by Ruby Forrest
“Jack- Dean.” She tried to keep her voice light, “Thanks again for the hot chocolate.”
He nodded, wandering out of the bathroom, “You might want to decide where to sleep. It will be an early start tomorrow.”
Maria nodded, looking around. The bed seemed comfortable and inviting and she glanced at Jack- Dean, “Is it alright if I take the bed?” She looked around, concerned, “Where will you sleep?”
He chuckled, a low sound that sent shivers through Maria, “I can sleep anywhere. Take the bed.”
He genuinely didn’t seem to mind, so Maria nodded and grabbed her clothes. She headed into the bathroom, stripping for a quick shower, doing the essentials, before she dried off and changed into her pajamas. Finally feeling ready for bed, sleepy exhaustion washing over her, Maria made her way towards the bed, and slid inside. The sheets were a warm type of flannel, comfortable and soft. The covers were comfortable and smelt like smoke and pine. Maria sighed in satisfaction and content, her eyes slipping shut.
She heard Jack- Dean moving around, flicking off the lights and double checking that the doors were locked and latched. She opened her eyes, watching him from the bed. He slid onto the couch, collapsing onto it with languid grace. He stretched out and Maria watched him in the glow of the fire, the strength in his limbs as he stretched, the curve of his jawline as he arched, the water droplets tumbling to the ground.
She shivered and shut her eyes. She reminded herself that she didn’t really like him anyway, that just because he had done a nice thing for her and he knew her father, didn’t mean that she liked him, even in a professional way. She definitely didn’t like him, want him, or need him, in any other way, not as a friend, not as anything more. She certainly wasn’t attracted to him. She swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut harder.
Her work was her life and she didn’t have anyone to go home to. Still, that didn’t stop her wandering thoughts, from time to time. And Jack- Dean…well, Jack- Dean just happened to be fueling them in a way that she couldn’t quite wrap her head around. He was attractive, he was cold, and he was hot. He was passionate and completely detached all at the same time. He seemed to care so much about the animals and the forest but so very little about anything and anyone else. She didn’t know what to make of him, or what she was supposed to make of him. She didn’t know what to think, or how to act around him.
With a sigh, Maria shook her head. She was turning into a schoolgirl with a stupid crush. She wasn’t going to have that. She had work to do, work to focus on and Jack- Dean had made it clear enough that he didn’t want her around. She wouldn’t embarrass herself by going after a guy who couldn’t care less.
Still, as she drifted off to sleep, she did so to the sound of the wind outside, the smell of pine and smoke and the comforting sound of Jack- Dean’s breathing. It was perfect, even if she didn’t want to admit it to anyone. Not even to herself.
Chapter 4
I can feel his hand pressed over my mouth. His grip is tight, tight and unrelenting. My heart is pounding, racing a million miles per hour. I try to shift, but his voice is in my ear, hissing and low, “Stop moving!”
I feel the terror shudder down my spine, move through my body and pool to the floor beneath my feet. I have felt terror before. I have felt the unrelenting fear of eyes on my back, day after day. But this is different. This is something new, something intense, acute, and overwhelming.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.” His voice is soft in my ear, nothing more than a whisper, but it leaves me feeling cold. I can feel his strong arm wrapped around me, across my stomach, pinning my arms to my sides. My back is pressed against his chest, and I am flush with his body. It’s intimate. At a glance, it could be mistaken for a passionate embrace, but this is something different, something almost sinister.
“I need you to stay quiet.” I can feel his breath on my skin, hot against me. If he lets go, I’ll scream. I’ll run, make a break for it, do something, anything. My limbs feel frozen in place. I think about fighting, about resisting, but the strength in his arms is almost brutal.
There’s something familiar about him, familiar about the glimpse of his face that I caught, before he grabbed me. There’s something familiar in the lilt of his voice, the way he speaks. I know this man.
