by Penny Wylder
I step up to her and hold out my hand. She puts her hand in mine. Her hands are small, her skin smooth, her fingers long and delicate with manicured nails. Dainty. We shake, then I grab her small frame. She gasps when I lift her off of her chair and set her on top of the table. My hand rests at the small of her back, nearly touching her ass as I whisper, “You have a deal.”
“But you forgot something,” I say. She stares at me, confused. “One night is the upfront cost.”
Her blind, wet need for me is the interest. Her payment for the years of never apologizing for what she did to me.
“I want you tonight,” I tell her. “That’s how this will go down. I won’t lift a finger for you until you spread your legs for me. I want them opened wide, I want to taste your soft skin. I want my sheets soaked with your sweat … and other things. And then tomorrow I will be the most diligent worker you’ve ever seen.”
I wait for her shocked expression and I am not disappointed.
5
Lina
I’m trembling, hardly able to stand. It’s a good thing Madden is holding onto me or I would collapse. I had no idea he wanted me so badly. Ever since I arrived back in town I haven’t been able to think about anything but him. I’m a little surprised to hear he feels the same. I would have thought after what I did to him he would never want to see my face again, that he would be repulsed just looking at me. Knowing there’s a mutual attraction makes this deal much easier, I have to admit. It’s just sex, right? Nothing is going to stand in the way of me reaching my goals. If I have to sleep with Madden to get to those goals, it’s not the worst thing in the world. He is both the obstacle and the solution.
When I try to stand, I bump into him, feeling his erection. I gasp and he laughs darkly.
I’m feeling bold. Knowing how hot he is for me gives me a sense of power. I lift my chin and say, “Why don’t we get it over with so we can get to work sooner. Let’s do it here. Right now, on one of these tables or the bar.”
He saunters closer, rubbing against me, making me shudder and lose my breath. The control I felt just moments ago starts to slip away. If he continues down this path I will be putty in his hands. He’ll be able to bend me to his will. Literally. I’m about ready to give into anything he wants.
“You’re not supposed to love the idea of fucking me so soon,” he says in that dark and sexy way of his that makes me feel so far removed from the gangly boy I used to know. “Are you dying to be with me? Are you desperate for me to make you come?”
My heart races and my palms start to sweat as he leans into me, kissing my jaw. My breath trembles as his lips move across my cheek to find my lips. I can’t help it. I melt into him. I have no more strength left to resist him any longer.
He pushes me against the booth beside us and I wait for him to take me, to rip off my clothes and fuck me blind. I bite my lip and quiver with anticipation. I can feel the throb and discomfort that rides the line of pain as my clit swells and my pussy gets wet for him. If he doesn’t shove that cock into me soon, I might just burst.
But then he pushes away from me, leaving me panting, wanting, and confused by the sudden absence.
His eyes smolder when he looks at me and says, “That’s not good enough for me. I want everyone in town to see you walk into my place. I want them to gossip.”
So he has an agenda. I had a feeling he would. He’s not going to let me get away with what I did to him all those years ago. This is about more than just sex. I just don’t know what it is. But if he thinks that’s going to bother me, he’s wrong. I’m not ashamed of sex. Walking into his home after all these years, knowing everyone in town will gossip and probably call me a whore for jumping into bed with him so quickly doesn’t bother me. I don’t care what these people think of me. I never did. I’m not the same person I was back then, but some things never change and that is one of those things. And I’m not going to let Madden have that kind of power over me either.
I grab him by the collar of the shirt, pulling him to me, and almost laugh when I see the shock in his eyes as they spring open. If he thinks I’m going to let him get any kind of revenge on me, he’s sadly mistaken. No one can have that kind of control on me. Not even the hottest guy I know.
