Trip tugs his cell phone out of his pocket and glances down at it. “It’s getting late. We should probably go in.”
I swing my legs off his lap and place my feet on the floor while grabbing his hand. “Come on. We can go to my room.”
A wicked grin spreads across his face. “Again? You’re going to kill me on our first night together. You really were deprived.”
I giggle and lead him towards the door, walking backwards in front of him. “I really was. Looks like we’re just going to have to keep at it until this craving goes away.”
He shakes his head and grabs me around the waist, pulling me against his body. “I don’t think it’s ever going to go away for me. I’m addicted. You’re stuck with me.”
I smile and grab a hold of his shirt. “I think I’m starting to like the sound of that.”
“You do, huh?” He kisses my lips. “Me, too.”
I nod and start to open my mouth to tell him exactly how much I’m starting to like the idea of being with him when headlights shine through the windows. “Who is here this late?” I turn around and squint, trying to make out the make of the car that pulled up next to my house. When I recognize the car, my brow scrunches. “What in the world is Max doing here so late?”
“It’s after one in the morning. Does he make a habit of showing up in the middle of the night?” Trip asks as I lead him through the door.
I shake my head. “No. Never. Something must be wrong.”
My heart thuds in my chest as we get closer to the car and Max hasn’t attempted to get out. The engine still runs as I approach the driver’s side and peer into the window. Max is slumped over the steering wheel with his head resting on his arms.
I tap on the glass. “Max? Are you all right?” He doesn’t respond immediately, so I knock on the glass. “Max? Answer me. You’re starting to scare me.”
This time Max slowly pulls his head up and turns in my direction. I gasp and clutch my throat as Trip yanks the door open. “Jesus!”
Max’s face is swollen and covered in blood. There’s not a single inch of his face untouched. “Max? Oh my God. What happened? Are you okay? We should take you to the hospital.”
A million things rush through my mind while I wait on his answer. He obviously didn’t wreck his car, so something else horrible has happened to him.
Trip reaches in the car and shuts off the engine. “Can you walk? I think we should take you to the hospital, Max. You look like hell.”
“No,” Max rasps. “If I go to the hospital, they’ll want me to press charges.”
Trip leans in and wraps Max’s arm around his shoulders, helping him stand. “Who in the hell did this to you?”
Max’s bloodshot eyes cut to me. “Jackson.”
My mouth drops open and my hand rushes to cover it. “Jackson did this to you? Why?”
Max doesn’t answer me as Trip helps him inside the house. Trip deposits Max gently on the couch while my head continues to spin. Why would Jackson do this to my best friend? I thought he liked Max. They always seemed to get along so well. Did he do this because he was angry at me?
Anger builds inside of me and I fight the urge to jump in my car and find Jackson myself. This isn’t right. He needs to be punished for what he’s done to Max. No one should be allowed to get away with something like this.
“Holly, can you get some towels and something to clean him up with? We need to know how bad this is. If he needs stitches, we have to take him to the hospital whether he likes it or not.”
Max sighs through his fat lip. “No hospitals.”
Trip shakes his head. “No promises, buddy.”
I run upstairs and grab some towels and then head back to the kitchen. The first aid kit under the sink is dusty. The last time we had to use this was when Grace showed up here stoned out of her mind with cuts all over her body. Dad freaked out and went to work, cleansing and covering all her wounds, yelling at her for coming around here like that. It was one of the only times I can clearly remember him raising his voice to her. For some reason, her showing up here bleeding all over the place pissed him off far more than when she shows up in her regular state, begging for drug money.
I wipe the dust off and carry the box into the living room where Trip is sitting on the coffee table across from Max. “You should tell her.”
I hand Trip the towels and the box. “Tell me what?”
Max shakes his head. “Nothing.”
Trip narrows his eyes at Max. “Don’t act like this isn’t a big deal. Either you tell her, or I will.”
Fear creeps down my spine as I sit down next to Max. The fact that Trip knows something about my best friend that I don’t can’t be good. I take Max’s hand and cradle it in my lap. “What is it? I thought we told each other everything?”
