by Romi Hart
“Oh, god, Corey, you feel amazing,” she groaned, lifting her hips to meet his next thrust. The change of angle took him deep, and he gasped at the intense sensation that spread through his body like ripples from his cock.
Her nails raked his arms, and he drew inspiration and delight from it, letting it feed him and drive him as he moved faster, harder. His impatience aside, his body still wouldn’t listen and calm down. The pleasure was too great, and watching that same euphoria fill Regan’s eyes as they lost focus, the pupils huge, he wanted more.
Her explosion came without warning, and she cried out, her body shivering and writhing as her core gripped him and took him over the precipice. He lifted her, pulling her tight against him as he buried himself completely inside her and let the orgasm take him to another place. His brain ceased to function, his heart pumped blood in only one direction, and his limbs grew heavy as the orgasm finally subsided, and he tried to be gentle as he laid her back on the ground.
But then he flopped on his back, his shoulder finding a rock and making him wince as it dug into the bone. “Are you alright?” came the weak, sultry voice from the woman beside him. Jesus, she sounded good when she was sated, purring like a cat.
“I’m alright,” he grunted back, his own throat raspy and dry. He needed something to drink and cursed himself for not thinking ahead and planning some sort of dinner. Then again, he hadn’t planned to bring Regan to the lake and spend hours out here, either. “You know that Dominos deliver anywhere clause? You think they’d find us?” he asked, his stomach beginning to rumble.
She chuckled, soft and throaty, which made his cock twitch once, then again when she brushed a hand down his arm. “They might, but we’re covered in dirt. It might make more sense to go shower and order in when we’re clean.”
She said we, and Corey couldn’t help wondering what that meant. He was definitely drawn to this woman, who had disrupted his life so effortlessly, but he didn’t have the time or the experience to get into a relationship. Was that what she had in mind? Or was dinner just an extension of this…whatever it was? A date? He didn’t even know.
“You’re deep in your head, Captain. Or somewhere else entirely,” she cooed at him, barely above a whisper. She rolled to her side, propped on her elbow and gazed down at him. “You want to share that headspace? I’m a good listener.”
He met her gaze and couldn’t find the willpower to look away. He wanted to confide in her, to trust her with his concern. After all, she was right. She was a good listener, and she hadn’t judged him yet. Maybe, he could do the unthinkable and let her into his head, tell her what he was feeling, and see if she could help him figure it out.
“I’m more into you than I wanted to be,” he said, the words flowing uncensored and not stopping, even when he tried to plug the leak. “I don’t do relationships. I don’t have time or desire to get locked down with complications. But I don’t want this to be just a one time thing. Or a two time thing. I like having you around. I like you, and I like the way you make me feel. But I don’t know what any of that means, or what to think about it. I’ve never quite been in this boat before.”
Regan’s eyes glistened in the moonlight, and the white rays played off her face, showing the angles and soft curves to their best advantage. She was absolutely a goddess in this moment, and her beauty hit him so hard it hurt. But she was still soft spoken and not demanding as she shook her head slightly and told him, “It doesn’t matter. Feelings and thoughts don’t always agree. Most of the time, they don’t even speak the same language. Let’s just enjoy what we feel and lean on that at the moment, okay? To hell with our preconceived notions.”
Corey smiled at her. “Okay, I can follow that line of thinking. But I don’t know what to call it. I mean, I have the MC, and I’m gone a lot. I’m tied down most of the time when I’m not. So, I can’t make any promises or standing dates or—”
She pressed a finger to his lips, shutting him up. “We don’t have to call it anything, Captain. It’s just…us. It’s who we are, and when we feel like making time for each other, it’ll happen. We’ll figure it all out, one step at a time. No pressure.” She smirked. “Think of it as riding, taking that twisting and turning road and not knowing where it’s going to fork or what lies ahead till you get there. Do you enjoy it any less?”
She had a good point, and Corey relaxed. So, she wasn’t putting any titles on it, wasn’t going to push him to meet demands or make guarantees of any kind. If he’d ever thought about settling down with a woman, it would have to be someone like Regan, with all the things she’d just said ringing true in his own heart. Yeah, he wasn’t up for anything traditional, but he sure as hell wasn’t ready to walk away from her just yet.
Lifting his head, he kissed her soundly and asked, “Are you as hungry as I am? I can have us back at my place in about forty-five minutes, and Chinese food there ten minutes later.”
“Perfect. Just enough time to shower the lake off. Let’s go.”
8
Regan hated laundry day. She hated gathering the clothes and making the trip to the laundromat, and she hated even more waiting around for the cycles to finish. It was a waste of time when she could be doing other chores, but her apartments didn’t have washer or dryer hookups. So, she dragged herself halfway across town to the nicest facility she could find, which also happened to be right next to a little taqueria.
By the time she was ready to head home, she was usually exhausted, but for the first time in as long as she could remember, she folded and hung her garments with a positive attitude, latching the hangers together with rubber bands so the clothes didn’t shift when she loaded the car. She had something to look forward to, as soon as she completed the task, so today, finishing was a goal with a reward. And the sooner she reached the end, the sooner she could start getting ready.