He tries to resist, even pushes me away at one point. But when I reach out and grab his dick through his pants, his attitude changes. This time I can’t help but smile. He pushes me against the bar window. His lips press against mine, hard and desperate. When he opens his mouth, I do the same, letting our tongues mingle with each other in a soft, slippery tangle. The wetness between my legs soaks through my panties until it’s almost uncomfortable. I need them off. I need everything off.
As if reading my mind, he begins to strip me of my clothes in a frenzy as though they were on fire. He tears off my shirt and bra first, taking the slightest moment to marvel at my breasts before he’s getting rid of my shorts and panties next. I can tell it’s taking an extraordinary amount of effort on his part to slow down and take it all in. He’s animal-like in his intensity, but there’s also some restraint. He wants to take in this moment, I can tell. He wants what he wanted back then: the entire experience.
He caresses my breasts, rubbing his thumbs gently across my hard nipples. When I let out a moan, his eyes lock on mine and something silent passes between us. I’m not exactly sure what it is in its entirety just yet. Lust? Longing? I don’t know. But it feels like it’s more than something just physical. There’s something emotional there too. That, or he’s a damn good actor. I guess some men are. That’s why it’s so easy for them to get women into their beds. I’m not going to try to read more into it. Right now I just want his hands on my body, so I focus on that.
He sinks down to his knees. I watch wide-eyed and excited as he takes one of my bare thighs and puts it over his shoulder, moving it aside just enough for his head to fit between my legs. My entire body begins to shake as his face moves toward me. His eyes stay locked on mine as he kisses the smooth skin of the outer lips of my pussy. His breath and the stubble of his chin tickle me. I moan again as his tongue reaches out and tastes the silky folds.
“You’re so wet,” he whispers in his deep voice.
I run my fingers through his thick dark hair. He smiles as I urge him to keep going by bringing his head closer to me. His amazing lips explore this new territory and his tongue seems to have GPS because it has turn-by-turn directions to the most sensitive and wonderful spots on that delicate part of my body. When he starts to suck on my clit, using the perfect amount of pressure and suction, I can’t take it any longer. A long, deep, splendid cry bursts out of me and I throw my head back as my orgasm racks my body, depleting all of my strength.
Madden doesn’t back down until I’m shaking so violently it’s very possible I might combust. When he detaches his mouth from my clit, the world starts to spin and I have to grab onto the wall to not be thrown off like a kid on a carousel in a playground.
“Holy shit,” is all I manage to get out. I have no more breath or strength to utter another word.
I think it’s over. He’s made his point. He can make me come. Is that enough revenge for him? I’ve only barely caught my breath when he stands up, startling me at the speed in which he gets off his knees. His hands are a flash of movement and suddenly his pants are unbuttoned and his dick is out. My mouth hangs open when I see his size. Long and straight and absolutely … perfect. There’s no other way to describe it. If I were to try to wrap my fingers around it, I doubt my thumb would touch my middle finger. That’s what I’ve been missing this whole time? I really should have had sex with him back in high school. Though, back then I might not have been able to handle that much.
He barely gets the condom on before he’s turning me around, bending me over the table. I wait for the thrust, for the loss of breath and possibly the tinge of pain from being filled with something so large. Instead he presses slowly against me. I’m wet and ready. The first inch presses against me, opening me
up and it’s pure heaven. I moan loudly as he pushes deeper inside of me, filling me up, stretching me in the most wonderful way. He holds my hips, keeping an even tempo as he moves in and out. I close my eyes, loving the way he feels, and the way my breasts press against the cold table top. He starts to move faster. When he thrusts hard, bottoming out, I can’t help but scream. He must like the sound of it, because he continues with his thrusts. My ass slaps against his body. He holds each of my ass cheeks, spreading them so he can go even deeper. This sudden intrusion takes my breath away, makes me gasp for air. And then I’m coming again. My entire body starts to shudder involuntarily, eyes rolling in the back of my head. At first I think he came too, but I don’t think he has. All of the fluid dripping down my thighs is from me. He’s wearing a condom, containing everything. I enjoy it more than I should. I didn’t want to love sex with a man who gives me ultimatums.