Tears fill his eyes and when he blinks they stream down his face. “Not this. I never wanted you to know this.”
My vision begins to blur with tears of my own and I take a ragged breath. “Please, Max. Tell me. I don’t like seeing you hurt.”
Max bursts into full-blown sobs and I instinctively wrap my arms around him and pull him into a hug. I glance over at Trip. His face is marred with concern. I stroke the back of Max’s head and mouth to Trip, “Tell me.”
Trip takes a deep breath and says, “This has been going on for a while. Jackson apparently saw fit to use Max here as a punching bag whenever he felt the need.”
My eyes widen. “For how long? And why am I just now finding out about this?”
Max pulls back and wipes his tender face gently. “I didn’t want to lose you, Holl. I knew you thought Jackson was some great guy and I couldn’t risk telling you that he liked to beat me up on a regular basis. I didn’t want to lose your friendship. You’re my only friend. It would’ve killed me if you took his side over mine and never spoke to me again.”
My heart cracks and I fight back my emotions to keep from bursting into a million tears. I’m such a terrible friend. If this is my chance to attempt to make this situation right, then I’ve got to take it.
“So you allowed him to continue to do this to you right under my nose and not say anything? Max, I would’ve dumped his ass and encouraged you to go to the police about all this,” I tell him firmly. “Please don’t ever be afraid to tell me the truth about something. I love you. You’re my best friend.”
“You say that now, but if I were to tell you about this a year ago when it started, would you have been so willing? He had you snowballed for so long. It was scary how much control he had over you.”
I take one of the towels from off the table and open the first aid kit to pull out some peroxide. I soak the corner of the towel and go to work on cleaning Max’s face. As much as I hate to admit it, Max is right. It’s hard for me to believe this is real when I have the blatant proof right in front of my eyes. I can’t imagine how difficult it would’ve been for me to fathom my sweet, loving boyfriend being such a monster. But there’s no point in admitting that. It won’t help anyone to worry about anything other than the here and now.
Max winces as I clean his split lip. “I’m sorry this happened to you. It wasn’t because of me, was it?”
He frowns. “When you called and told Trip that Jackson just left you stranded, something snapped in me. I had to confront him, so I set out to find him and tell him what a piece of shit I think he is. He can treat me like shit all he wants, but not you, Holl. You don’t deserve that.”
A tear falls down my cheek and I shake my head. “Neither do you. We should go to the police. We can’t let him get away with this.”
“I don’t want people to know. I’m ashamed I allowed him to bully me for such a long time. Plus, if I go, I’ll have to give the details. Everyone—my parents—will know that I’m …”
I pat Max’s leg. “I’ll be right by your side. You won’t be alone. No one is going to love you any less when they find out you’re gay.”
“And I’ll go with you,” Trip adds beside me. “You shouldn’t let this get swept under the rug, man. It’s time to fight back and stop being that asshole’s punching bag.”
I finish wiping up Max’s face and he leans his head back and closes his eyes. He’s struggling. I know more than anyone how hard coming out to the world will be for him. Turning Jackson in for what he’s done will get not only everyone in this town involved, but the press too. A star motocross rider assaulting a gay man will make headlines for sure. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for him.
Max takes a deep breath and then opens his eyes. “I guess it’s time I stop hiding who I really am.”
I grab his hand and squeeze it. “You’re making the right choice. Let’s go.”
Inside the police station, Officer Jones stares me down for a long moment before turning his attention back to Max. It’s the tattoos that make them all nervous. The artwork on both my arms tends to have that effect on some people. I stand behind Max while he works on filing a police report and applies for a restraining order against Jackson. Holly is right by his side, just like she promised.
“So tell me, Mr. Moore, where did the assault take place?” the heavy-set officer asks Max.
Max runs his hand through his brown hair. “It occurred on the street outside of Jackson Cruze’s house.”
The cop twists his lip, making his mustache crooked. “You said you drove yourself away from the scene. What were your intentions when going to Mr. Cruze’s residence?”
Max shuffles his feet. “They were to tell him off, I guess.”