The realization is like a shock of cold water blasting my system, flooding my senses and leaving me breathless and gasping with fright. I know him! This is the same man who sat across from me last night. This is a man who I had talked to, shared my feelings with, and spoken about my future, my pain, my hopes and dreams.
Chester. The name is like a knife through my body, through my spirit. I thought that I could trust him, thought that he was my friend. I feel a fresh wave of agony rush through me and I blink back the tears that threaten to spill over. I won’t cry. I won’t cry in front of Chester.
I thought that I knew him. I shifted and I could feel the tension ripple through Chester, “Stop moving! I’m not here to hurt you! Just stay still for a minute.” His words spill from him in a hiss, a low threat that has the hair on the back of my neck sticking up.
I thought that I knew him. I thought that I was safe with him, but now I feel nothing but terror and pain coursing through my body, through my chest. I shouldn’t have trusted him. We had only met a few months ago, but he had changed my whole world, changed the way that I thought about things, the way that I treated life. He was like a breath of fresh air, a man who was both edgy and sophisticated, a man who was both cool and unbearably warm. He had seemed so special, so kind and thoughtful. He hadn’t pushed me like other men had- now I knew why!
I swallowed back the ache in my chest. This was the man who I was falling for. This was a man who made me consider dating again, when I had thought that this part of my life was long behind me. This was the man who had given me hope of a better future, of a future where love was possible, a future where happiness was within my grasp.
I feel the tears gathering on my lashes. There was an edge to him, an edge that spoke to my past, and the way that I had grown up, the struggle that I had experienced. He seemed wealthy, but there was something very real about him, something very relatable, something that I could almost reach out and touch.
We weren’t from worlds that were so different. He made me feel that we were close, that we were the same, despite our differences. He made me feel special. A tear rolled down my cheek.
And now he was here, like something out of my worst nightmare, grabbing me in the dark, covering my mouth and hissing threats in my ear. I trusted him. I cared for him. I had let myself think, just for a few, blissful weeks, that he was someone special, that he cared about me. That I should trust again.
I couldn’t believe how stupid I had been, so, so stupid! I had walked right into this and now I was paying for it. The cold air brushes my skin and I feel sick, nauseated. I can smell him, a sweet musk and I hate myself for the way it makes me feel. I can’t feel disgusted by him, no matter what he does. I can’t bring myself to hate him and that makes everything hurt all the more.
He shifts again and I feel his grip loosen, just a little. “Do you trust me?” He whispers.
My stomach lurches and I shake my head. Trust him? How could I ever trust him again?
I can hear him swallowing, his breathing catching, like I have somehow hurt him. He shakes his head and I can feel it against my skin. Then he speaks, “Well, right now, I don’t think that you really have a choice.”
***
Maria pushed herself upwards, a scream caught in her throat. She could still feel his hands on her skin, pushing her down, sending panicked jolts through her body. The blankets were suffocating and, in the dim lights, she wasn’t sure where she was, wasn’t sure what she was doing and where she was supposed to be. The panic that tore at her heart and soul was powerful an intense, sending shudders and shivers down her spine. She spun around, feeling the pounding, unrelenting ache.
Maria jolted upright, feeling sweat bead
down her brow. She shuddered, feeling the catch of the nightmare twisting over her skin. It had just been a dream, just a dream and nothing more. It was only a dream that had so caught her heart and made her tremble with the overwhelming ferocity of the emotion that was threatening her even now.
It had seemed too vivid, so real, so honestly entrenched and entwined within her imagination. She had felt his grip against her skin, felt the pressure as she was pushed against the wall. It had felt so real, the way that he had gripped her, his breath on her skin. Even more, despite the fact that she couldn’t see him, he had felt so familiar, felt so much like someone she should trust, should believe in, and should be looking forward to seeing. Instead, she had felt the sharp sting of betrayal, the sharp ache of someone who didn’t know why she had been let down so badly, let down in the worst of ways. She didn’t know why he had turned on her, she didn’t know who he was. All she knew was that she cared, she cared so much and he had let her down.
