CHAPTER 34
JIMMY
Numbness settled in my fists as I pounded the bag over and over again. The distinct smell of sweat and rubber permeated the small gym, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’d become familiar with the Daywood workout center, building my endurance by running on the treadmill, then pummeling the punching bag until my arms couldn’t take anymore.
Since Mackenna started spending Saturday nights at her parents’ house, I had several hours to come here to train in secrecy.
And sometimes I worked out during my lunch break, like today.
“Damn, Jimmy.” Colton’s voice came from the bench press. “You got a beef with that bag?”
Part of the reason I was on edge was because the fight with Jaxon was in two weeks. No matter how much I trained, I felt like I had to be better, faster, stronger. There hadn’t been anymore incidents since the car vandalism, but I knew Mackenna was worried.
I was worried, too.
The other reason I wanted to beat something to a pulp? Guilt.
Whenever Mackenna asked me what I did while she was gone on Saturdays, I told her I watched movies with Grandma—which was the truth. Part of it, anyway.
The lie didn’t seem like that big of a deal at first, but as time went on, it got bigger. As my feelings for Mackenna grew, it expanded. Every time I went to the gym to train, it multiplied.
I told myself it was for her benefit, and that might’ve been true, but I still felt like shit about it.
Also, I hadn’t been up front with Mackenna about my feelings. After a lot of internal debate, I decided not to tell her I loved her, mostly because I didn’t think she’d say it back. My fragile ego couldn’t handle that. So, I just kept it to myself and held onto the unlikely hope that she would say it first.
But time was slipping through my fingers. My summer in Tolson was more than halfway gone now.
Chest heaving from exertion, I stepped back and pulled off the gloves protecting my knuckles. “Nah,” I told Colton with a forced smile. “Just feeling a little wound up is all.”
“Alright.” Getting to his feet, he made a ‘come at me’ gesture before balling his fists. “Let’s duke it out.”
I had to laugh at his bad form. Colton was in good shape, but bulk had nothing to do with fighting. Strength meant nothing if you didn’t know how to use it.
“I think by ‘duke it out’, you mean get your ass kicked,” I said with a laugh.
Fists still raised, he shrugged. “I’ve always been a lover, not a fighter. Now show me some moves.”
“Well, first of all you need to bring up your left hand,” I told him, moving it in front of his face. “You can’t leave yourself wide open like that.”
I kept my motions slow as I showed him a right hook and how to block. After a few minutes of circling each other and pulling punches, Colton was out of breath.
“Holy shit,” he heaved. “I had no idea I was so out of shape.”
I chuckled. “It’s just a different kind of workout. We’ll build up that endurance.”
We headed to the locker rooms to change back into our coveralls, then went out to Colton’s blue Ford pickup.
Just as I buckled my seatbelt, he spoke.
“Jimmy… I want to let you know we’ll take care of Mackenna when you leave.” He glanced over at me as he started the ignition. “After what happened with her car and everything… I know you’re probably concerned.”
“I’m terrified,” I admitted, needing to confide in someone. “When I think about leaving her here—unprotected—I feel sick.”
“I understand,” he said with a nod. “But we’ll look out for her. I promise. And if you ever need to talk about anything, I’m all ears.”
“Thanks.”
It made me feel a little better. It was nice to know Mackenna wouldn’t be alone after I left.
I still had no idea what would happen to our relationship when the summer was over. I hadn’t brought up the subject of long-distance since that night in the hotel, partly because Mackenna was so against it at the time.
I hoped she would change her mind, but the guilt I was feeling made me have doubts about that. I had successfully gained Mackenna’s trust while also deceiving her, and I knew that was messed up.
How would she feel once she found out about the secret I’d been keeping? I wasn’t foolish enough to think I could come out of the fight unscathed. I wouldn’t be able to hide the bruises on my body, and I didn’t want to. Once it was over, I had every intention of coming clean.
But would it be too late?
*
After our lunch break, Colton left work early to take his daughter to the park, so it was just Hank and me at the shop.
I’d gotten the hang of things around here.
Filling out the invoices at the end of the day had become one of my jobs. I knew where all the tools were and how to clean them. And the guys had enough confidence in me that they let me do oil changes and tire rotations on my own.