The office nods and writes a couple notes down. “So you went over there with a preconceived plan to start trouble with your assailant?”
Max shakes his head. “No, I didn’t. He hurt my best friend and put her in danger. I had to confront him about that. He couldn’t just keep getting away with hurting her.”
“Is this young lady whom you’re referring to?”
“Yes.”
He eyes Holly and returns his gaze back to Max. “Was she involved with Mr. Cruze?”
“Yes, but I don’t see what that has to do with this,” Max replies.
The officer sighs and sets his paper down. “This appears to be a domestic dispute over this girl. My advice to you, son, is to not get involved in other people’s business—even if you are interested in pursuing the lady yourself.”
Holly shakes her head. “It isn’t like that, officer. Max and I are best friends. There’s nothing going on between us.”
The cop chuckles to himself. “You might want to let Mr. Moore know that—looks like he took quite the beating defending your honor.”
Holly folds her arms across her chest. “I’m glad you think that someone like Jackson beating up my gay best friend is amusing. I’m sure the media would love to know about the cop that didn’t take the matter seriously, especially since Jackson is sort of a celebrity.”
I grin as I listen to my girl give the cop what for. I love that she’s feisty enough to stand up for herself. Of course I’ll step in anytime she needs me, but she’s doing a pretty damn good job of handling the situation herself.
The chunky cop clears his throat. “Just hold on, Miss. I never once implied this wasn’t a serious matter.”
“But you did when you were insinuating that we were just a bunch of young people caught up in a silly love triangle, which I promise you isn’t the case. Jackson Cruze is an arrogant jackass who believes he can get away with anything. He’s been picking on my friend for some time now, and it has to end. I had to practically drag Max down here. Look at his face. He got the crap kicked out of him and he was afraid to come to you people for help because he didn’t want to be judged. We get him here, and not only do you judge who he is and what he stands for, but you don’t take him seriously. You were about to blow him off, weren’t you?”
Officer Jones holds up his hands, attempting to calm Holly down. “I’m sorry if I came across that way. Believe me, this is a serious matter and we’ll get right on this. I promise you. We take hate crimes very seriously.”
“Good,” she replies. “Now let’s get back to allowing my friend to press charges against Jackson. He needs to know he’s not above the law.”
I remain silent the entire time. It’s good to know I have a woman who can defend herself. She’ll need to be tough, especially when it comes to dealing with our crazy fans. Those women go a little batty sometimes. Both Lanie and Aubrey both have had their fair share of run-ins with them and it wasn’t pretty, so I’m sure Holly will face that too.
Once everything is completed, we make our way out to the parking lot. Holly turns to Max and wraps her arms around him. “I’m so proud of you.”
He squeezes her against him. “It felt good to do that, like a weight has been lifted off me. Thank you for encouraging me.”
“You’re welcome,” she says as she pulls back. “Go home and get some rest. It’s nearly dawn, so you’ll have to explain everything to your parents soon.”
Max nods. “It’s time they knew the real me.” His gaze cuts to me. “Thank you, Trip.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Me? I didn’t do anything.”
“Yes, you did. You came into my best friend’s life and changed us both.” He smiles and then winces and touches his tongue to his split lip. “See you guys later.”
I shove my hands in my pockets and grin as I watch Max walk to his car, get in and drive away. It’s nice to hear that I’ve had just as much of an effect on them as they have on me. I like being here, and I love being with Holly. I can’t even explain how she’s doing it, but she’s opening me up to a world of possibility again. Where it’s okay to open my heart and feel something for people, without the fear that they’ll betray and crush my trust.
Holly slips her arm around my waist and leans her head against my shoulder. “He’s right, you know.”
I throw my arm around her shoulder and stare down at her. “About what?”
She grins. “About you changing me, showing me how a really great guy is supposed to treat me.”
I stare into her big blue eyes. “I’d never treat you wrong.”
“I know you wouldn’t,” she whispers before kissing my lips. “I love how you’re honest and straight forward with me. Apparently Jackson is a sneaky coward. I don’t know how I never saw it before. I’m pretty disappointed in myself.”
