Romance Book Club (10 page)

Nibbling on her lower lip, she decided she really didn't have anything to lose by being honest.  "I was just thinking there's probably so much you could show me." She whispered the words, glad there was only a small amount of light pouring in from the now rising sun outside, so the blush she could feel on her face wasn't that visible.

As if he needed any other reason to want her, those words made him feel invincible.  "Jessie girl, you may not be able to walk after I show you all the sexual pleasures I've got in store for you.  Roll over on your stomach," he demanded hoarsely.  The thought of all the ways he could bring her to the brink moved through his mind, and he hoped she was ready to be sore.

She didn't even think when he told her what he wanted. She turned over and waited for whatever he had in mind next.  Hearing him roam around the room, she was almost impatient for him to be back in bed with her.

Sliding on another condom, he allowed his gaze to fall on her perfect, heart-shaped ass.  It was more than he could resist and a hand fell against the pale flesh.  He enjoyed the splash of color that immediately appeared.  "Such a beautiful vision." Smiling, his large hand caressed the same spot before coming down again on the other cheek.

Tensing at the strange sensation, she realized there was little painful about what he was doing.  Oddly enough, it made her ache for him.  When he parted those twin globes, though, her breath caught in her throat.  When his finger stroked against her untried entrance, she tensed.

"Relax, Jessie girl," he said calmly. "I promise I won't take you this way. I just want to explore."  Pleased as she relaxed again, he pushed slightly against the tightness of that orifice, and inched his finger in a few inches.  He knew this was something it would take months to get her comfortable enough to enjoy with him, but he was looking forward to being her first.  Sliding his finger away, he lowered his mouth to find the soft petals of her sex and darted his tongue in and out until she was writhing beneath him in pleasure.

When she was ready for him, he lifted her up to rest on her elbows and slid into her from behind with unhurried movements.  His finger found her other chamber, and slowly entered that untried haven. He knew she was feeling him so much deeper this way, and didn't want to rush it.  "Rise up on your hands," he demanded. As soon as she complied, he used one hand to hold her hip, the other hand occupied as his finger rode her slowly.

The pleasure that soared through her at his action was unbelievable, even if the pressure of his finger was foreign. As he began to ride her, he rotated his digit, stretching her body for the way he would take her one night.   He was so deep.  She could feel him bumping against her womb. It was like nothing she had felt in her life before.  The sensation of being filled both ways was mind blowing.

Sliding his finger from her, a moan escaped her lips that had him ready to explode.

Her body tensed and found release almost immediately as his finger pulled away. 
Dear God I can't believe I feel this much
, she thought.

"I'm not done with you yet, Jessie girl. You’d better hold on." He gripped both of her hips and drove long and hard inside her, then retreated, only to plunge again.  He couldn't seem to get enough, and almost didn't want to come as his own body exploded.  His mind wasn't ready to stop yet, so his fingers stroked her until she fell apart
at the seams.  Pulling from her clenching flesh, he wondered how many times he could help her find paradise.  Allowing his thumb to push inside her drenched core, he was determined to find out.

Moving his thumb back to her tight orifice, he pushed inside, the lubrication making it much easier this time. Sliding in and out, he noted she was not resisting him at all and smiled.  "Can you come again, Jessie girl? Shall we see?"

"I can't, Chase," she whimpered softly. Her body had never known so much pleasure and she wasn't sure if she could handle any more.

"I bet you can, Jessie girl." He chuckled wickedly, allowing his other hand to move around to the front.  His thumb slowly rode her untried chamber. With his other hand, he allowed two fingers to pinch her clit.  "Come for me, Jessie. Don't deny me."  He was exhausted but refused to give up this battle. 

She wanted to beg him stop, even as her body screamed for even more. The sensation of having him touch her this way was almost too much.  "Chase, please," she cried out as her body tensed yet again on the brink of fulfillment. 
Surely she would die from all these incredible sensations
, she thought.

He wasn't giving in and rode her faster with his thumb.  Allowing the other two fingers to slide into her core, he plunged deeply.  He knew she was capable of great passion.  She just needed someone to bring it out
in her.  "Come now, Jessie girl!" He raised his voice as his fingers continued to crescendo, playing her body expertly until she cried out in completion.  "That's my sweet girl," he cooed. Pulling his fingers from her flesh, he turned her over, allowing her to fall back on the bed.  Pulling her into his arms, he held her tightly.