He continues his bombardment until my orgasm passes and everything is just pure bliss. We’re at it for an hour before his breathing starts to change. The sounds coming from him are animal-like, feral. Then he stops and I feel his cock pulsing inside of me. If he weren’t wearing a condom, he would be filling me up right now. Part of me wishes I could feel that too.
He slips off the condom and tosses it in the trash. I smooth down my messy hair and go to the bathroom to clean up. After all of that I feel awkward. When I get into the woman’s bathroom, I lean against the door and close my eyes. Remembering the way he felt inside me turns me on again even though I’m sore from going at it for an hour. I can’t stop thinking about how good he felt. Kissing him was equally as thrilling, though. I hate to admit that to myself. I hate to admit any of this. His kiss was wonderful, intimate … loving in a way. Not what I expected from a man who must really hate me for how I treated him in the past. That amazing kiss, along with the mind-blowing sex and his dark good looks, I’m going to have to keep my head on straight. My control could easily slip away from me if I allowed my walls to come down for even a moment. I can’t—won’t—let that happen with Madden.
I wash my hands and splash cold water on my face. Looking in the mirror, I can see the glow after sex, the spark in my eyes that wasn’t there before I arrived in Pepperhill.
“Get your shit together,” I tell my reflection. Standing up straight, I check my clothes and smooth my hair down yet again before going back out into the bar.
Madden looks put together, not disheveled the way I am. Then again, he didn’t take a pounding like I did. He looks gorgeous and I would love nothing more than to grab him by the shirt collar and drag him back to that table for round two. But I don’t dare do that.
“It’s late,” I say, noting how dark it has gotten outside. “We should get some rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”
Madden laughs. He stalks toward me and everything starts to tingle again. God, I want him again. When he stands in front of me I can see the muscles beneath his tight shirt. I remember the power in those muscular hips. Oh the self-control it takes to not wrap my arms around his neck and jump on top of him, clinging to his body like a second skin.
He grins at me and steps back. I sigh.
“You think we’re even now, that I’m working for you?” he says.
Anger instantly bubbles to the surface. Is he really going to go back on his word? If so, he’s definitely not the boy I remember. The Madden I knew was an honest and loyal person, even when I didn’t deserve it.
“You lied to me,” I say, hating the pain in my voice.
His smile falters for a moment, but only for a second before it’s right back and cockier than ever.
“No. I don’t lie. A quickie in the bar wasn’t part of the deal.”
I would hardly call an hour of riotous sex a “quickie” but I don’t argue that point.
He continues, “You promised me one night in my bed. This was just a freebee. You grabbed me, you decided this.”
“You knew what I meant. This was the deal and you know it. You’re just playing with words.”
Not that I’d be upset if I were to spend another night with him, because I wouldn’t. But the fact that he tricked me and I didn’t catch it, has me livid. My pride is far too big to let him get away with it.
I start to walk away, but he grabs me from behind, holding on between my legs, fingers digging into my pussy. I gasp and whip around to look at him. His eyes burn with lust. Every part of my body burns for him. His hand grazes across my rock-hard nipples.
“You should be very worried for yourself,” he says in a sultry voice that makes me putty in his hands.
I hate to admit it, but I’m already addicted to him. After our next and final time fucking, I’ll be obsessed with him. He’ll have all the control, and I’ll never be the same again. After just one time with him I know this as a fact. I have no choice but to go along with this deal because after just one taste, I’m an addict. I want to walk away. From him, from the bar, from this town. I want to regain my self-control, my pride, me. But there’s no going back now. I’ve already become entirely consumed by him, and I know I will be for the rest of my life afterwards.
6
Madden
I toss and turn all night. After dropping Lina off at her motel room, I haven’t been able to get her off my mind. I lie in bed until there’s a faint light on the horizon. The sun has barely risen, but I get up anyway. My body feels heavy and I’m burnt out from lack of sleep. And this damn hard-on won’t go away.