I tip her chin up so I can stare into her eyes more. “It’s easy to allow love to cloud rational thought. I’m guilty of the same thing. If I would’ve allowed my brain to process what was actually going on in front of me, I would’ve known my ex-wife didn’t really love me. So don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault.”
She sighs. “It doesn’t make me feel any less guilty for what happened to Max.”
“Max should’ve told you sooner and stood up for himself. You can’t blame yourself for that. I’m just glad he did come forward and something is going to be done now.”
“Me too.” She grabs my hand and tugs me towards the Mustang. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
I grin, loving the sound of going home with her, and allow her to lead the way.
Holly doesn’t let go of my hand. The entire ride home we shifted the gears together and then she pulls me behind her into the house and then up to her room. She opens her bedroom door and then bites her lip as she tugs my hand to come inside.
Her room is exactly what I expected. It’s tidy and orderly, just like her. All of her clothes are put away and her bed is covered with a cream colored comforter. She sits on her bed and pulls me down with her. The look in her eyes tells me she didn’t bring me in here to talk. It’s the same naughty glint I saw back in the restaurant when I knew she wanted me.
I reach out and cup her face, kissing her sweet lips. If I had to imagine what heaven would be like, this would be it.
She shoves her hands in my hair, keeping my mouth on hers as we fall back onto the bed together. I snake my hand around her waist and roll, effectively placing her on top of me. Holly straddles my waist, and the erection in my pants stiffens even more. It’s like it knows what’s about to happen and it’s just as anxious as I am to get inside her again.
This time, I’m going take my time with her and make sure she knows she’s special to me.
I sit up so we’re face to face, and dip two fingers inside of her dress and slide it off her shoulder, trailing kisses on her bare skin as I go. She sighs as my tongue darts out and I taste the flesh above her collar bone.
“Trip …”she says my name with a sigh as I mirror the moves on the other side.
The metal zipper on the side of her dress is warm between my fingers as I tug it open. Last time I was too impatient and didn’t undress her completely, but I’m about to remove every scrap she has on this round. I shove the dress down around her hips before gliding my hand up the middle of her back and into her hair so I can pull her down into another kiss while my free hand unhooks her bra.
The silky-white material loosens around her as I remove those straps as well. Her full breasts fill the cups of her bra as I trace the outside edges, teasing her a bit before I finally pull it away. I dip my head and suck on one of her perfectly puckered pink nipples.
Holly bites her bottom lip as I stare up at her and lick a trail from one nipple to the other. Her breathing picks up as she brings her hand down to my cheek, to tip it up so she can kiss me. I turn my head into her hand and kiss her wrist. The delectable scent of her sweet perfume fills my nose. I close my eyes and relish in this moment with her. Before her, I thought I forgot how to love. I thought I was fucking broken, but she’s showing me everyday that it’s possible for me to love someone again. Every moment I spend with her, I grow a little more attached, and I feel compelled to do anything for her.
Now I remember what it was like when someone else was my entire world and can empathize with what Noel and Riff are going through.
“Is something wrong?” she whispers, staring into my eyes.
I shake my head and give her a reassuring smile. “No. Everything is absolutely perfect.”
She grins. “I think so, too.”
I pepper her face with kisses, elated to hear that she’s feeling the same way I am. She begins to rock her weight against me, riding me through my jeans and her panties. Long strands of hair frame her face as she shoves my shirt up and then pulls it over my head. She tucks her hair behind her ear as she licks her way down my chest, stopping at my nipple to suck it in her mouth. The way she’s looking up at me makes my mouth water. No one should be allowed to appear so angelic. It’s not fucking fair to the rest of the world.
I cup her face and crush my lips to hers before plunging my tongue in her mouth. A sweet moan vibrates against my mouth as I feel how much I’m turning her on.
I tip her back, laying her on the bed, while I get on my knees in front of her. Both of my hands slide slowly up her creamy thighs before they find their way under her dress.
I give her my most wicked grin as I feel the bare skin beneath my finger tips. “I forgot I ripped your panties off before. Good thing I didn’t remember that at the police station. I wouldn’t have been able to keep my hands off you and concentrate.”
