Chapter 6
I cursed as a thin sheen of sweat formed on my forehead, and my heart pounded heavily in my chest. That was too close a call. Derek had stilled on top of me, but he continued once he was sure that I was on the right track again, and he continued unfazed.
“Jesus, Derek, you can’t just do that,” I hissed as I pushed my hair out of my face. “I lost my focus for just one second and look what almost happened.”
“I wouldn’t have let anything happen, don’t worry,” he assured me as his fingers splayed themselves over the top of my panties, torturing me once more.
“I can’t drive the rest of the way like this,” I complained. “You’re making it very hard to focus.”
“On the contrary, I’m making it interesting. The harder I try, the more you have to focus which in turn will make you a better driver.”
I huffed as I blew a strand of hair out of my face. “That’s not how it’s supposed to work.”
“Who cares about how it’s supposed to work. This is how it works around here.” He waved my comment away. “Besides, you didn’t see the look on your face when I went in.”
“What look?”
He leaned and took my ear between his teeth. “You looked like you were about to writhe beneath me, and it just me made want to take you right then and there, but you are driving, and this is still a car.”
“Not the way you’re treating it,” I choked.
“Oh, trust me. You haven’t seen anything yet,” he purred as he moved around the upper edge. One finger darted in, and I squeezed as a groan escaped my lips. He wiped his finger out, brought it up to his lips and sniffed it.
“Are we almost there?” I asked, in a daze, thinking that if I didn’t get there soon, I was about to spontaneously combust because of how hot I was.
“Yes,” he said, simply as his tongue wrapped around my breast and tugged. The dual sensation of his finger between my legs with his mouth on my nipple while we were driving was enough to drive anyone up the wall.
I tried to keep my focus, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
“Pull over here.” He gestured to the side of the road where it skidded off into an unmarked dirt road that was basically an abandoned parking lot.
I gazed around in confusion as Derek switched off the car.
“What are we doing here?”
“I can’t wait one more minute. I need to be inside of you.”
His lips crashed against mine as his hand fiddled with the seat, and it tilted backwards, so that he was laying on top of me. I responded enthusiastically as my legs immediately wrapped themselves around his waist, pulling him closer.
He began to grind himself against me as our hands created paths of their own where they pinched, scratched and grazed every inch of skin. My hands snaked under his shirt, and I managed to get him out of his leather jacket. Next, I helped him push off his shirt, so that he was half naked beneath my fingertips.
A low growl escaped his throat as he tore his lips away from mine and began to pepper my neck with feather light kisses. I took the chance to marvel at his chest, and the smooth feel of it.
My breasts were pressed against his chest, and he teased them a little by rubbing his face against them without actually touching them. My back arched as I tossed my head back allowing him full access.
“So ready and willing for me,” he mouthed. “So sweet, and so wet.”
“Just for you,” I panted as he used his legs to pin me down, so that I was completely at his mercy.
“Yes,” he agreed. “All mine.”
He brought my hands up on top of my neck and held them in a vice like grip while he leaned over and began to rummage around. I heard the sound of crumpling paper, and a couple of other things while he made his search.
I was beginning to grow impatient when he finally wiped out a tie, and he gave me a heated look. My heart was lodged in my throat as he tied my hands securely behind the seat. He tested the bonds by pressing his lips to mine, and when I couldn’t tangle my hands in his hair, he smiled in satisfaction.
“Now that you are all tied up, you are completely at my mercy.” His voice dropped an octave lower as he hoisted my skirt up, so it was around my upper stomach. He began to trail his fingers across the sensitive flesh, pausing every so often to kiss.
Goosebumps broke out across my flesh as I twisted and squirmed beneath him, but to no avail. He was definitely the one in charge here, and I was oddly okay with it.
Normally, if anybody else tried that high-handed attitude with me, I’d give them a piece of my mind, but with Derek, I wasn’t sure what I’d let him get away with, but right now, it would pretty much be anything.
All bets were off.
I heard him unbuckle his belt, and he kicked his pants down to his ankles, so that he was only in his boxer shorts which were barely restraining him. A rush of desire zipped through me as I tried to use my legs to bring Derek closer.
He grinned as he grabbed my legs and lifted them up over his shoulder, so that my lower half was exposed to him. He began to kiss the inside of my thigh leading up to my nether regions but then he would stop and kiss again till I was inhaling deeply just to get some air into my lungs.
“You have no idea how hard it is to restrain myself.”
Dimly, I speculated about why we were both still in our underwear with my dress pooled around my stomach, and his pants hanging off of his legs. We should be completely naked by now, and it made no sense not to be.
I wanted him inside of me so much, I was practically salivating which during any other situation would’ve been embarrassing, but given the scenario we were in, I wanted nothing more than to have him all the way inside of me driving me closer and closer to the edge.
“Then don’t,” I whispered. “Don’t restrain yourself.”
