Vanessa
I stood in front of my closet, staring at everything I’d brought to the apartment with me. There wasn’t much that I thought would be acceptable to wear to a club. I didn’t even have any skirts shorter than my knee. After tearing everything out and laying the clothes down on my bed, I picked through the outfits. Everything was the same—I could have picked three pieces at random and they all would have matched. This was the way Mom dressed. She said it made more sense than buying clothes that didn’t match. I’d always agreed with her, but suddenly I found myself cursing her in my head. Why the hell did she have to be so goddamn boring? Even my prom dress hadn’t been very sexy, and that was the only thing I’d bought from a store geared towards people my age. Everything else I had came from the kinds of places where Mom shopped.
I definitely didn’t have anything proper for a nightclub.
Kimmy knocked on my open door. “Hey, roomie,” she chirped. “You about ready? It’s almost eight, we should get going.”
“I don’t know,” I said miserably. “I mean, what the heck am I supposed to wear? Look at all of this stuff. It sucks!”
Kimmy laughed. “You look fine,” she said.
“I look like I’m going to the library,” I pointed out. I was wearing my tightest jeans, a black blouse, and a blue sweater. “I don’t look sexy at all. Unless guys are into girls who look like grandmothers.”
“Quit being so hard on yourself,” Kimmy said. “It’s not about the clothes. It’s about your attitude.” She walked over and pulled my sweater off. The black blouse was short-sleeved and had a high collar. She unfastened the collar and left it hanging open. If I’d had bigger boobs, I would have maybe had a little cleavage. But since I didn’t, I just looked girlish and flat.
“I still don’t like the way I look,” I said as I stared at myself in the mirror.
“How about this?” Kimmy held up my skirt. “This isn’t bad.”
I stared at it. It was denim, and from about six years ago. I’d worn it in high school, self-consciously happy every time I’d put it on because it was the only vaguely trendy thing I’d owned. But now it looked dated, like the kind of thing you’d find marked down to three dollars in a thrift store.
“I don’t know,” I said. “That doesn’t look very good on me.”
“Hold on,” Kimmy said. She darted into the kitchen and I listened to the sounds of her fumbling around in the drawers. When she appeared in the doorway again, she was clutching a pair of scissors. She grinned at me and held them up in the air, miming a cut.
Twenty minutes later, we were out the door and walking to the bus stop. I was wearing my black blouse and my newly fixed denim miniskirt. The hem was ragged and a little uneven, but Kimmy assured me that it looked cooler that way.
“Is this someplace in Bleeding Prophet territory?”
Kimmy shook her head. “Nah,” she said. “This is someplace new. They have a killer all-night happy hour.” She raised her eyebrows. “So you can have a drink and let loose a little bit. Sound good?”
I swallowed hard. My last brush with trying to be hip hadn’t gone so well. “I don’t know,” I said. I wrinkled my nose. “I feel like no matter what I do, I’m always going to look like a loser.”
“Vanessa, I’m gonna tell you a secret,” Kimmy said. She stood with her hip jutting out to one side. “No one is really cool. Everyone just pretends. And the longer you do it, the cooler you look.” She tossed her hair, somehow looking cooler than I knew I’d ever be. “And when you get old enough, everyone figures it out anyway.”
I nodded. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll start trying, then.”
Kimmy laughed. The bus was pulling up and we started digging through our purses for our bus passes. “Vanessa, relax,” Kimmy said as we boarded the bus. As usual, all the men turned to stare at her. “Everything’s gonna be fine,” she assured me as we slid into a pair of empty seats at the back of the bus.
I was silent as we moved across Madison. Madison wasn’t a huge city, and I thought I was pretty familiar with it from years of driving to and from school. But I was shocked to see that we wound up in a pretty rundown area. It didn’t look anything like the Madison I was used to seeing.
“Are we gonna be safe?” The bus rumbled past an old, empty strip mall and I shuddered. Homeless people had set up tents all over the place and I began to wonder how much cash I’d brought with me. Not much, I hoped.