They both fell asleep again, and he woke her later, demanding all her body would give and then more.  When he knew he had to leave the bed, it was with a sense of regret.  His mind had been on pleasing her, and doing so had pushed all his other worries to the backburner.  He knew that sooner rather than later he had to face reality though, and he wasn't a man that hid from the truth.

"Grab a shower, sweet girl, and I'll go ask Louise to get breakfast started." Giving her a tender smile and a chaste kiss on her lips, he slid out of bed, found his shorts and left her alone in the room.

chapter twelve

Light of Day

Making her way into his bathroom, there was no doubt about how sore she was.  Her muscles ached in ways they'd never known before and she giggled.  Thinking she now knew what it meant to be truly sexually satisfied.  Standing under the warm spray of the shower, she didn't laugh at the stinging sensation between her thighs.  The man was insatiable, she thought with a grin as she washed off.  If she was able to walk today, it was going to be a miracle.

Stepping out of the shower, she realized she didn't have any regrets about what had happened last night.  While Chase might have been insatiable, he was also a very generous lover, and there was no denying how much pleasure he'd given her.  The ache between her thighs was definitely a small price to pay. 

Walking back into his room, she didn't want to slide on her dress again and meet Louise.  Without thinking twice, she went through his drawers and found a t-shirt and a pair of shorts that were entirely too big, but she rolled them down at the waist until she was assured they wouldn't fall off.  She looked like a child playing in adult clothes, she decided, and laughed at her appearance in the full-sized mirror on his door.

No help for it. She shrugged and walked downstairs to find Chase, still barefoot.  She was shocked as she noticed the time on the elegant clock hanging on the wall. It was already after twelve in the afternoon.  Had they really been enjoying each other that long?  Making her way to the kitchen, she smiled, seeing Louise, and tried to hide a blush.

"Well, hello there young lady." Louise smiled warmly.  "I'm almost done here if you want to join Chase in the dining room."  She pointed to the room behind her.

"Thank you, Louise, and good morning," she said, hurrying off to the other room, knowing it wasn't morning at all.  Chase was talking on his cell phone, and she could tell the conversation wasn't a pleasant one.  Sitting down at the imposing dining room table, she kept quiet while he continued his conversation.

He gave her a slight smile as he spoke with Carolyn, not wanting her to think he was upset with her.  He wished he could go back to their fantasy land back in the
bedroom. "Sorry," he mouthed as he listened to Carolyn.  Louise had contacted his friend early this morning and she was helping to make funeral preparations.

Jessie shook her head to indicate he shouldn't be sorry, and smiled as Louise came in with a coffee tray. She poured them both a cup and asked quietly what she took.  Jessie kept her tone low as she whispered, “Cream and sugar.”

Chase hung up with a loud sigh, putting the phone down on the table.  "Morning." He forced a wink and a smile he didn't feel at the moment, but he wanted her to be comfortable.

"Afternoon," she whispered with a sad smile, knowing exactly what he was doing.  "Are you okay?" 

He nodded curtly, knowing he wasn't fooling her.  "Carolyn was just giving me all the details for my father's funeral. Thank you Louise." He gave a half smile as she put his cup before him.

"I'll be back in with your breakfast." Louise nodded and walked back to the kitchen.

"I know how hard this is for you, Chase. If you need some time alone, I'll understand."  She had enjoyed the most beautiful experience of her life last night, but she didn't want to feel like she was imposing on him during his time of grief.

He didn't want her to deal with the grief he was feeling, and nodded.  "I probably could use a little time to
myself Jessie, but let's eat our breakfast first, okay?"  He didn't want her to leave, but it really wasn't right to ask her to stay again.

She was more than a little disappointed, but understood. Forcing a smile, she nodded.  They ate their breakfast in relative silence before she stood to excuse herself.  "Call me later if you feel up to it." She managed a fake smile. She didn’t want him to think she was upset about his decision.

"I wish we had met at a better time," he said, smiling apologetically.  He walked her to the car, though he didn't want to let her leave. But she'd already done so much for him.