Certain customers were starting to know me by name.
Norma Henderson came in at least once a week because she swore her Honda was making funny noises. Hank didn’t have the heart to tell her that it was probably one of her hearing aids going bad. He also didn’t have the heart to charge her when there was nothing wrong with her car.
However, I suspected she was coming in for the man candy. One day I saw her bump into Hank and play it off like an accident. But I was pretty sure she just did it to cop a feel. I mean, she grabbed his ass to steady herself then left, looking flushed and a bit too satisfied.
Then there was Harold McCann. He walked by the shop every day at exactly 2pm with his cairn terrier, Roxy. We kept a jar of dog treats behind the counter just for her.
I’d just given Roxy her bone when Hank called me back inside. I watched the furball happily scamper off before heading to the office.
“What’s up?” I leaned against the door way.
Swiveling toward me in his chair, he linked his hands over his stomach. “You caught that oil leak on Charlie’s van yesterday.”
“Yeah. Wasn’t hard to spot it.”
“That’s fantastic.” He smiled. “Charlie didn’t even know about it, so that was a good find.”
Hank had a way of making me feel like I did a great job, even when I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing in the first place. I didn’t think what I did was anything special, but his compliments made me feel warm and fuzzy.
“Thanks, Hank.”
“Here’s your next paycheck.” He handed me an envelope. “Keep up the good work.”
As I walked the three blocks home, I looked at the text Mackenna sent about an hour ago.
Mack: Can’t wait to see you. Just let yourself in ;)
Truth was, I couldn’t wait to see her either. I decided to forego the shower I usually took at Grandma’s just so I could see her ten minutes sooner.
Yesterday, she gave me my own key so I wouldn’t have to knock all the time. We both tried to play it off like it wasn’t a big deal, but it meant something to me. It felt like so much more than just a way into her house.
I palmed the cold piece of metal in my pocket as I walked up her porch steps.
I never would’ve thought Mackenna would be such a wild one in bed, but fuck.
She was insatiable.
She was like a kid discovering candy for the first time. Every night, as soon as I walked through the door, she was on me.
And it didn’t matter where we were. The kitchen. On the couch. Halfway up the stairs. If she was in the mood, we fucked.
Sometimes I had to force myself to slow down so I could take my time, make it sweeter for her. But she liked pushing my buttons. She used any means necessary to make me lose control—her teeth, her nails, her tongue.
I’d gotten used to Mackenna launching herself at me, so I was surprised when I opened the door only to be met with eerie silence.
“Mack?”
Nothing.
“Mackenna?”
Fear spiked. A quick search of her downstairs, and I was taking two stairs at time.
“Mack!” I yelled out as I reached the second floor.
More silence.
I roughly raked a hand through my hair as a dozen awful scenarios ran through my mind. Just as I was about to lose my shit, her sing-song voice came from her bedroom.
“In here, Jimmy!”
My hand went to my chest, my heart racing like I’d just sprinted a mile. The door was cracked, and when I pushed it open I barely registered the drawn shades, the candles on the nightstand, or the hot naked girl on the bed.
When she saw my expression, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the mattress. “What’s wrong?”
Dropping to my knees in front of her, I wrapped my arms around her body, laying the side of my face on her stomach.
“Baby,” I whispered shakily, then kissed her warm skin.
“What’s going on?” she asked, concerned.
“When I couldn’t find you, I thought…” I swallowed hard, not wanting to voice my fears out loud. Every time I was away from Mackenna, I was afraid her ex would go off the deep end again. That I wouldn’t be there when she needed me. Sometimes I had nightmares about coming home to find her gone.
“Everything is fine.” She ran her fingers through my hair in a soothing gesture. “I just wanted to surprise you.”
I huffed out a laugh, not letting go of the hold I had on her. “I see that now.” Resting my chin against her belly button, I glanced up at her face. “I was scared.”
“Sorry, babe.” The last of my fear melted away at the term of endearment. She’d never called me babe before. I liked it. Then her lips pulled into a naughty smile. “Wow, you’re not even looking at my tits.”