“Vanessa, this place is fine,” Kimmy said. She puffed her chest out and gazed down at her cleavage. For a skinny girl, she had a really curvy body. I felt insecure just looking at her. Why would Cade want me when he could have someone like Kimmy?
“How do you know?”
Kimmy sighed in exasperation. “I just do, okay?” She rolled her eyes. “I know because it’s another MC’s territory.”
A bad feeling came over me but I tried not to show it. “The Demon Catchers?”
“How did you know that?”
“They were the guys who came to the party where I met Cade,” I said softly. “If this is their territory, he’s not gonna be there.”
“Hold on,” Kimmy said. She fumbled through her purse and came out with her phone. It was buzzing and lighting up with a call. “Hello?” I watched as she talked for a few minutes. Her eyes shot over to me and stared at me as she kept speaking. When she hung up, she smiled triumphantly.
“What was that all about?”
“Cade’s coming,” Kimmy said. “What? Isn’t that a good thing?” she asked when I didn’t say anything.
The bus stopped and we had to get off among a crowd of people before I could answer her.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I mean, I want to see him, but I’m not sure he would want to see me again.”
“Vanessa, he called me specifically looking for you! Or rather Rudy, did.” She smirked at me. “He must have been missing you.”
My heart started to pound as the burly man at the door checked our IDs. Kimmy smirked at me as we walked into the dark, dank club. It wasn’t anything like the Prophets clubhouse. This club was a mess. The floor was sticky and the walls were painted a matte black. The air was smoky and I coughed as Kimmy led me towards the bar. Even with her bright blonde hair, I could barely see her over the crowd.
“It’s packed tonight!” Kimmy yelled in my ear when we’d reached the bar. “I never expected to see it like this!”
“It’s Friday!” I yelled back. “I guess everyone had the same idea we did!”
Kimmy smiled and nodded at me in a way that made me think she didn’t hear me. She passed me a plastic cup of something cold that sloshed over my fingers when I took the cup from her.
“Drink this!” Kimmy yelled. “And stay here! I’m going to find Cade!”
I nodded and tried to smile, but I felt too nervous. Sipping whatever Kimmy handed me, I coughed and almost spat it out. It tasted like candy with a sharp alcoholic bite and it was bright pink. Closing my eyes, I held my nose with one hand and downed the whole drink.
Amazingly, that actually made me feel better. I opened my eyes and stared at the empty plastic cup in my hand. The alcohol was buzzing through my system, making me feel powerful and brave—two things that I’d never really felt before. With a grin, I stepped closer to the bar and flagged down another bartender.
“What’ll it be?” She had to practically yell over the din inside.
I pointed to the empty cup. “Surprise me!” I yelled back as I passed the cup over towards her. “I don’t care!”
The bartender gave me a strange look. When she handed me back another cup, the drink looked different: a clear amber. When I sipped it, I realized it was ginger ale spiked with something sharp. I was already starting to feel woozy and it seemed like Kimmy had been gone forever. As I strained to get to my tiptoes, I realized that I couldn’t see her blonde head anywhere.
Shit. Someone knocked into me, spilling a drink onto my black blouse. They apologized but ran away before I could offer to buy them a replacement drink. Every time I took a step, the club felt too crowded, so eventually I resigned myself to sitting on a barstool and waiting for Kimmy. The crowd at the bar was fascinating to watch. Everyone was eager to get drunk, and I wondered why. Mom and Dad had always cautioned me against alcohol. Mom said that it would turn me into a different person, someone who I shouldn’t ever want to be. But I didn’t understand. After having two drinks, I felt great. I couldn’t believe that I’d never drank anything before. Hell, it made me wonder why everyone didn’t drink!
A guy who looked almost like Cade stepped up to the bar and I stared at him. He had thick blond hair but his eyes were brown instead of blue. When our gazes met, there was no electric shock in my belly like I’d felt at the club. Still, he stepped closer with a grin on his face.