Reigning in her emotions at his words, she gave another brave smile.  His kiss on her cheek seemed like a forever goodbye, and it was breaking her heart.  She managed to slide into her car and drive off before the waterworks started.

Pulling off on the side of the road after she'd driven a few blocks, she allowed the tears to fall.  Carolyn had warned her that he wasn't in the right frame of mind for a relationship.  She herself knew how she'd reacted after her own mother passed away.  None of that make the aching hurt less.

When she felt composed enough to drive, she headed back to her apartment.  She wasn't that woman who
could just casually sleep with a man.  Granted, she hadn't known Chase very long, but already she felt things for him that surpassed anything she'd felt for Greg. 

But she understood what he was going through.   Jessie walked through her front door and tossed down her purse.  She realized that while he probably did like her and felt attracted to her, he had needed to be comforted and she'd been available.  The thought didn't sit well in her mind. 

Pulling out her phone, she checked her messages, attempting to find something that would take her mind off the emotions that kept building.  Seeing Amanda's text, her heart nearly stopped.

"I need you to call me.  Where are you?  Damn it, this is important." Reading Amanda's words, her own misery receded and she dialed her friend’s number.  Amanda finally answered after the fifth ring. 

"Are you okay?” Jessie asked anxiously.

"No I'm not. I've been trying to call you all night.  Please come over to my place."  Amanda spoke the words in a rush.

Grabbing her purse again, Jessie talked as she made her way back to the car.  "You're starting to scare me here. What's going on?" 

"Just get here, and I'll explain." Amanda cried.

"I'm driving now. Do I need to call someone?"  Jessie had no idea what was going on, and she floored the accelerator.  Thankfully, Amanda only lived a few miles away, and she could get to her condo quickly.

"No!" Amanda screamed. 

Hearing the panic in her friend’s voice, Jessie’s own hands trembled.  Amanda was completely freaked out and not acting like herself.  "I'm almost there now."

Getting silence on the other end, Jessie was close to panicking herself.  After pulling up in front of the building, she took off running toward the elevator.  Tapping her foot impatiently, she mentally urged the thing to come faster.  Standing in front of her friend's door a couple minutes later, she knocked soundly.

Amanda pulled her into her arms and whimpered.  "I don't know what to do."  Tears fell down her cheeks.

Jessie forced herself out of the death grip Amanda had around her neck, and gasped as she saw the bruise on her cheek.  "What happened?" Her eyes widened even more as she noted the ripped clothing her friend wore.

"He wouldn't stop." She paced the room, wincing with every step.

"Who wouldn't stop? You need a doctor!"  She could see the pain Amanda was in, and her mind was completely overwhelmed.  Who would hurt her, and why hadn't she called an ambulance? 

"Derrick, the stupid prick lawyer," she said, sobbing."I can't go to the hospital. Everyone will know what he did." 

"He hurt you." Judging from the bruise alone, the prick needed to be in jail.  "You can't let him get away with this!"  Jessie walked over to the phone and picked it up, determined that if her friend wouldn't report him, she definitely would.

Moving fast, Amanda grabbed the phone out of her friend's hand and slammed it down.  "No, Jessie, my dad will find out.  It was my stupidity. I shouldn't have let him tie me up."

Jessie’s mouth fell open as the implications of what Amanda was saying hit home.  "He beat you?"  The bruise on her face was bad enough, but obviously it had gone even further.

"I just don't want to be alone. Could you please just sit with me? I'm afraid he'll come back." Forcing her legs to move her back to the couch, she sat down, her face skewed with agony.

"If you won't let me call the police, at least let me call Carolyn."  It wasn't the solution she wanted, but maybe she would be able to talk some sense into Amanda.

Amanda’s defeated nod was all the encouragement she needed, and she picked up the phone again.  After giving Carolyn a brief description of what was happening and asking her to come over, she rejoined her friend on the couch.

"How badly are you hurt?" Jessie asked   If the injuries were serious, she was calling an ambulance, whether Amanda liked it or not.

With a grimace, Amanda lifted her shirt, showing off the red whelps across her abdomen, thighs, and breasts. 