I knew even as if I said that, my words fell on deaf ears. Of course, he would. He was an alpha, they thrived on making you squirm and beg for it. There was a part of me that protested indignantly, insisting in fact that it didn’t need to be this way in order for us to enjoy ourselves, the part was not currently tied up and half naked, pinned beneath a man who made her blood boil.
Yeah, that voice made no difference to me right now given how horny and frustrated I was.
He began to tease me by rubbing himself all around my area but never quite touching me as he lowered his mouth to my stomach and began to suck and kiss. He pulled back, made an annoyed noise in the back of his throat and next thing I knew, my dress was being peeled off of my body leaving me completely exposed except for my pink lacy underwear.
“Hmmm,” he commented as he let his gaze roam all over my body, telling me just how much he appreciated it. “Yes, this is a sight I could definitely get used to.”
He lay on top of me, so that my breasts were squished between us, and he began to kiss my earlobes gently until shivers of delight went through me. I had no idea how he managed to make me feel so turned on with just the simplest of touches, but man, was he good.
Better than good, I could see why women would be putty in his hands. Here was a man who knew exactly what to do to please a woman. That was a rarity not just in day to day life, but sexually as well.
“Come and get it,” I said, breathlessly as I pouted and licked my lips.
“Oh, you are definitely alluring, Aubrey, and very much aware of what you are doing despite your earlier misgivings.”
I lowered my eyes and batted my lashes. “Is that so? Why don’t you come over here and show me?”
He smiled pleasantly as he began to rub the smooth nipples between his fingers. “Oh, I plan on it.”
He used his fingers to hook the boxers down, and his erection sprang free, glinting in the moonlight as my mouth fell open at the sight. He seemed a lot bigger than last time, but I knew that was not possible.
It was just a trick of the light, I knew, but still, my stomach dipped in response. He groped around for his jeans and placed his hand inside, but cursed when he came up empty handed. His eyes danced wildly around the car as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I don’t have a condom,” he said, regretfully.
“I’m on the pill,” I assured him as I pinned him closer to me and lowered my lips to his. He growled against my lips as he shifted his hips and position himself. He kept his lips firmly attached to mine until he positioned himself and plunged in.
He swallowed back my moan as I altered myself beneath him, so that he had full access, and I had better friction. He wove his fingers through my hair and yanked my neck up, so that he was able to ravish it with kisses.
I began to claw at his back as primal feral noises escaped my lips and sweat began to pour down my back in heavy droplets. In the back of my head, I was dimly aware that the car began to shake beneath our weight as we moved back and forth, our bodies slapping against each other.
Derek had lowered the windows a smidge, so that the cool night air enveloped us, and I was suddenly grateful because it kept me from sweating too much though I did wonder if anybody would be able to hear us if they slowed down.
If they did, they would have a front row seat to one hell of a show.
Derek knew just how to move, how to push me closer then pull back just when I thought I was close. It was making spots dance in my field of vision as lightheadedness began to steal over me.
My head felt light as Derek pushed himself inside of me. “You’re so tight.”
He grunted. “So tight and so wet.”
I stilled beneath him as my body adjusted to how deep he was. There was not an inch of space between us now, we were joined at the hip, and I could feel his balls tickling my behind. My mouth seeked his out as I darted my tongue in, and we began a sensual battle for dominance as I moved myself closer, so that I got as much of him as I could.
It was frustrating being tied up like this with the inability to use my hands to bring him closer, or feel his back, or his hair, but secretly I liked it. There was something about being submissive like this that was kinky and hot in a way that nothing else was.
“You make me want to lose all control,” Derek growled. “Till there’s nothing left but the two of us. Fuck, I don’t want to stop!”
“Don’t stop,” I moaned. “Don’t you dare stop!”
“I won’t,” he promised as his eyes flew open, and he pinned me with his gaze.
Suddenly, his entire body froze as his searched the night before they widened.
“Shit, it’s a police car.” He swore as he slide off of me and hastily slid on his boxers and jeans. In one quick movement, he had his shirt back on, and my seat lurched forward as I yanked my dress down.
I rummaged around for my panties, but I didn’t have time to put them on as the red and blue lights flashed behind us, so I kicked them beneath the seats and tried to look natural.
“If they ask, we’re having car trouble, and no signal,” he whispered underneath his breath as he kept his gaze fixed ahead.
I heard car doors slam, and the sound of the crunch of sneakers on the gravel as someone approached us. I winced as white light shone in my face obscuring the man in front of me from view.
“What seems to be the problem, officer?” I asked, in my most unassuming voice hoping I looked appropriately innocent. I wasn’t sure what state my hair was in, but I hoped that it was not so disheveled that he would be able to guess what we were up to.
I could smell Derek all over me, and I was sure he reeked of my perfume, but that was only if you knew what you were looking for. So far, he had no reason to suspect anything.
“This isn’t a safe road, ma’am. We got a call that a car was parked to the side,” the officer explained as he lowered the light to reveal a kind and youthful face with deep hazel eyes.