“Maria, are you okay?”
A voice cut through the panic that was flooding her system, a voice that was gentle and soft, powerful and calming all at the same time. She felt hands on her skin, someone’s arms wrapping around her. The terror of her dream came flooding back and she pushed him away.
His arms held firm and he held her against his chest. The smell of pine and smoke and the pleasant dirt outside hit her all at once. He smelt like the forest, like the cabin, like everything good in the world. Suddenly, Maria felt herself relaxing against him, collapsing against his chest. He felt so strong, so safe, so secure. He felt like everything she wanted and needed and so much more.
He was here, holding her tight and keeping her safe. He was here and she was okay. Maria tried to breathe, feeling it catch in her throat. His hands brushed her hair, stroked her skin, and held her tight. There was never a move to take advantage of her, but his hands were all over her, grounding her, soothing her, calming her. She felt like she was in the most protective embrace, felt the comfort and the soothing presence and the sensation that everything was going to be okay, everything was going to be alright.
“It’s okay.” His voice was a whisper in the dark, “It’s okay.” That’s all he said, over and over in quiet tones, but Maria could feel her body relaxing, feel the sensation of finally being able to breathe again. It washed over her in waves, washed over her in beautiful, peaceful waves that wouldn’t quit, that were everything she was looking for, everything she needed right now.
All at once, it came back to her. She was flooded with memories of the hike up here last night, getting settled in the cabin, the hot chocolate, the arguments, the peace, the sight of Jack- Dean falling asleep in the couch. It all came back to her with a jolt and she realized, without a shadow of a doubt, who was holding her tight, who was soothing her hair and holding her through the terror of her nightmare.
It was Jack- Dean. Jack- Dean’s arms were around her, Jack- Dean was holding her tight and keeping her safe against the fears that were running rampant in her head. Jack- Dean was the one keeping her safe, touching her skin, helping her breathe.
A man who she had all but written off for not giving a damn. A man who she thought couldn’t care less about people, or her, or anyone else. He was here when she needed someone the most. Suddenly, in the haze of sleep, in the grips of the quiet of the night and the intensity of the emotions in her body, Maria reached out and grabbed him too. She held him tight, her fingertips digging into his skin.
Then she leaned forward and her lips were pressing against his. All she could think about was the way he looked in the firelight, the light of the embers dancing across his skin, highlighting his features. All she could think about was the taste of his lips on hers, the sensation of him kissing her, kissing her back with everything that he had. She felt his hands tighten around her waist and suddenly, he was kissing her passionately, with unbridled ferocity. Maria was grabbing at his clothes, pulling his shirt over his head and pulling him tight against her.
He felt incredible. He tasted like the forest, smelt like it too, felt like a dream in her arms. He held her close, pushing her back against the softness of the sheets. His lips found her neck, sucking and kissing at the soft and sensitive curve of her throat, trailing kisses down and leaving Maria breathless. She ran her hands over his skin, feeling the curves of his muscles, chiseled and carved into his skin. She slid her hands up and down his body, feeling every speck of tension, every hair, and every scar that was cut into his skin.
She felt them all and she loved it. She loved the way the muscles in his shoulders bunched when he moved, loved the feeling of his body against her skin, his lips against hers. She didn’t say a word and she didn’t need to. Everything passing between them was so physical, so intense, so without words.
She moved and he pulled her shirt off easily and threw it aside. Then his hands were on her skin, caressing her, feeling the curve of her stomach and breasts, which he cupped gently in his broad, warm hands. He slid his fingers across the sensitive skin, brushing her nipples with his thumbs and almost making her cry out with pleasure.
It had been so long since she’d been with a man, but it was more than that. There was something electrical passing between them, something that was more than anything she had ever felt before. There was something intense crackling in the air, filling it with light, shuddering through them both and leaving them both breathless and shuddering with need and desire. She could feel the lust and want and desire coursing through her like a wave.