She giggles. “Yeah. I stuffed them into my purse.”
I eye the handbag sitting on the nightstand. “Maybe I need to keep that as a souvenir of the first orgasm I ever gave you.”
She tilts her head. “Why do you need a memento? Are you planning on leaving me?”
I shake my head. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetness. Ever.”
She grins and kisses me again. “Good.”
My dick strains against my jeans, begging to be buried deep in her pussy.
When she tosses her head back, I drag my lips down her neck. “God, Trip. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.”
The sound of her needing me, asking me to take her is almost more than I can bear. I yank on her dress, tearing it a bit as I pull it over her head. I stare down at her completely bare and laid out before me. I’ve never seen a more beautiful creature in my entire life. A tug in my chest I haven’t felt in my heart in a long time. I know it hasn’t been that long, but there’s just something about her that fits perfectly with me.
Holly sits up and unbuttons my jeans. I grab a condom from my back pocket and toss it onto the bed before I help her shove my jeans and boxers off my body. We both stare at each other, sitting there together completely naked. Her breathing is just as fast as mine as I reach for her.
I ease her back on the bed and then lay down beside her. I guide my hand down between her legs, before pressing a couple fingers against her swollen clit. “You’re so fucking wet. I love how fucking excited you get when I touch you.”
Holly’s body writhes as I continue to circle her sweet spot.
“Oh, God,” she pants. The sultry tone in her voice causes my cock to jerk.
“Are you going to come for me, baby?” I ask against her skin. “You’re so fucking sexy when you come.”
She whimpers and grabs my wrist as she comes hard against my hand. “Oh, ah … Trip.”
“That’s it, baby. Let go with me,” I tell her.
I knead her tits as she returns from euphoria. I roll her taut nipple with my index finger and thumb. Watching her fall apart from the things I do to her body, causes an intense rush throughout my body, making it hard to hold back any longer from taking her very difficult. I love the fact that I’m the only man that’s ever made her feel that good.
I grab her face and kiss her hungrily, eager to make her come again. An intense need flows through me to claim this girl. I always want this woman to be mine.
I suck a quick breath when Holly touches my face and says, “I want you inside me.”
I shake my head. “There’s one more thing I want to give you first.”
Before she can say anything else, I begin kissing a trail down her stomach. I nudge her thighs open and then go straight to work on her still swollen clit. I flick my tongue against it and lapping up the sweet juices of her arousal. I penetrate her core with two fingers and I feel her greedy pussy clench around them.
Holly’s body twists, and she shoves her pussy against my mouth and she pants my name while she comes for the second time.
I kiss the inside of her thigh. “I believe that’s what? Number four for the night, and we’re not done yet.”
She giggles. “You’re serious about that Orgasm King thing, aren’t you?”
I grab the condom from the bed and open the package. “I take my duties as ruler very seriously.”
She laughs for a second before she glances down to watch me roll on the rubber. The amused expression on her face turns serious as hunger builds up again in her eyes. This girl is insatiable—I fucking love it.
I grab her legs and yank her to me, so I can slide my cock between her wet folds. After it’s coated in her juices, I guide my cock into her. The intense pleasure of it causes me to close my eyes. “Damn. This is fucking heaven.”
I shove into her all the way to the base and then pull back out. She searches out my lips again as I begin pumping into her. “Trip …”
She doesn’t have to say another word for me to know exactly what she’s feeling, because I feel it to—this crazy connection that we have.
My fingers dig into her hips as a warm tingle spreads over my entire body. I close my eyes, willing myself to make this last longer, but I can’t, being inside her feels too fucking good.
“Fuck. Oh, God. I’m coming, baby.” Edging into oblivion, my moves become ridged. The quickened pace causes Holly to dig her nails into my back as she falls with me over the edge. “So fucking sexy … Shit.”
I growl as I let go and release, swearing that God himself just showed me heaven.
A tremor shakes my entire body as I try to settle down. I prop myself up with my elbows and lean my forehead against hers as I try to catch my breath. “You’re fucking amazing.”
There’s no way life gets any sweeter than this.