Explicit Instruction (11 page)

‘You think we run off and get married now?’ he sniggered in his condescending way. ‘You gonna take me home to your daddy?’

The very notion made Flick
smile. ‘My family don’t want anything to do with me,’ she admitted, figuring they had nothing to hide and that at least one of them should be honest. ‘They don’t want me around, so I doubt they’d welcome you.’

‘Why don’t they want you around?’

‘Because I didn’t do as I was told,’ she said, not missing the irony.

‘I’m glad to know
it’s not only me you defy... when was the last time you spoke to them?’

‘A year ago,’ she said. ‘A bit longer maybe.’

‘What did they want you to do?’

‘Marry a man I felt nothing for.’

‘Why?’

‘Because it’s what’s done... it was good for business.’

‘You high society or something?’

‘Not anymore,’ she
said. ‘Now it’s just me in my studio apartment...’ Flick picked at the corner of the pillow. ‘It’s funny how our lives can change so drastically with just one decision.’

‘Do you regret it?’

‘No,’ she immediately answered. ‘My life might be different than what I’d envisioned, but it’s better... I’m better.’

‘Until you chose to walk into Dell’s.’

‘I don’t regret that either,’ she said, taking her eyes up to his.

‘Don’t say that.
Think of what you’ve been through.’

‘We are the sum total of our experiences,’ she said. ‘You don’t have to worry; no one will shed any tears for me if this experience turns out to be my last.’

Flick hadn’t realised she’d looked away until Rushe came into her peripheral vision and sat on the bed.

‘Are you hungry?’ he asked. ‘You look tired.’

‘I didn’t sleep while you were away. This place is spooky at night, and you weren’t here to keep me warm.’

‘You were spooked when all the hired guns wer
e away? That’s backwards, isn’t it?’

‘I
never thanked you,’ she said, ‘for saving me that night and for keeping me safe since.’

‘My last,’ he said
, scooping her up and giving himself room to lie down. He then settled her on top of him.

‘What?’

‘Rushe is my last name,’ he said, stroking her hair away from his face. ‘Get some sleep.’

‘Sex?’

‘I’ll wake you up in a while,’ he said. ‘You’re not gonna get out of it.’

‘Thank you for coming back.’

‘I told you I would.’

‘I trust you Rushe, like it or not, it’s the truth; no argument required.’

By the time she had spent her tenth night in the shack with Rushe, things had levelled out. Flick moved freely around Skeeve, Glen, and the Kid, though it was clear they all bristled in her company.

She and Rushe had sex a m
inimum of five times a day. He’d brought a truckload of condoms back after his trip away, and it seemed now to be his mission to use them all.

Flick
sat on the porch to read, and when the rain had stopped, she and Rushe had ventured into the trees. The ground was still very soft, so she’d gone in her bare feet, wearing a sundress. They came across a lake, and Flick actually managed to convince Rushe to join her in the water. She’d never skinny-dipped before but there was little swimming done. At least now Flick could add sex outside and in water to her list of experiences. It was just like Rushe to be carrying condoms, even out in the wilderness.

T
hey didn’t talk much, but when Rushe got a certain look in his eye Flick knew he was thinking about sex, and that was certainly a place where words were welcome.

Now Flick
took her toast from the toaster to the kitchen table and leaned across it to reach the butter, except she couldn’t. As she was about to right herself to move around the table, Rushe’s hand landed between her shoulder blades keeping her bent over.

‘What are you...’ she asked trailing off when he lifted up her dress and pulled her underwear down to her knees. ‘Here? Like this?’ Scanning to ensure the others weren’t in sight. ‘It’s lunchtime.’

‘I know,’ he rumbled, and stuck two fingers into her while rubbing her clit with his thumb.

‘Don’t
, Rushe,’ she whispered. ‘You know I can’t be quiet. I always fail at that.’

‘That your only objection?’ he asked
, still concerned with her consent.

‘Yes.’

‘Good, then I can ignore it.’

His hands slid down her outer thighs, stalling Flick’s words because she wondered at what he was doing. Pressuring them apart, he kissed each of her thighs. Next, his lips closed around her clit and he sucked on her then flicked her with his tongue.

‘Rushe,’ she gasped. ‘Do you want to go to bed?’

‘No,’ he hummed around her. ‘It’s lunchtime.’

Flick’s smile spread but when she tried to push away from the table his hand
s clasped her hips in place. Rushe’s tongue circled her then probed into her, and her knees almost gave out. He licked at her and sucked her clit between his teeth while his fingers dipped into her again.

No man had ever done this for her and
Flick had no idea what she’d been missing. His pace increased, and she squeaked, and wriggled against him.

‘Rushe,’ she groaned.

‘I’m gonna take my time,’ he mumbled, against her but his tongue moved faster.

His experience showed because it w
as less than a minute later when Flick cried out at the explosion in her womb. Sharing this intimacy brought her closer to him. Rushe might not agree with her, but he’d given her something selflessly, he got nothing in that orgasm except the knowledge that he’d spoiled her.

Flick knew Rushe
was on his feet again when he pulled up her underwear and then lowered her dress, giving her back her modesty. Flick reached back to steal his wrist.

But if she said thank you he’d rebuke her
, and she wasn’t sure of her other options.

‘You should stop wearing underwear.’

Her solemnity vanished into a smile and Flick spun to stand up sandwiched between him and the table. More and more he invaded her personal space, and Rushe never apologised for it. Even now Flick had to lean back a little where her breasts pressed to his torso because there wasn’t quite enough room for her, but he didn’t apologise and he didn’t back off.