She hadn’t seen Corey in over a week. He’d had some club business out of town and hadn’t even been in for a massage. And before that, he’d barely had time to make his appointments for two weeks. So, three weeks had passed since the glorious night at the lake without any further intimate interaction, and tonight, they were having dinner. And she knew without a doubt that dinner would turn into an overnight escapade.
Had she not known better, she would have grown concerned that the delay was purposeful, that Corey was backing off out of fear. He’d expressed some tough emotions that night, things she hadn’t expected to hear, and maybe he was having regrets.
But he’d apologized for the lack of time, more than once, both via text and in person. And she could read the longing in his eyes when he looked at her, see the hunger in them. And she could feel the tension in the massage room ease before she ever laid a hand on him. He wasn’t lying about the way just her presence seemed to put him in a better, more relaxed state of being. She couldn’t quite understand why, but did it really matter? It boosted her ego that she could provide that peace, and she was particularly excited that she could do it for Corey.
Because she hadn’t made any admissions, but she was catching feelings for him, too.
And that was part of why she was so anxious to see him tonight. She had to maintain that professional front at the clinic, which meant she hadn’t even given into the intense urge to kiss him during their sessions. She considered herself the physical version of a psychologist, and she held herself to the same standards.
But damn, she wanted that intoxicating closeness, to feel his hands on her with their gentle but urgent caress. And god help her, she wanted to hear more of how he felt about her.
It wasn’t like Lena didn’t know. And Regan was pretty sure a couple of the other massage therapists had their suspicions. In fact, Lena had probably shared the gossip and confirmed those suspicions. Regan didn’t care about that, but she wasn’t going to give cause for more talk, and she wasn’t going to flaunt anything in front of her coworkers that appeared unprofessional.
Besides, they hadn’t exactly committed to a relationship. Knowing his adam
ant need for freedom of complications, and realizing that she threatened her own sanity if she gave into her feelings, solely because she didn’t want to trust anyone again, she hadn’t hesitated to ease his mind by telling him they didn’t need to define anything. She’d said they could roll with it until they figured out what they were doing. So why would she present it as anything more at work?
Maybe because, deep down, she wanted more.
She’d claimed a place in his life, whatever place that was, but there was a part of her that longed for the certainty of a ‘forever’ with someone. And she feared that, now that Corey had opened his mind to having some sort of situation that involved a woman in his life, he’d go hunting and find someone else as a permanent partner. She didn’t want that. She really wanted to be that someone else, even if it was hard to admit to herself.
She glanced behind her with a scowl as she realized the Tahoe behind her was awfully close on her tail, and she nudged her brakes a bit, signaling the driver to back off. It seemed to get his attention, and Regan relaxed. Maybe it was time to move. She loved her little place, and mostly, the landlord was great. But she really wanted to get a washer and dryer, and she made enough to consider renting a house.
Or maybe buying. She might actually be able to put roots down here, finally.
She’d moved enough times, had managed to keep herself safe and happy. And she actually thought there might be a chance to make something out of this little romance with Corey. She might still be paranoid, but that was it. And the fact that the Tahoe drove right past her when she turned into the complex confirmed her overreaction. She tended to do that every once in a while, when things seemed too perfect.
She parked in front of her building and carried in the hamper full of folded clothes, thinking harder about the idea of a house as she went up and down the stairs, returning to her car for the hanging items. She slung them over her arm and shook her head. She was no old lady, but the stairs were bad for her knees.
And having a pool sounded so much better.
As she reached her front door again and pushed it open, something slammed into her from the back with enough force to knock the wind out of her. Regan stumbled forward and fell, only avoiding knocking her head into the corner of the coffee table by inches as she reached out and pushed off the couch. She rolled to her side, the clothes on top of her and in a tangled mess as she tried to catch her breath and figure out just what had happened.
“Did you really think you could hide from me?” The cold, deep voice was all too familiar, a nightmare come to life, and Regan wondered if maybe she had just tripped, hit her head, and was imagining this.
“David!” She wanted to scramble back from him, but she was already against one leg of the coffee table, and the clothes hampered her movement significantly. She’d grown too comfortable in her space, and she hadn’t seen the signs. The Tahoe. He had been the driver, she knew instinctively, and she’d blown it off like just another impatient driver.
He stepped back, his frame in silhouette as the dying sunlight filtered in around him through the open door. He wasn’t a particularly large man, but his posture spoke of raw power and intimidation. Why hadn’t she seen that before it was too late? “Go ahead and get up,” he said, his voice softer.
Slowly, careful not to take her eyes off him, Regan stood, the clothes forgotten on the floor. She needed to get her bearings and find a way to put herself on level ground, give herself a fighting chance here. She did a quick assessment, noting that her cell was still in her back pocket, which came as a relief. She could dial 9-1-1 by touch now, something she’d practiced a million times.
There was a fire escape out the bedroom window, but she’d have to be lightning quick to make it there before he caught her. David had a long reach, one that gave him far more leverage than she had. Biting her lip, she waited. This discussion was always almost exactly the same, and she had to play her role to stay safe until she could get out or get help.