“That’s my fault officer. I haven’t driven in a while, and I lost control of the steering wheel, but I didn’t want to hit anyone, so I swerved.”
“So why is the car still not moving?” the officer asked, confusion written all over his face as he waited patiently for me to explain.
“I’m afraid she’s not very good at driving a stick, officer. You know how tricky those rascals can be,” Derek pointed out, his voice tight and cold. His hands were balled into fists at his side, and all the color had drained from his face leaving him with a pale and sickly look. He kept his eyes fixed ahead as a muscle ticked in his jaw.
He wasn’t scared of the police as I had originally assumed. He was afraid of what he might do to them which was a completely different story altogether.
The question was why.
I was dying to know now that I had pieced it together, but I knew it wasn’t the time or the place.
“Yes, that’s true,” the office agreed, kindly. “Can I see the license and registration please?”
“Of course.” Derek opened the glove compartment and took out the papers. The officer studied them, his gaze swinging back and forth from the documents to Derek who forced himself to remain casual.
“Alright, well everything seems to be in order here,” the officer said, finally. “I just want to make sure your car is working before we go.”
“That’s very nice of you officer.” I gave him a sweet smile as I turned the key in the ignition and waited for it to rev up. It took a few tries on my part because I wanted to convince the officer that something truly was wrong, and just as he was about to intervene, it started back up.
“Best get that motor looked at. It doesn’t sound right,” The officer suggested as he tipped his hat at us and gave me a small smile.
“We will, thank you.” I waved at him as I put the car in reverse and drove off with my heart hammering in my chest. Once we lost them, Derek visibly relaxed and turned to face me.
“Are you alright?” he asked, concern lacing his tone.
“Yes, I’m alright. He just gave me a bit of scare, that’s all. Nobody really wants to be caught with their pants down so to speak,” I joked.
Derek forced a chuckle. “Yes, I know what you mean.”
“Are you alright?” I quickly peered at him.
“Yes,” he answered, quickly. Too quickly.
“Derek. I can tell that you’re hiding something. At first, I thought you were skittish about the cops because you’re afraid of them, but I realize now that isn’t it. You seem almost angry at them.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his tone hard as ice.
I cut my eyes to him, levelled him with a look then swung my gaze back to the road. “I call bullshit.”
Derek angrily ran his hands through his hair. “Look, why can’t we just drop it?”
“Because it’s obviously something that matters to you,” I countered, stubbornly. “And I need to know why. We barely know each other, Derek, but let’s just agree that we can be honest with each other. We’re adults here, and I think we can handle it.”
“I don’t think you want to know the truth,” Derek muttered under his breath.
“You won’t know until you tell me,” I argued. “This assumption that I’m going to judge you for whatever it is you’re about to tell me is unfounded.”
“It’s not an assumption. It’s a normal reaction,” Derek responded, his tone flat.
“That’s hardly fair,” I protested. “I’ve given you no reason to believe that, Derek. Just level with me, please.”
I could feel the waves of indecision and doubt rolling off of him as he debated whether or not to tell me. We finally arrived at our destination, and I was about to get out and just let it go for now when Derek placed his hand on my arm.
“I want to tell you, Aubrey, but you need to promise that you won’t react or do anything rash until I finish what I need to say.”
“Okay,” I nodded.
“I don’t like cops because I’m an outlaw, Aubrey.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m wanted for murder. I murdered a cop.”
Chapter 7
The blood was roaring in my ears, and I couldn’t hear much beyond the sound of my heart pounding at a steady thump thump thump that drowned out everything else.
I blinked. “What?”
Derek sighed. “I’m wanted for murder. I murdered a cop.”
I could tell he didn’t relish repeating the words, but for some reason I had trouble making sense of the words. In an abstract sense, I understood what he was saying, but I couldn’t comprehend how. More to the point, I wasn’t able to wrap my head around it.
Derek didn’t strike me as a killer. The man sitting before me with hesitation and caution etched onto his features was not a murderer. There was no way. I must’ve heard the words wrong, or maybe I misunderstood them.
It just couldn’t be.
“Can you please say something?” Derek pleaded when the silence stretched out between us, and became almost too much to bear. I was vaguely aware of the outside world continuing on as people came and went inside the pier laughing and talking as if they had their whole life ahead of them.
Most of them did.
Mine felt like it was about to stop, or potentially start back up, depending on his explanation. Murder was never okay, but surely there was a good reason for it. There had to be.
The windows were still slightly open, so I was able to hear the sound of people’s conversation flitting in and out as the smell of seafood permeated. Half of me noted all of this with fascinated detachment. It was a way to cope with what I just heard, trying to find the ordinary during a macabre situation.
“I don’t know what to say,” I said, finally, quietly.
“Can I at least explain before you let your mind spin and weave a web of possibilities?” Derek questioned, his expression resigned.
“My mind is already concocting possibilities,” I informed him, not unkindly. “I do need to hear the story before I decide though.”