“Hey,” the guy said. “What’s your name? I’m Bruno.”
“Vanessa,” I said. When I realized he hadn’t heard me, I shouted it louder. “Vanessa!”
“Nice to meet you!” Bruno yelled back. We shook hands and I noted that his skin felt sticky and unpleasant. “You wanna get out of here?”
“I’m waiting for a friend!” I yelled. I frowned and pulled my hand away from Bruno. Something about him was giving me the creeps and I couldn’t figure out what it was. When he turned around, I felt sick to my stomach. The back of his vest bore a Demon Catchers banner.
Shit. Did I just flirt with the enemy? What the hell was I doing here? And where the hell was Kimmy? I couldn’t believe she just ran off and left me like this! I should just leave before something really bad happens.
A gnawing ache started in my belly. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to see Cade. But maybe I had been right, maybe this was a horrible idea that I shouldn’t have let Kimmy bring me along.
After what felt like an age, Kimmy tapped me on the shoulder. “Hey,” she said close to my ear. “I couldn’t find Cade. Do you wanna bounce?”
I shrugged. “I guess, yeah,” I told her. As I leaned forward, I slipped off my barstool and almost fell to the ground. Somehow, inexplicably, it was funny and I found myself laughing as I sat on the sticky floor of the club.
“Oh my god,” Kimmy crowed, leaning down to help me up. “You’re drunk! You’re really fucking wasted!”
Kimmy jumped. “Vanessa, look!”
I craned my neck and finally saw Cade. He was standing in the corner. Kimmy ran over to him before I could, and I watched as they talked for a few seconds. I didn’t like the way she was standing so close to him, pressing her body against his. It’s just because of how loud the club is, I tried to tell myself. It doesn’t mean anything. She’s just being friendly. She knows how much you like him.
Cade in person was even sexier than my memories had been. His blond hair was tousled and his dark blue eyes were gleaming in a naughty, cocky way. He was wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. As he walked over to me, I felt my heart thud against my ribs. He’s here. Oh my god, he’s here. He’s here and we’re going to hook up. I can just tell. I just have a feeling!
“Hey,” Cade said. The word seemed imbued with tons of meaning. “Haven’t seen you around in a while, kid.” He winked at me and I shuddered. The same odd, melty feeling came over me and I knew that I was blushing.
“Hi,” I said back loudly.
Cade stepped closer and put an arm around me. “You wanna go to the side and talk?” He nodded his head to the back of the club, where it was marginally less crowded.
I nodded in response. Cade handed the bartender a crumped wad of bills and then passed me a plastic cup full of the same pink liquid that Kimmy had given me at first.
I waited and watched him carefully as he slipped bills back into his pocket. He moved with purpose, like there was a reason behind each and every movement. He was so sexy. Just the way he looked at me made me want to throw myself into his arms and press my lips against his.
I swallowed hard. Now that we were alone, it was hard to think of things to talk about.
“I’m glad to see you,” I said as softly as I could in the loud air. Cade grinned. We were sitting on black wooden crates, propped up as chairs. To the side of us, couples were talking and smoking and kissing, all of them seeming more intimate than I felt with Cade. Even in my new miniskirt, I still felt like a complete dork. I was shocked when Cade let his eyes travel up and down my body.
“You’re different,” Cade commented. He grinned at me and I shivered again. Was this what it felt like to experience lust? Desire? Arousal? Cade inspired all three of those, and more, inside of me.
“I hope that’s not a bad thing,” I said softly.
Cade smirked. “No way,” he said. “You look like you’re having fun. I’m glad for you. You deserve fun.” He winked.
“What have you been up to?” I cringed after the words were out of my mouth, realizing that I didn’t exactly want to know. After all, based on what Kimmy had told me, Cade could have spent each night since I’d seen him with a different woman. Or dealing drugs. Or both.
“Not much,” Cade said. He smirked at me. “Nothing as exciting as pre-med, I’m sure.”