Finally, he started to pace with slow, modulated steps that seemed perfectly calculated to be overly intimidating. Only because Regan knew him so well and what came from that predatory movement, it worked. “What have you been up to, love?” he asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. Regan had never figured out if he really thought he was being kind or if he was sarcastic when he used those pet names.
She fought to keep her voice level, the quivering in her stomach thankfully not feeding through as she spoke. “You know I had to get away, David. I was overwhelmed.” She raised her hands and gestured around the apartment. “This is better for me. It’s smaller and easier to manage, and I’m happy.”
David quirked a brow at her, giving her an up and down appraisal. “You look well. I’m glad you’ve worked on your issues. I’m assuming you’re ready to work thing out now, and I’m more than willing to come here, work with you, if that’s what you need.”
The delusions of an abuser were phenomenal. But she could play along, if it meant her safety. “I appreciate that, David, but you have a job and friends and a family. You have a life, and I don’t want you to disrupt it for me. I’m fine here, alone.”
He scoffed. “You think any of that means anything to me? You’re my world, Regan, and when you left, you shattered that.” He stared at her with eyes full of pain, and if she didn’t know better, she would have believed she’d caused him incredible heartache. “All I want is you, and you need me, too.”
David was the last thing she needed, but she couldn’t say that. “You’ve done so well with your career. You should take that into consideration.”
He waved a hand, as if to dismiss her statement. “The company has graciously released me of my obligation to them.”
Regan gaped at him. “You lost your job?”
His face contorted with rage. “Maybe I wouldn’t have, if I hadn’t needed to spend so much time tracking you down. You didn’t tell me where you were going, darling, and you didn’t let anyone else know, either. All would have been well if you’d just given me an address or a phone number.”
Not something a woman did when she was running away. “I’m sorry.” She reached back, trying to slip her hand into her back pocket to get her phone without him noticing, but his eyes cut over, and she barely saw him coming as he lunged in. He wrenched her arm painfully, tearing something in her shoulder, and gripped her chin with his free hand.
She refused to scream, refused to give him the pleasure of acknowledging the pain she felt. “Who were you going to call, Regan? The police? I have every right to be here.”
“No, you don’t, David. I filed a restraining order against you. That protective order means you aren’t supposed to be within a hundred yards of me. Every spot inside my apartment is closer than a football field.”
He released her chin but only to backhand her, causing her ear to ring, her check to sting, and her neck to pop with the force of it. She tasted blood, but she still didn’t cry out. “You’re my wife! I have every right to be here, to come and collect you and bring you home, where you belong.”
“We’re divorced, David. The paperwork was finalized, and our nuptials dissolved. Now, you should leave before you get in trouble with the law. Maybe the company will take you back, if you explain that you were mistaken, that I wasn’t missing and that you’ll be dedicated—”
Another smack on the cheek shut her up. Her tooth caught her lip, and she bit into it painfully, causing more blood to pour, and this time, her eye felt bruised and watered. “How dare you tell me what to do? After all the trouble you’ve caused me, you owe me an apology and nothing but respect. I love you, and you will honor that.”
“Not likely.” The voice startled Regan and obviously caught David off guard as he turned with a deep scowl to see who it was. Barely daring to hope, Regan craned her neck, trying to see over David’s shoulder. Corey stood there, his expression dark to match the black rage exuding from him. He reached out, and yanked at David’s shirt, fisting it in his hand. “What the fuck i
s wrong with you?”
David sneered. “Who the hell are you?”
Corey just stared at him with an evil grin as Regan tried to catch her breath and ease away, drawing out her phone. This could go badly, and if Corey got hurt, she needed to be able to make a call quickly. “I’m the guy who is going to request nicely that you get the fuck out of here before I call in reinforcement and forcibly remove your testicles and feed them to you.”
Looking over him with disgust, David pushed out of his grip. He turned to snarl at Regan, and she stood frozen, not daring to evoke any further anger from him. He pointed a finger at her. “I’m not done with you, Regan. We’re not done.”
“Oh, yes you are,” Corey countered, shoving him toward the open door. “Or else you’ll deal with me and the rest of my crew. I don’t think you want that.” David started to say something, but Corey slammed the door in his face and locked it.
As he turned to Regan, she collapsed on the couch, the adrenaline that had kept her going finally subsiding and leaving her shaken and exhausted. She’d thought she’d outrun him, or that he’d moved on, but apparently, as hard as she’d worked, the level of difficulty in hiding from that man was much higher than she’d anticipated.
Corey cursed under his breath and swiped a hand down his face. “I’m getting you some ice for your face. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
She bit her lip and winced. Her shoulder hurt, but it wasn’t bad. “No, you showed up before it got bad. Thank you.”
He grunted and called over his shoulder as he headed into the kitchen, “Thank me later. Let’s see what we can do about the swelling and the bleeding, and you can explain to me what that was all about.”
Her head swimming with panic and defeat, Regan wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of divulging her rocky past with David to Corey. What if he looked down on her, thought she wasn’t good enough, once she told him about her history? Maybe he wouldn’t want anything to do with her, if he realized that she’d be a target for the rest of her life.