“I used to live in a different town. The details don’t matter. Anyways, I worked for a repair shop where I enjoyed tinkering with cars, and as I told you earlier, I took the odd job here and there whenever I needed money.”
I nodded for him to continue.
He took a deep breath before he continued. “I not a perfect man, Aubrey. Not by any stretch of the imagination. I’m not even sure I’m a good one, but what I am is protective and loyal. That I can attest to. However, I am also a jealous man.”
Uh-oh.
I was beginning to have a bad feeling about where this was going, but I bit my tongue to keep from saying anything. It was after all, none of my business. I clasped my hands in front of me as I twisted in my seat to get a better look at him.
The car creaked under my weight startling both of us.
“I knew when I met her that she was different. Cadence was one of those people who was naturally happy and cheerful. She always tried to make sure everyone around her was like that too. I was crazy about her from the minute I met her.”
It felt like someone had reached inside my chest and was squeezing my heart painfully. I knew this was before he met me, but hearing him talk about her that way still sent a twinge of regret through me.
He would never talk about me that way.
I was under no illusion as to the nature of my relationship with Derek. It wasn’t like we had agreed to anything, so I couldn’t hold him accountable. If we had nothing between us but sex, it was because we both agreed to it. I had no idea if this date was because of guilt or pity, but it was what it was.
“Cadence liked to go off on all sorts of adventures. Backpacking, hiking and such. She was the nature type, and I loved her for it, but I did worry. Especially because I was not always able to go with her,” he continued, his eyes glazed over as if he was in some kind of trance.
In a way, he was.
He was witnessing a movie in his mind’s eye, a private one that I was not privy to. I merely got to hear him narrate it which would have to suffice.
“I always teased her that she needed to be more careful in case she came across a wild animal or something, but she always waved my protests away and said she trusted animals because they had pure souls or whatever. Yeah, I know it sounds like some new age bullshit, but she believed it, so it was okay. I indulged her though every now and again, I did worry,” Derek explained.
“Cadence knew that I was the territorial type, and she found little ways to make fun of me for it till I began to lighten up. I was still a bit too protective for her liking, but we found a compromise.”
“She sounds amazing,” I offered when he lapsed into silence, in the throes of some kind of demon I couldn’t see. Whatever had a hold of him, he would have to figure out a way to save himself because I couldn’t do it for him.
“She is,” he agreed. “I haven’t spoken to her in a while, but I’m sure she still is.”
“I don’t understand,” I admitted.
“Cadence went off on one of her hikes one day, and she wasn’t back when she said she would be. At first, I wasn’t worried. I figured she was just running a bit late, and she’d get to me when she could, especially because most of the time the signal up there sucked. I waited and waited although my gut feeling told me that something was wrong. Four hours passed with no word, so I went out to ask if anybody had seen her.”
A deep sigh escaped Derek’s lips, one that made him sound way older than he was. “When I finally found her, she was sitting at a lone star at the bar staring straight ahead. I walked up to her, hugging her in relief, but when she flinched I knew something was wrong. She had mud caked all over her face, a few scratches on her arm, but it was the look in her eyes that chilled me to the bone. It was this look like something inside of her was broken.”
Derek craned his neck, deep pain reflected in his eyes. “I took her home, and after a while, she finally broke down and amid sobs, I was able to make out her story. She got lost while she was up there, and while she was trying to get back home, she asked an officer to help her get back. It didn’t occur to her to question why he was up there to begin with. In any case, he agreed, but as soon as they were deep enough, he attacked her.”
I gasped as my hands flew to my mouth, and tears immediately welled up in my eyes. To be in a vulnerable position like that, and to be taken advantage of by someone who has sworn to protect you had to be one of the most terrible things in the world.
“She tried to fight back, but he was too strong, so eventually, she lay completely still while he tore her clothes off and raped her. She just retreated into her mind until he was done then once he was, she kicked him off and ran, but no matter how far she ran, it was never far enough. She couldn’t come home at first because she couldn’t face me since she blamed herself for not being safe.”
“She couldn’t possibly have known that would happen,” I offered as I reached for his hand. He surprised me by gripping it firmly. “Sometimes we spend so much time worrying about monsters that wear different masks that we forget that monsters can be humans too.”
“Yeah,” Derek agreed. “Obviously, I was furious. I wanted to tear him limb from limb. As soon as I was sure she was sleeping deeply, I went off to the police station. Cadence was able to get a good glimpse at his face, and a quick look at his name tag. I asked for him as soon as I walked in, and I swear I had no intention of harming him, but as soon as he walked out with the swagger, and the arrogant twist in his lips, I couldn’t control myself.”
“I can’t say that I blame you. I might’ve done the same,” I commented.
“Rightfully so. I beat the shit out of him, and I didn’t feel one ounce of regret. It took four grown men to pull me off of him, and the only reason they could is because I didn’t want to kill the man. I wanted justice for what he’d done to her. He spat in my face when they restrained me, and when I accused him, he smiled cruelly and said that it wasn’t his fault she was asking for it.”