I shook my head. “My classes are so boring this semester,” I whined. “I just wish it was over. I wanna be in med school already.”
“I feel like you probably have a pretty good handle on being a doctor,” Cade said smoothly. I blushed at the compliment. “I mean, it can’t be hard. Especially not for someone as smart as you.”
“It’s actually really hard,” I admitted, grimacing in the process. “I mean, it’s worth it. But it’s a valid excuse for, you know, not really having a life before this.”
Cade laughed. “Not even,” he said with a wink. “I think your parents kept you locked up because they knew you’d be beating off men with a stick. Someone as pretty as you?”
I bit my lip and blushed even harder. “You can’t think that,” I said softly. “Not compared to women like Kimmy. I feel like a little kid next to her.”
“Hey,” Cade said. He put his hand under my chin and tilted my face up so I was looking right into his deep blue eyes. I shivered at the combination of his warm, confident touch and his serious gaze. It felt intimate, like we were the only two people in the world. “Don’t compare yourself to her. You’re a different kind of girl. That’s a good thing,” he said. “I’m sick of girls like her acting like they know everything all the goddamn time. You probably do know everything, but you don’t go around showing off all the fuckin’ time.”
I blushed at hearing curses roll off his tongue. Still, what he said felt good. I was never the kind of person to need validation from others. But all of a sudden, it was like I couldn’t go thirty seconds without wanting to hear Cade compliment or stare at me in the intense way that he had.
I was worried that I was falling in love with him. And just what would happen then? Would I become one of those women, like Kimmy and the other girls around me in the club? Or would I manage to stay the same as I’d always been?
“Hey,” Cade said.
I looked up and he caught me face, bringing me close and kissing me hard. I closed my eyes, not even caring that we were in public. Wrapping my arms around him, I pulled him close as his tongue slipped between my lips. My nipples began to tingle and something between my legs felt slippery and hot, like I needed to adjust my panties.
When we broke apart, I blushed and moaned softly. Cade stared into my eyes and licked his lips. “Come on,” he said after a moment, reaching for my hand and curling his fingers between mine. The simple touch felt incredibly good. I was ready to follow him away.
With my heart pounding and the alcohol beating a sexy, rhythmic beat in my brain, I stood up with Cade. He pulled me towards the back of the club. I thought he was going to try to hide in the crush of bodies, but instead he pulled me through a back door. I almost didn’t see it at first since it was painted matte black like the rest of the club. But Cade seemed to know his way around. We were standing in an alley. It had begun to drizzle lightly, but it felt good in the hot, September evening.
Cade pulled me close and kissed him. I was vaguely aware of his hands on my body, running down my sides and snaking around to squeeze my butt. As we kissed, Cade shoved me backward and I landed against a brick wall. Instantly, Cade was on me, kissing me hard and pressing me back into the bricks. The pressure of being tightly held between his taut, muscular body and the hot brick wall was incredibly arousing and I moaned, wrapping my legs around his waist and letting him hold me there. Cade’s tongue snaked around my mouth, licking at my tongue as he sucked on my lower lip. My skin felt hot and itchy everywhere at once, like I’d need a thousand hands to scratch the desire. Cade grabbed my wrists and held them over my head with one hand, holding me high in the air and shoving his pelvis against mine. My denim skirt was inching up my thighs and the feel of his jeans between my bare legs was making me shiver. My lower belly was pulsing with want and lust as we kissed, so hard that I thought our heads would merge.
“Vanessa,” Cade groaned in my ear. The sensation of his hot breath against my skin was incredible and I shuddered again as a chill ran down my spine. “I want you,” Cade whispered. When I felt his tongue caress my earlobe, I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him close. There was a definite bulge in his pants that was pressing against the crotch of my panties and it was everything I could do not to reach down and slide the fabric to the side.