Jessie covered her mouth in horror. She couldn't believe someone could do something like this.  The wounds didn't seem life-threatening, but she could imagine how painful they were. "Oh my God, what kind of monster would do that?"  Her own eyes filled with tears, and she hugged her friend gingerly, mindful of her pain.

"He seemed like such a nice guy, but he went crazy the minute he tied me to the bed." Sobbing, she recounted to Jessie how he'd taken a cane he claimed he'd just bought, and while telling her what a dirty whore she was, he’d beaten her body without remorse.

Jessie was disgusted, and felt bile rising up in her throat.  The doorbell rang, and watching her friend tense in fear, she wished the man was here so she could tie up his ass and torture him.  "I'm sure it's just Carolyn."  Forcing a smile to her face, she walked over and looked through the peephole before letting her in.

Amanda told the story again, and Carolyn was just as angry as Jessie had been.  She continued to encourage her to call the police, and not let the man get away with what he'd done.  Frustrated that Amanda wouldn't budge, she got Jessie to help her change her clothes and settle her in bed.  Giving her a pain pill from her own stash, they sat with her for the rest of the afternoon.

Amanda finally agreed to go stay at Carolyn's house for a few days until they were sure the jerk-off lawyer wouldn't come around again.  His name would be blacklisted at the club, and Carolyn said she'd give his name to every group she knew in the area to make sure the man never abused anyone like this again.

Jessie drove back to her own apartment as they headed to Carolyn's, feeling nauseated at the thought of someone hurting her friend that badly.  She hadn't mentioned it to either of them, but she couldn't stop the thought that none of this would have happened if they hadn't got mixed up in Carolyn's crazy lifestyle.

The next morning she received flowers from Chase, but she tossed them in the trash can.  She knew he was probably just thanking her for sleeping with him, so it made her feel a little dirty, not to mention she wasn't in the best frame of mind to think about the things he enjoyed at the moment. 

Another day went by and her self-confidence was in the toilet.  On the one hand, she was glad Chase hadn't called because she wasn't sure she'd ever feel safe around people like him again.  On the other hand, it drove home the fact that he'd only been using her for comfort.  Neither thought said much about him.  The only positive news was that Amanda had finally broken down and called the police.

The prick of a lawyer was charged with assault and Amanda moved in with Carolyn until his court date.  She needed to get out of this place, Jessie told Sebastian as he curled up in her lap.  A good long break away from everything here might help her get her head on straight again.  Working like crazy hadn't stopped the thoughts pounding through her mind, so maybe a change of scenery would. It had been a week, but felt like months since Amanda's attack.

Making the decision, she called work, explaining she'd be out of town for a week.  Jessie told them she wouldn't be available if something came up that required her being there in person.

She called Amanda and let her know she was taking a trip down to Florida.  Amanda had asked if she wanted company, but she told her she needed some time to regroup.  She gave her the hotel information, but asked her to keep it to herself.  She had no doubt the company would drive her crazy with technical help questions if she didn't, even though this was her first vacation since she had started working there. 
Working vacation
, she reminded herself, but still, it was a chance to get away.

After packing up her car and Sebastian, she set out. Soon enough, the greenery turned into white sandy
beaches and palm trees. She rolled down the windows and inhaled the salty air.  Finally pulling up to her hotel, she checked in at the front desk, and then unloaded her bags.  The beach was calling her name, but she wanted to get all her things arranged first.  Half an hour later, Sebastian was curled up sleeping, and she finally made it down to the sugary sand and took a deep breath.

Tossing out her beach towel, she sat down and pulled out a book.  Getting lost in the pages of someone else's romance for a few hours, she found relief.  That relief was short lived when she realized she'd forgotten sunscreen. She knew she'd be suffering the effects of her forgetfulness the rest of the night. At least the characters in her books had their acts together, she thought.  Chuckling wryly she packed up and bypassed the hotel in favor of the local drugstore.

Picking up a bottle of ibuprofen and aloe-vera, she decided to walk around before heading back to the room.  May was already tourist season, and everywhere she looked there were couples or college kids enjoying their surroundings.  A couple of whistles from younger men who'd enjoyed a little too much alcohol didn't faze her.  Ignoring them, she stopped in at several shops and picked up a few little items to remind her of the trip, and a few new toys for her pet.  She was enjoying acting like a tourist.