“I lunged at him again, but this time, they locked me up to get me to cool off, and I was pacing and seething all night. I had to call my best friend Max to go check on Cadence then bail me out. Cadence was furious of course, but more than that she was bone weary, and didn’t want me getting in trouble because of her. She insisted that the only thing to do was press charges and let the system take its course. I disagreed, but I couldn’t get her to agree that there was another way.”
Derek swallowed heavily as he stopped. I covered his hand with both of mine, injecting as much compassion as I could with that one gesture. I wasn’t sure if it worked or not, but it was the only thing I could do. I had no idea how to comfort him other than that, and I wasn’t sure if touching him was a good idea when he was in the midst of recalling such a vivid and painful memory.
“Soon, it became apparent that the police department would rather cover up what he did than own up to the fact that they had a crooked cop. Aside from her testimony, there were no other witnesses, and there was no evidence. Cadence had scrubbed herself raw after she calmed down, and unfortunately that washed away his DNA. I was livid, but I knew there was nothing I could do that wouldn’t get me in trouble. He was still a police officer after all, and anything I did to him would mean I wouldn’t be able to protect Cadence.”
“Oh, Derek.” I impulsively threw my arms around him. I had no idea what it must be like for him to know that kind of pain. To live with that kind of regret.
“I wasn’t going to hurt him, I swear. I was just out taking a walk, but when I saw him standing outside talking to this girl who looked frightened out of her wits, I couldn’t help myself. I crossed the street, and I saw that he was harassing her. The girl looked relieved to see me, but the officer just looked mildly annoyed as he asked if Cadence wanted another go with him. When he said that, all I saw was red. I wasn’t even aware of what happened until I felt the girl’s arms wrap around me from behind and pull me backwards.”
“When I looked around, she was gone. The only witness who could’ve defended me and made it seem like more than just an act of revenge. Eventually, I went back to him and erased all the evidence, but for days Cadence and I were skittish. Worried that every knock on the door might mean that they came for me. After a while, his murder was written off as a random mugging, and they never came for me. Cadence left me after that. She said that it was too hard to stay where she was with me and not remember. It was hard, but I knew I had to let her go. I moved away as well, and came to Melbourne Heights to start fresh.”
I took a deep breath as I began rubbing Derek’s shoulders in slow soothing gestures hoping that it would somehow warm the cold that had suddenly entered into his heart because of his recollection. He seemed unaware of my touch at first, but soon he melted into the hug, and he threw himself around me too, so that we were both clinging onto each other.
Time passed quickly or slowly, I wasn’t sure which, but our position stayed the same. We merely shifted when I crawled onto his lap and held him as if I could erase all the pain, and as for Derek. He clutched me as if I was his anchor, the only lifeline keeping him tethered to this plane of existence.
All around us, the world continued to shuffle by in a blur of color and noise that was more like sound effects than anything else.
“I loved her, Aubrey, but I couldn’t save her,” he whispered as he played with my hair.
“You couldn’t have known,” I repeated. I tilted my head up to look at him, and he was staring out the window with a haunted look on his face. “Look at me.”
He snapped his attention back to me. “What?”
“It was that piece of shit’s fault, and you know that. He was the one who attacked her. Beyond that it wasn’t yours or hers. You did the best you could, Derek.”
“Yes, but I shouldn’t have been out that night, and I have no idea what came over me when he said that. I could’ve just made sure the girl was okay then walked away. It wasn’t my fight that night,” he protested, weakly as a muscle ticked in the corner of his jaw.
“He was trying to get under your skin, Derek,” I pointed out. “You know that as well as I do. I don’t need to know the guy to know it’s true.”
“Still.” He removed his hands and scrubbed them over his face as if he could somehow wipe the memory away. “I should’ve known better.”
“You had a moment of weakness. We all do. We’re only human after all,” I said, softly as I wound my arms and began playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. “I think you should’ve told the truth instead of running.”
“And risk going to jail for something I didn’t plan on doing?” he asked, disbelievingly. “I saw how they were treating the case with Aubrey which would’ve looked like peanuts compared to what I did. I couldn’t take those chances and destroy my life.”
“You couldn’t have found the girl?” I pressed.
“It’s like a needle in a haystack,” Derek confirmed. “I did look for her by the way because I know it may not seem like it, but I did feel guilty. Not that he wasn’t the scum of the Earth, but still I had no right to take that man’s life, and I thought if I was able to come forward than Cadence and I would be able to move on with our lives, but I had no idea that we were beyond fixing at that point.”
I held his gaze. “So you ran?”
“So I ran,” he agreed, never once blinking as he looked deeply into my eyes. I could see that Derek wasn’t sure that telling me was the right decision. It was reflected in his irises though I had no idea if it was because he was afraid of what I would think of him, or worried that I might turn him in.