I swallowed hard as we broke the kiss. Cade’s eyes in the low light were shining with a wanton lust and intense desire for me. He let my arms down and I wrapped them around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder. He smelled incredible, like musk and something spicy. His chest was bulky under his t-shirt, and I ran my hands over his muscular shoulders and back. As he moved his body against mine, I shivered to feel his muscles rippling under my hands. I don’t have to worry about falling in love with him. I already am in love with him. The realization scared me, but instead of making me want to pull away, it just made me want him even more.
Cade nuzzled me and I closed my eyes, tilting my head up and back against the brick wall. He began kissing a line down my neck and collarbone, where Kimmy had unbuttoned my blouse. I moaned as I felt his teeth sink into the soft flesh. Mark me, bite me, let everyone know that I’m yours, I thought lustily. The sensations rocketing through my body were incredible, like nothing I’d ever felt before. I couldn’t believe that we were about to have sex. It didn’t feel like anything had felt with Calvin, it felt so much better. I suddenly understood what all the fuss was about.
Cade’s hands deftly unbuttoned my blouse. For a moment, I wanted to stop him. Then I realized that I didn’t want that after all. When it was unfastened, I shrugged my shoulders and let it fall to the ground. I was wearing a white cotton bra and Cade ran his hands over my breasts, sending a host of new sensations through my body. Despite his hulking size, his touch on my body was feather-light and I moaned, arching my back as he cupped my breasts in each hand. I wanted him to touch my bare skin, everywhere, everything on my whole body. Leaning forward, I unclasped my bra and tossed it to the side. Cade grinned.
“You’re stunning,” Cade said as he lowered his face to my breasts. At the first touch of his tongue on my nipple, I cried out. Cade swirled his tongue over my breasts and sending me over the edge of pleasure. He stroked my other breast with his hand, rolling my nipple between his fingers until it was stiff and hard and throbbing. I groaned as Cade gently scraped his teeth along my nipple.
Roughly, he spread my legs with his knee and shoved his thigh against the crotch of my panties. It felt strange and I shifted my hips. Then, it felt amazing. I closed my eyes and moaned. Cade moved his thigh against my crotch again and I shivered and ground against his muscular leg. I could feel that I was soaking wet, the crotch of my panties clinging to my skin.
“Touch me,” I moaned loudly, throwing my head back. Cade took his fingers away from my nipple and I cried out. As he slid his hand down my belly and over my hiked-up miniskirt, I shivered. He was really going to do it. I squirmed and moaned as his fingers slid over the cotton fabric of my panties. Wriggling my hips, I leaned back against the wall and spread my legs as widely as I could. Cade grinned.
“You’re so hot,” he said. He leaned down and kissed me as he slipped his fingers inside the waistband of my panties. I felt his fingers gently tugging my pubic hair and an electric thrill went through me. I squirmed against his wrist, wanting his hand lower, closer to me. Slowly, in tiny increments, Cade slipped his fingers close to my crotch. I moaned softly as he slid a finger inside me.
“Cade,” I moaned, throwing my head back. “I want you.”
Cade grinned. “You’re gonna have to wait, you little slut,” he whispered into my ear. The words sent a shocking thrill through me. “You’re a bad girl, Vanessa,” Cade whispered. “You’re a bad, bad girl.”
I’d always thought that dirty talk sounded silly, but hearing the words come from his mouth sent my arousal to staggering new heights. When his thumb brushed over my clit, I almost screamed. It felt so good that I thought I was going to die. It felt like the center of my body was radiating pleasure and pulsing with white-hot lust.
There was a slight ripping sound in the air as Cade ripped my panties away from my crotch. The hot night air felt cool against my damp skin and when I realized I was practically naked, save for my skirt, I blushed hard. Cade locked eyes with me as he unbuckled his belt and let his jeans drop to the ground. His cock was rock hard, tenting the front of his black boxers. Cautiously, I reached out.
“I want to touch you,” I said softly.