Something about this man was so irresistible, and, in the dark of night, there was little to tell her to stop, little to pull her away from the beauty and desire and want that was rising inside of the both of them. It was perfect. It was breath taking and perfect and she wanted and needed it more than she could possibly say.
Jack- Dean’s kisses were moving lower, sliding down her body. She moaned softly, as his kisses slid towards the sensitive skin of her breasts, where he sucked and licked and set her body on fire. The fireworks the exploded over her skin were perfect, were breathtaking, were everything that she needed and wanted.
Maria moaned as he slid his hands towards her pants, pulling at them and sliding them down her skin. She obliged, feeling the fabric fall away and leaving her dressed in nothing. Jack- Dean followed suit quickly and, somehow, things immediately felt better between them, felt more honest and open and raw. She could feel him closer, feel the sensation of his skin against hers, feel the rise and fall of his breathing, feel his hands on hers, all the more.
It was like they were built to be close like this, like the distance of the light and clothes and words were just pulling them apart, like this was exactly where they were supposed to be. For a moment, Maria felt no guilt, no worries, and no problems pressing down on her. For a moment, there was only this, and it was perfect.
She kisses his skin, running her tongue over it and shivering with lustful desires that rose up inside her unbidden and overwhelmingly wonderful. He felt so incredible. He tasted like the forest, smelt like it too, felt like a dream in her arms. He held her close, pushing her back against the softness of the sheets. His lips found her neck, sucking and kissing at the soft and sensitive curve of her throat, trailing kisses down and leaving Maria breathless. She ran her hands over his skin, feeling the curves of his muscles, chiseled and carved into his skin. She slid her hands up and down his body, feeling every speck of tension, every hair, and every scar that was cut into his skin.
When he pressed against her, Maria didn’t need to think, didn’t need to do anything but part her legs. She felt his hand press between, against the burning heat of her desire. Then his fingers were pressing at her entrance and Maria thought that she might scream with pleasure. It felt so good, so overwhelmingly good. The nightmare was long forgotten, long pulled away from her mind. Now, there was only the feeling of Jack- Dean’s fingertips sliding slowly within her, bringing her mind-blowing pleasure twisting around her body and leaving her gasping and moanin
g with desire.
She shuddered, moaning, feeling Jack- Dean’s touch blind her to anything else. He felt so good. Jack- Dean. A man she had only just met. Jack- Dean, a man who she didn’t know much about and yet, felt so overwhelmingly connected to. Jack- Dean, a man who she was losing herself to more and more and she just didn’t give a damn about it.
She moaned, writhing and arching her body into his touch, into every moment of pleasure that was flooding her mind and body. It was everything she needed and wanted. He felt incredible. He tasted like the forest, smelt like it too, felt like a dream in her arms. He held her close, pushing her back against the softness of the sheets. His lips found her neck, sucking and kissing at the soft and sensitive curve of her throat, trailing kisses down and leaving Maria breathless. She ran her hands over his skin, feeling the curves of his muscles, chiseled and carved into his skin. She slid her hands up and down his body, feeling every speck of tension, every hair, and every scar that was cut into his skin.
She trembled and shuddered and groaned, feeling the pleasure rise inside of her, feeling it peak and overwhelm her in the best ways.
“Jack- Dean!” She gasped his name, breathless and shaky, arching into him. Then he pulled away, leaving her wanting and desperate for more. She shuddered, trembling with desire as he shifted, so that his weight pressed against her, that she felt him pressing between her legs. Maria lifted her legs, wrapping them around him, arching and moaning back. She whimpered softly, “Yes, yes…more!”
She felt him push inside her slowly, felt the size of him, his girth slide within her, leave her panting for breath, shaking with barely restrained lusts and desires, “Yes, yes….!”