He needn’t worry on either account, but I was still trying to figure out the best way to tell him. I took his hand in mine and placed a soft kiss there. When I was done, I pressed my head firmly to his chest, above the place where his heart beat steadily.
It skipped a beat occasionally which made me smile despite the seriousness of the situation.
“We all have skeletons in our closet, Derek,” I began, shakily. “I can’t say that this is an easy thing to swallow, but I understand why you did it.”
His hand stilled in my hair as if he were afraid of the next words to come out of my mouth. “So, what’s the verdict?”
I drew back and raised an eyebrow. “Verdict? It’s not my job to play judge, jury and executioner, Derek.”
Derek pressed his mouth into a firm line. “It’s what most people do. I wouldn’t be able to blame you if you did. I did just confess to a crime.”
“Which you didn’t mean to do, and feel guilty about,” I responded. “How could I possibly judge you for that?”
“It’s not that hard.”
“Derek, I’m not passing judgement here. You did what you thought you needed to do. Now, I’m asking you to listen to me like I listened to you,” I urged as his eyes shifted restlessly until they finally landed on me.
He was coiled up tight like a panther about to spring, and I understood why.
“I know that wasn’t an easy thing to confess, but I also know the world isn’t as black and white as we’d like to believe. There are many shades of grey, and you lost control in a moment of anger spurred on by your desire to protect someone you love and care about. That isn’t a crime.”
“Killing is though,” he interjected.
“Yeah, it is, but I’m sure your demons haunt you enough with that. Now, there is something else. I know you haven’t explicitly said, but I can sense that you’re worried I’m going to tell the cops.”
He went stiff beneath me. “It’s the right thing to do.”
“Yes, well, I’m not planning on doing that either.” I waved his comment away in frustration. “Honestly, for a man who doesn’t want to be prosecuted, you sure are quick to pass judgement on yourself.”
He gave me a dry smile. “I figure better I do it than someone else.”
I smoothed the hair back from his forehead. “You don’t need to do that around me. I accept you as you are, Derek Price. Skeletons and all.”
I could feel him struggling with my admission as he tried to decide whether or not I meant it. To him, it seemed too good to be true. That after everything that had transpired, and the line he crossed, he still got to fathom the idea of being happy.
“Why?” He choked on the word, his expression weary as he held me back.
“Because we all need someone in our corner, Derek. Someone who’s going to be there when the rest of the world turns its back on you. Something tells me you haven’t had a lot of that.”
As soon as the words left my lips, his lips crashed against mine, and he moaned loudly as his fingers dug into my back. I sighed as I kissed him back just as passionately hoping to convey the depth of emotion I felt for him using only my mouth.
We remained like that, slowly kissing and running fingers over the clothes on our back for the longest time until a voice made us pull apart. “Get a room.”
I pulled away first and blushed as I ducked my head. Derek smiled absentmindedly as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. He placed a soft kiss upon my cheek.
“We’d better get out of this car because if we keep going, we are never going to make it to that restaurant,” he murmured. I nodded and slid off of him into my own seat where I ran my fingers over my dress to smooth it, and I finger brushed my hair to tame it.
Derek opened the car door and ran over to my side where he opened the door and held his hand out for me. I grinned as I placed my hand in his and shut the door behind me. He tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow as he lead me to the last restaurant at the end of the pier.
It was by far the quietest one with very few people milling about despite the delicious smells emanating from inside. Once we got to the front entrance, he gave the hostess his name, and we were lead to a secluded table in the back that had the best view of the sea.
It was a small table, simple really with two chairs and a candle in the middle. Derek held out my chair for me before he went ahead and sat in his own seat. We conversed easily while we tried to decide what to choose.
“I’m starving,” I announced as my eyes scanned the menu. “What’s good around here?”
“You,” he said as his foot slid up my leg. I chuckled as I inched my chair away.
“Now now none of that. I am actually very hungry.”
“So am I,” he said, suggestively.
“We can take care of that later,” I said, dismissively before my face flushed. “I mean, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not assuming that something will happen later. Not that I don’t want it to, but I’m not—”
Derek burst out into laughter as he reached across the table and placed his finger upon my lip. “Relax, Aubrey. I’m not going to call your morals into question for making your intentions towards me clear.”
“No?” I teased. “What will you do then?”
Derek leaned back in his chair as he studied me thoughtfully. “Where do I begin?”
“Wherever you want?” I asked, confusion lacing my tone. Derek stood up, shifted his chair, so that he was next to me and placed his hand atop my thigh.
I was thankful the table cloth was covering his hands right now which were doing some serious wandering. “Trying to get a sample?”
He chuckled. “A sample? Is that what you call it? Very well then, yes. I can’t seem to keep my hands to myself around you, so I see no reason why I should. Since we’re sitting here waiting for our food to come, and I have other things in mind, we might as well enjoy ourselves.”