Cade raised his eyebrows at me and I blushed. As I wrapped my hand around the base of his cock and gently moved my hand up and down, Cade groaned. His cock was hot and hard and seemed to pulse in my hand, sending an electric thrill through my body with each stroke. Even though I was pleasuring him, it felt better than I thought it would, almost like I could feel my own touch. Cade began to rub my clit faster and faster and I moaned softly. I wanted him so badly. Tugging at his boxers, I pulled them down his hips and watched as his cock bobbed free. It was thick and veiny and hard. I shuddered, imagining how it would feel as he slid inside of me for the first time.
Cade licked his lips and stared at me. “You are good enough to eat,” he murmured, stepping closer and wrapping my legs around his waist. When I felt the head of his cock push against me, I moaned and thrust my hips forward. Cade’s cock buried itself inside of me, sending pleasurable thrills through my whole body. I groaned as he pumped his hips faster and faster. With each thrust, I felt a shockwave of lust and arousal. Sweat began to bead on Cade’s body and he pushed me against the brick wall. Leaning forward, I pressed my lips against Cade’s, tasting his breath. He was so delicious, I wanted to curl up and disappear inside of him forever. The sensation of his cock slamming into my body was earth-shatteringly good and I had to break the kiss and let out a howling moan that echoed on the brick walls of the alley.
Our sweaty bodies moved together in a frantic tandem rhythm and a pulsing core of pleasure began to throb in my lower belly. I felt like I was going to explode and I wrapped my arms around Cade’s neck and frantically began humping him as fast as I could. If I held my breath, the feeling of pleasure got stronger and stronger.
“God,” Cade breathed into my ear. The feel of his hot whisper against my skin was almost too much and I shuddered, rubbing my crotch against his pubic bone. Each time he slammed into me with more force than before and I groaned as the hot feeling spread through each of my cells, every nerve, every pore on my body. I was throbbing with pleasure for Cade. As his muscles bunched and tightened against my body, I yelped and cried out.
Then, he stopped. Cade grinned at me and leaned down to kiss me gently. His cock was buried deep inside my pussy and I moaned softly, wriggling my hips and trying to get him to move against me. Instead, he grinned at me.
“I like seeing you work to come, baby,” Cade said. “You wanna come for me?”
I whimpered and nodded. Cade slid a hand between our bodies and fondled my clit with this thumb. It felt so good that I cried out. Tears came to my eyes and I blushed hotly as Cade stared deep in my eyes while rubbing my most sensitive area.
“Please,” I whimpered. “Please fuck me, Cade.”
“Please fuck me, sir,” Cade said in an icy voice.
A shiver of lust went through my body. “Please fuck me, sir,” I begged. “Please. Please!”
“As you wish.” Cade roughly stroked my clit and began to pump his hips against mine, thrusting his cock in and out of my body. The orgasm hit me like a train and for a moment, I could barely breathe as my body began to convulse with the most intense pleasure that I’d ever felt. I could feel my pussy gripping Cade’s cock and pulsing hard as the orgasm tore through my body, making me feel like I’d just fallen into a pool of icy water. My movements must have set Cade off and he groaned and slammed his body against mine, his cock vibrating and twitching inside of me.
We stayed locked together like that, catching our breath. Panting, I looked at Cade. He was damp and shiny with sweat but his eyes were still glowing and I knew that he’d finished hard.
“That was amazing,” I said softly as Cade pulled away.
He grinned at me, holding up my ruined panties. “Sorry about these,” Cade said. He snorted, tossing them into a dumpster.
“I don’t mind.” I blushed as I reached for my blouse, pulling it on and buttoning it up with shaky fingers. “That was incredible.”
Cade winked at me. “You saying you want another round?”
I laughed. My legs were unsteady and sore and I didn’t think I could stand much longer, much less have sex with Cade again. At least not right now.
“Come on,” Cade said. “Let’s get out of here.” Once we were dressed, he took me by the hand and pulled me away from the club. When I realized he was scowling, I looked behind us.
Bruno, the blonde guy who’d tried talking to me at the bar, was standing there watching us.
“What’s wrong?”
Cade sighed heavily. “Nothing,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just go.”