ass to safety before it ever felt heat from the flames.
He might leave a lot of bodies in his wake, and he might end up no richer than he’d started out, but he’d live to work another day. And his was not the sort of industry where you could write a Yelp review. His clients got the references he wanted them to get. As far as anyone could ever know, he’d never even been in Utah.
A good plan, indeed, Silas thought as he pulled his truck off the highway. They were halfway to Ditcher’s Valley. He wanted a milkshake and a hamburger.
“Where are you going?” His passenger demanded.
“Hungry,” Silas said gruffly, not in the mood for conversation.
“I’m not paying you to stuff your gob,” Jeremy said, matching his tone. Silas shot him a look.
“We’re in no rush, copper. We have to wait until your little lady leaves on her own. I told you that when we made the deal,” he said.
“Well, sure, but what if she leaves before…”
“I’m hungry, and you’re hungry, too. And you better not be so fucking impatient once we get there, son. If you try and sneak off and find her yourself, you’re only gonna find yourself in a world and a half of hurt. I can promise you that, son,” Silas said.
“I
can fucking wait. I’m the one paying you, don’t forget that. And I’m a goddam cop. One wrong move, I make some calls, you’re toast. Don’t underestimate me, prick,” Jeremy shot back.
Silas didn’t say anything, just pulled into the first drive-thru fast food joint he saw at the end of the highway’s exit ramp. Evidently, Jeremy had moved past fuming and was thinking a little clearer. That wasn’t very good for Silas, but it wasn’t terrible, either. He just wished Jeremy would stay in his little rage bubble.
He also hoped the girl would leave town tomorrow; the longer they had to wait, the more impatient his client would become. In his plan, the biggest unknown was this volatile man beside him. One wrong step on Jeremy’s part and Silas would have the unfortunate need to kill the guy.
He didn’t mind killing, he just hated how messy it was. He didn’t need Jeremy to get Gabriella; he could catch her and beat her up himself. It might even be better for Silas if Jeremy wasn’t there to whoosh Gabriella back to Colorado; live bait was always best. But Jeremy still owed him half his fee, and he wanted that money. And he didn’t want to have to wash blood out of any of his stuff. It was so hard to get out.
23
I lay in the backseat of my new car and sighed, one hand resting happily on my stomach, my head on Reign’s still-naked lap, my hair running all over his thighs.
It was still hot.
And what we’d been indulging in only made it hotter.
God, I couldn’t stand to do anything but close my eyes and hum along to the radio. I couldn’t think about anything except the blue sky and my tingling body. I didn’t want to think about the past, and I was even less excited to think about the future.
Somehow, all my desire to keep heading south had slipped away. I mean, I still knew I had to, but that pulsing drive, that need to get away, my fantasies about life across the border, were gone. Perhaps for good. I hoped not, because if that compulsion to get the hell away from Colorado disappeared, I might never leave.