I reached for my glass of water and drank slowly as I tried to formulate my response. I opened my mouth to say something when his hand went beneath my dress and began to tease me on top of my panties. Derek pretended to look at the menu while his slight smirk gave him away.
“I’m trying to decide what to eat,” I announced, my voice low and breathy in spite of my best efforts to contain it.
“Really? You haven’t picked yet? I’ve already decided what I want,” He said, innocently as he gave me a blank look. “And since I’ve tried it before, I know what I’m getting into.”
“Is that so?” I raised an eyebrow. “You never know, it might not be the same.”
“Oh, I fully expect it to be better,” He informed me as his hands danced across my back. In one swift movement, he unhooked my bra, and he looked unfazed as I scowled at him.
“Stop doing that, my breasts are going to spill over,” I hissed as I reached behind and tried to hook it back, but I was unable to do so.
“More for me to look at it,” He drawled as his eyes traveled down.
“I’m not interested in other people ogling,” I snapped. His eyes darkened as he helped me hook it back up. “You make an interesting point. Only I should do that.”
I shook my head as an amused smile danced on the corner of my lips. “I don’t get men sometimes.”
“That’s okay. You only need to get me,” He commented, lazily as he let his hand run up and down my bare thighs causing a ripple of goosebumps to rise in their wake.
“Something tells me you might just be right.”
Frustrated, I shut the menu and glanced up at him. “You’ve been here before, right?”
“Yes,” He said, hesitantly as if he wasn’t quite sure where I was going with this.
“So you know what’s good?”
“I should certainly hope so though it depends on taste.” He gave me a full smile as he closed the menu letting me know I had his full attention.
“Well, I love anything that’s related to seafood, so why don’t you go ahead and order for us?”
“Yeah?” He asked, his eyes lightning up mischievously.
“I don’t know why you have that look in your eyes, but yes, I meant it. I’m not allergic to anything, so go crazy.”
Derek smirked. “Alright, but just remember, you have to try everything at least once.”
I nodded. “Okay, I can agree to that.”
He signaled the waiter and rattled off a bunch of items off the menu including but not limited to oysters, crabs, calamari, and some other things I didn’t recognize.
I leaned back in amusement as I watched him describe how to cook everything as if he knew exactly what he was asking for. The practiced way in which he illustrated let me know that he did, and the waiter looked impressed on more than one occasion as he jotted down everything.
A cool wind ruffled the air, and I shivered as I suddenly wished that I had thought to bring my sweater along, but I was in such a hurry that I left it behind. A minute later, Derek draped his jacket over my shoulders without pausing in his detailed descriptions. He placed his arms around my shoulder and squeezed as I leaned into him.
His scent filled my nostrils, a clean soapy scent with a hint of spices I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was like nothing I’d ever smelled before though now that I did, I wanted to bury my nose in it and inhale deeply.
“I have an extra jacket in the car, do you want me to go get it?” He asked as he buried his face into the side of my hair.
“No, this is okay. It smells nice too,” I offered as I buried myself deeper in it.
I felt him smile against the side of my face. “Did you know that being attracted to a persons smell is actually a big telltale sign?”
“How so?”
“If you find yourself liking a persons natural scent, not the smell of their perfume or soap or whatever then it means that on a molecular level, your DNA cells are attracted.”
I pulled back and gave him an incredulous look. “Are you making this up now?”
“No, seriously,” He shook his head as he held up his hands in earnest. “I was reading this study that tells you that’s how you know that you’ve found your mate.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Because you’re attracted to each other on a molecular level?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
I made a noise in the back of my throat. “It could be true. I did hear something similar, but it sounded silly to me, so I don’t know.”
“I like the idea,” He admitted as he played with my hands.
“Why is that?”
“It makes it easier to tell, doesn’t it?”
“Whether or not you’ve found the one?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve never thought about it that way before. Sure, things would be better if there was some foul proof way to guarantee that you’ve found your mate, but I’d like to think we get a say in it too.”
He regarded me, a smile playing on the edge of his lips. “I think that falling in love is not necessarily a choice. That’s why a lot of people say love is blind. However, when the original euphoria has worn off, what remains after, that’s the true testament of love. More so than anything else. It’s choosing to love that person in spite of the odds stacked against you, and your own insecurities.”
My lips quirked into a smile. “So you can drive, cook, and you’re deep to top it off? Derek Price you are a man of many qualities it would seem.”
“You forgot something important,” He pointed out, seriously.
“What’s that?”
“I also happen to know my way around the bedroom,” He whispered in my ear causing shivers of delight to race up my spine.
“Sure, I can agree to that,” I said, mildly.
“I don’t feel like you mean that,” He teased. “Say it with a little more gusto.”
I elbowed him playfully. “Maybe later you can prove it to me.”
“Oh, I plan on it. Did you know that certain types of seafood are a natural aphrodisiac?”
“I wasn’t aware we were on an episode of Fifteen to One,” I commented, very dryly.
Derek’s body vibrated with laughter. “Sorry, I just like reading random facts.”