Getting in the shower, I let the warm water cascade over my aching shoulders. I close my eyes and think about Lina’s soft, smooth skin; her pert, round breasts. I can remember the smell of her wet pussy on my lips, the naturally sweet taste of her on my tongue.
I grab my dick and think about how it felt to be inside her, how her body clenched around me as she came, how she cried out. I jerk my cock quick and hard. It’s a poor substitute for the real thing, but thinking about Lina is enough to get me there within a minute. My dick explodes, sending ropes of cum splashing against the tile wall. I’m panting, exhausted and even more tired than I was before. I need her again. She’s all consuming. I’ve never let the memory of her go, and seeing her again just confirms that she’ll be in my head forever. There’s no letting her go this time.
As I’m getting out of the shower and drying off, my phone buzzes. My heart gives a little jerk in my chest, thinking it might be Lina, but when I look at the screen, I see it’s my brother.
“What’s up?” I say, sounding a little annoyed from the disappointment of not seeing Lina’s number, though I don’t mean to be short with him.
“Lina’s car is ready.”
There’s a short pause as the disappointment of that news settles over me.
“Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”
Abe laughs. “You sound miserable, little bro. Upset that you won’t get to be Lina’s personal chauffer now?”
I grunt and hang up on him. He’s still laughing as I end the call.
Heading to the motel, I listen to the radio. The same song we’d been listening to in the truck the night before comes on. I swear I’m being haunted by her.
I show up at the motel. As I’m heading toward Lina’s room, I run into Haley. She’s standing in the doorway of the front lobby. She has this annoying, conspiratorial look on her face. I never did like her when we were kids. She was one of the people in the woods that day who discovered me naked in my truck. She’s the one who laughed the loudest, who spread the word through the school. If anyone made the experience as horrible as it was, it was Haley. She was a bully right up until the time when my body started to change, when I started to gain muscle and went from a gangly, awkward teenager to a man. Then suddenly her attitude changed. But I hadn’t. I thought about getting my revenge on her too, about making her fall in love with me then crushing her, but the thought was too gross to even take it seriously. There was no way I could ever pretend to be in love with Haley and have it be believable. Though she was pretty damn cluele
ss, so maybe I’m wrong. It wasn’t until Lina was gone and we were out of school that Haley and I developed a friendship. There was a rumor going around that Haley had gotten pregnant by a teacher. When she told me about Lina spreading that rumor, we bonded over our anger toward her. At one point, I got the feeling she wanted to be more than friends, and I wasn’t having it. Eventually, she met a guy and married him, and we stayed friends.
“Hi Haley.”
“Have you heard who’s back in town?” she asks.
Gossip spreads fast in this town. Like a virus. It’s in the air, on the door handles, jumping from one person to the next, infecting everyone.
I just shrug.
“Lina! She’s trying to open her dad’s bar again. Can you believe that? I bet she’s hard up for money and getting desperate. Or maybe she had an affair with a married man in California and had to run from his vengeful wife! She’s such a skank. I’m going to find a way to run her out of town. No one wants her here.”
Something inside me hardens.
“Or maybe she just wants to honor her father. You ever think about that? Some people change, you know. Maybe you should try it some time.”
Her mouth hangs open. I walk away before she can say another word to me. I’m surprised at how defensive I am. It’s not like Lina deserves defending. She was a horrible person just like Haley; that’s why the two of them were best friends. And Haley is a stark reminder of how Lina hurt me. Yet the need to defend her is as strong—if not stronger—than the need to defend myself, or my family, or anyone else I love.
Lina is walking out of her motel room just as I start to knock on the door. She startles for a moment before she breaks into a wide smile. It’s quickly gone, as if she’s surprised by her own reaction to me and tries to hide it. But I saw it. She was happy to see me.