‘You bought underwear for me,’ she said.

‘On day two,’ he said. ‘It’s job was to keep those bastards out.’

‘It doesn’t still do that?’

‘None of them are going to touch you now. It’s keeping me out.’

‘It delays things by like two seconds,’ she said. ‘I like wearing your gift.’

Rushe leaned down. ‘If I bought you underwear as a gift it sure wouldn’t look like that.’

‘I’m scared to ask,’ Flick
said, taking his front jeans pockets. ‘If you want me to stop wearing it I’ll stop wearing it.’

‘Damn right you will,’ he said
, sweeping his hand under her hair to cup the back of her skull and tip her mouth up for his consumption.

He kissed her a lot more now these days but reserved it for when they were in private. At night when the men lounged around the TV he’d keep her in his lap, fondle her, do whatever he wanted
, but he still instructed her to get beer, food, and fulfil his commands.

She
had noticed that any familiarity between them was lessened when the others were around. Rushe pawed her and commanded her, but showed no affection. Flick trusted Rushe and followed his direction. If the others saw her as a weakness, they could hurt Rushe, and she didn’t want that.

‘Could we maybe go to bed?’ she asked sinking her hands deeper into his pockets to explore the now solid length of him.

‘You’re turning into a randy little slut, aren’t you?’

‘Only for you,’ she said
, pressing her breasts against him. ‘I have to return the favour... I need the practise, remember?’

Flick ha
d blown him at least once a day; it was becoming something of a morning routine.

‘You hungry for my cock?’

‘Yeah,’ she breathed. ‘Right now, please... sir.’

Gathering her skirt up he gripped her rear
, forcing her against his erection. ‘You get it when I want it,’ he growled. ‘I fuck you to satisfy my appetite.’

‘I want you to fuck me,’ she murmured. ‘Every minute of the day I want you inside me.’

‘Ah, my dirty little whore, I’ve trained you well.’

‘I love being your whore
, Rushe,’ she said. ‘The things we do together... the way it makes me feel.’

A door banged open,
Flick didn’t turn, but Rushe’s grip on her backside increased.

‘Phone,’
Skeeve snapped.

Rushe gave her butt a smack. ‘Get naked,’ he said to her quietly
, then left her alone to take the phone from Skeeve.

The only phone in the place was a cell phone. No outgoing calls were
made; it was there purely for Victor to get in touch with these men. Skeeve’s job it appeared was to play secretary, look after the device, and answer it when needed.

Rushe took it outside as he always did
, leaving her alone with Skeeve. So she spread the butter on her now cold toast. From experience, she knew these calls could take time so there was no hurry for Flick to comply with Rushe’s order.

‘Tick, tock, little girl
,’ Skeeve said. ‘Time’s running out for you.’ Flick ignored him but he carried on. ‘Boss has got orders, we’ll be moving out soon. Pieces are moving on the board.’

‘I’m
sure that’s lovely for you,’ she said.

Lifting her toast Flick
was going to go back to the bedroom, but Skeeve blocked her way between the fridge and the table.

‘Boss gets to sample anything he wants,’
Skeeve sniped. ‘You’re gonna be on the market, or in the boss’ bed... your boy’s gonna be in his place then.’

The grating sound of
Skeeve’s laughter followed Flick to the bedroom, and long after he’d quieted she could hear it still.

Rushe didn’t come to her after the phone call. He didn’t come to her at dinner, or while the men sat around watching television
in the evening.

Long after light had
disappeared from under the door Flick lay awake listening to the sound of nothing from the rest of the house.

Flick didn’t know where he was
, or if he would come to her at all. Worrying about Rushe’s welfare did nothing to help, but she doubted he’d appreciate her going out to look for him.

Wh
en the bedroom door did eventually open Flick made no disguise that she was awake but he didn’t look at her. Rushe shirked everything but his jeans and scooped her on top of him when he lay down.

He didn’t speak but she didn’t either
. In any of their recent nights together Rushe hadn’t kept his jeans on, and he made no attempt to touch her tonight either.

‘None of this is your fault,’ she whispered
, drawing her index finger up his chest. ‘What will be, will be, Rushe.’

‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he grumbled in his petulant way.

‘Either I’m trafficked or I have to become your boss’ sex slave,’ she said. ‘I’d put my money on the former because my lack of experience won’t impress him much.’ Rushe said nothing. ‘I trust you.’

‘You shouldn’t,’ he said. ‘If I had stopped you from walking into Dell’s—‘

‘I walked into Dell’s,’ she said, smacking his chest then sitting up to straddle his abdomen and look at him. ‘I walked in there, me, I’m here because of my own actions.’

‘I’m going to take you into town tomorrow,’ he said.

‘Ok.’

‘
Me and the guys have to pick up a couple of things.’

‘And you’re going to take me?’ she asked
, excited about the concept of an outing. ‘Should I buy new underwear?’

‘You’re n
ot coming back here. None of us is,’ he said. ‘But you’re gonna take the five hundred and run.’

‘I know what happened to the last woman who ran from
Skeeve.’

‘We’ll be in town,’ he said. ‘There will be people everywhere. If you see a cop—‘

‘What am I supposed to do?’ she asked. ‘Turn you in?’

‘Providing there hasn’t been a national campaign about your disappearance
, the cop won’t put the pieces together until we’re long gone.’

‘What will
Victor say?’

‘He won’t give a fuck;
we have bigger things to worry about.’

‘Like what?’ Flick
asked. ‘Are you in danger?’

‘Every day of my life. We play with live ammo,’ he said
. ‘Nothing is more dangerous now than it has been during the rest of my life.’