“Hey, I think it’s cool,” I assured him as I placed my hand on his arm and squeezed comfortingly. “What did you order that has a natural aphrodisiac?”
“Clams, oysters, and there’s some studies to suggest that shrimp helps too.” He listed them as his hands traveled up once again. Once they snuck underneath my panties, I gasped as my head rolled to the side, colliding with his shoulder.
“I think we should get the food to go. What do you think?” He asked, casually as he continued his sensual exploration of my lower body.
My hand shot up. “Check please.”
***
We barely made it to his front door when he pushed me up against the wall and had his hands under my dress. He paused as he took out his keys, jammed them into the door and shoved it open. I walked backwards as we kept kissing, and he slammed the door shut behind him, pressing me against it.
I made a low noise in the back of my throat as the food fell out of both our hands and clattered onto the floor. I plunged my fingers into his hair and tilted my head to allow him better access.
He took full advantage of the situation by attacking my lips with renewed fervor as he yanked my dress up, so that the lower half of my body was exposed. He hoisted my legs up, and I helped him by wrapping them around his waist. His hips began to grind against my center making my entire center go red hot.
He maneuvered us, so that we were heading somewhere else in the house. Next thing I knew, the back of my legs were connecting with something solid, and I spilled backwards. I wasted no time in reattaching my lips to his as I pressed my body to fit his, arching my back in the process.
Derek growled against my throat as he began to impatiently tug on the dress, in an attempt to take it off. I pulled back, gave him a sexy look as I pulled it off over my head, leaving me in my lacy bra and underwear.
His gaze rove over my body, hungrily drinking me in as he fiddled with the buttons on his jeans. I crawled forward on my hands as I placed my hand atop his, and together we undid the buttons and slide off his jeans in one fluid movement. He stood up on the bed and kicked them off leaving him in his boxers.
“God, you’re beautiful,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
He gave me an amused look as he pulled his shirt off over his head. “I think you mean yourself, not me.”
“No.” I shook my head stubbornly. “I’m talking about you.”
“And I am talking about you,” He stressed as he undid the clasp of my bra in one fluid movement. He tossed it aside and took the time to fully appreciate my breasts as our lower bodies grinded against each other.
He tore his lips away and leaned over the bed to rummage around in the drawer. He pulled out a pair of lacy handcuffs and gave me a heated look. “Care to try these out?”
I held out my hands in front of me in answer. “Yes.”
“I’ll be right back,” He said as he cuffed me to the railings on the bed with one arm on each side, so that my legs were slightly spread. He pressed a quick kiss to my lips and jumped off. A minute later, he was taking out the food and opening the containers.
“Has anybody ever eaten food off of you?” He asked.
I shook my head.
Derek began by feeding me little bits and pieces of food, so that I was able to savor them. When I tried pushing myself forward for more, he chuckled and took out an oyster. Using only his mouth he took it out and placed it squarely in the center of my chest with the juices dribbling all over.
He began to lick around it until I was panting and writhing beneath him then he finally took it in his mouth and nudged my mouth open to place it in the center. He tore off a piece for himself, and I nearly moaned at the taste.
This had to be one of the most erotic meals I’d ever had. He tried this with a few other types of food, each time driving me more and more insane until he finally stopped and just started kissing me instead.
“Derek,” I complained. “Come on.”
“What?” He asked as he kicked off his boxers and lay down on top of me, so that our naked bodies were pressed against each other save for my panties.
“You know what,” I huffed in frustration as I gave him a look.
“No, I don’t, tell me.”
“I want you. Inside of me. Now,” I punctuated each word with a wriggle of my hips to get my point across. Derek grunted as his eyes swung shut, and he held himself very still.
“You do test my patience,” He admitted as one eye peeked at me.
“You try mine,” I retorted. “You’ve got me handcuffed to your bed almost completely naked. What more do you want?”
“Good point,” He growled as he used his teeth to slide my panties off before he tossed them somewhere behind his head. He nudged my legs apart and thrust inside. I cried out as he finally came into contact with my core, and my entire body heated up.
My hips rotated in order to get him to move, and soon we set a pace. Unlike the previous time, this was hard and quick because of the amount of time we spent building up it. I wasn’t in the mood for slow tonight, and I struggled against my binds as I tried to get even closer to him.
“You make me feel like such an animal.” He pressed his forehead to mine, his body slick with sweat as he plunged in and out of me. “I want to fuck you like rabbits do.”
“Yes,” I gasped as he hit my sweet spot. “You should.”
“I want to hear you scream, Aubrey,” He whispered. “I want to hear my name leave those plump lips of yours.”
He began to thrust even harder till the sound of flesh slapping against flesh was all that was heard. My entire body convulsed and spasmed around him as I called out his name prompting his own orgasm as well.
We lay very still for a moment until he pulled out and kissed me on the forehead. He gathered me into his arms, and we both lay exhausted and spent till we drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.
THE END