At the mention of her breasts, my eyes drifted to the dusky pink nipples just inches away from my face. “They’re great tits. And I like it when you say tits.”
She laughed and it made them bounce. I caught one between my teeth and her amusement turned into a moan.
“I need to shower,” I told her. “I’m dirty.”
To prove my point, I rubbed my thumb over her hip bone and left a dark streak of grease behind. Picking up my hand, she studied my blackened fingertips before dragging them over her stomach. I watched the lines appear on her pale, perfect skin, marking her as mine.
Mine.
Mesmerized by the physical evidence of my touch, I couldn’t stop. Bringing my hand up to her face, I smeared my thumb over the place where her dimple would appear if she smiled. I drew lines down her neck, over her collarbone, to her left breast.
Mackenna’s breathing picked up. “There. Now I’m dirty, too.”
“I guess we both need a shower now,” I said.
She stood up and held out her hand. Without hesitation I took it, willing to follow her anywhere.
When we stepped inside the shower, steam filled the air as she poured a large dollop of her body wash onto a loofa. The suds covered my skin as she scrubbed the dirt away.
“You’re too good to me,” I murmured.
“I like being good to you.” She smiled. “As long as you give me what I want.”
“And what do you want today?” I asked, amused.
“This.”
I gasped as her hand made its way around my cock. “Baby, we ran out of condoms yesterday.” My protest faltered when she rubbed her thumb over the barbell at my tip while sucking my nipple piercing into her mouth. “I—I haven’t—shit, that feels good. I haven’t had time to pick up more.”
“I don’t care,” she said, breathless. “Just pull out.”
We almost always used condoms, but nothing compared to the feeling of taking her bare.
It wasn’t just about how her wet, silky walls felt around my dick. It was more than skin on skin. It was about the connection. Just her body and mine.
But first, there was something I needed to do. Dropping to my knees, I lifted her leg and set her foot on the ledge of the tub.
“What are you doing?”
I looked up to find Mackenna wide-eyed as she watched me move closer to her pussy.
“Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” I replied. Using my thumbs, I spread her open, revealing her swollen sex. My mouth watered before I dove in.
Flattening my tongue, I ran it up her slit. I moaned at the taste of her while she gasped at the new sensation.
Her hand landed in my hair and the pull on my scalp turned me on even more. I wanted her to guide me, to grind herself on my face, to use me for her pleasure. My tongue circled her clit before sucking it into my mouth.
Mackenna let out a loud whimper as her body went limp against the wall. My hand went to her stomach to hold her up.
“Jimmy,” she panted. “This feels really good, but…” Her sentence turned into a moan.
I lifted my head long enough to ask, “But what?” Then I lapped at her some more, unable to get enough of her sweet taste.
“I want your cock,” she managed through another gasp.
I laughed against her clit. My girl was so impatient.
“Alright, baby.” Standing up, I gave her a light kiss before giving her what she wanted.
Pinning her up against the wall, I buried myself deep between her legs. I groaned at the feeling of her tight heat.
I would never get tired of this. The way her body fit me like a glove, her breath against my neck, her fingernails digging into my skin.
As I rocked into her, the emotions of the day came to the surface—anticipation for the fight, guilt over my dishonesty, and the fear I felt when I thought something happened to Mackenna.
Needing an outlet, I let it all out in the form of fast, rough thrusts. Her tits bounced from the force as I drove into her hard.
She didn’t seem to mind, though. Panting loudly, she clawed at my chest and shoulders, probably hard enough to leave marks.
I was glad. I wanted her to mark me, too.
And when I pulled out, my cum shot onto her stomach, branding her as mine again.
Rising up on her tiptoes, Mackenna kissed me slowly. Leisurely. Like we had all the time in the world. Hot steam filled the air while we basked in the post-orgasmic bliss.
When we parted, those big stormy eyes looked up at me, so innocent and trusting. Guilt gnawed at me again.
But then I tenderly peeled some of the wet, dark strands away from her forehead, revealing that scar.
That scar was my motivation.
As I placed a kiss over it, I vowed to do whatever it took to keep Mackenna safe—even if it meant keeping a secret.