I have a sneaking suspicion that this short story will not only provide a bit of clarity from another POV, but it will also assist greatly in anticipation of Book II: Atonement. With that in mind, make sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think (and what unanswered questions you might have…you just may see them answered in print). ENJOY!
~T.M.
He was out of his mind with both lust, and a rage so pronounced that his body almost couldn’t register what she was doing between his staggered legs.
Almost.
Tongue swirling over him as if belonging in the mouth of a contortionist, his anger briefly gave way as one of his knees buckled slightly under the sensation.
“Mmm,” she moaned salaciously, feeling the shift in his weighted stance that she knew was caused by her expert ministrations.
Where had she learned that?
He was prepared in that moment to yank her to her feet to find out. They had never even—
“Shit!” He interrupted his own train of thought as he felt himself bobbing vigorously against her uvula when she grasped his muscled buttocks for leverage. When she laughed at him, causing the tiny membrane to dance across his engorged flesh, he nearly embarrassed himself right then and there.
“Come here,” he growled as he pulled her up from her knees and bent her across the back of the chaise that sat in front of the open bay windows. Grabbing the foil wrapper from the cushion, he sheathed himself before plunging excruciatingly deep.
“Uggghhh,” she moaned her pleasured response.
No.
He shook the sound from his head, but never slowed his pace. He didn’t want to hear, he only wanted to feel.
No.
That wasn’t true. He didn’t want to feel either, but he couldn’t stop. He was angry. He was in love. He was conflicted. He wanted to punish.
“You feel so good,” she purred as she rode wave after wave of the friction he caused with each thrusting impression.
Shh!
He almost told her to shut up. He needed to concentrate on the rhythm…the stroke…her hazel eyes…those bouncing curls.
Ah, yeah. There she was. He could smell her unique scent. He could taste her sweetness. He could feel her like he’d never felt her before.
His first love.
His only love.
“Baby, I’m so close,” she pushed back against his driving thrust and rolled her hips like a pro.
Wait.
That wasn’t right. She didn’t know how—
“You’re too…I can’t…” she sounded as if she were speaking through gritted teeth.
He knew that if he slowed down it would quiet her. He wanted her to be quiet. He needed her to be quiet.
Squeezing his eyes tightly closed, he gripped her shapely hips and slow-dragged in a sawing motion. The hypnotic back and forth propulsion had the desired effect. His every advance was received like a warm embrace. He could feel the moisture starting to pool in the corners of his eyes. It had taken a long time, but he could finally see his future. She was everything he had ever wanted, and she wanted him too. The muscles that suddenly gripped him tightly told him so.
“Aaahh…” the spasm that shot up his spine was white hot and rendered his senses completely useless.
“RUSSELL!”
“GAGE!”
They screamed at the same time.
Then it was quiet.
Deadly quiet.
Slumped over her on the chaise, it took him several long moments to catch his breath and gain his bearings. Realizing that he was probably crushing her, he sat up, quickly pulling her with him.
“Don’t touch me!” she shrieked furiously.
“What’s wrong? What did I do?” but when she turned to face him, he immediately knew.
“You said her name! I can’t believe you thought you were fu—” she lunged forward in an attempt to slap him, but he caught her wrist before she could deliver the vicious blow.
“Hey, just calm down Celeste, it’s not what you think,” Russell tried to rationalize to both her and to himself.
“So you weren’t just fanaticizing about having sex with your fiancé while you were buried inside of me?” she spat angrily and snatched away from him.
“I…I…” he scrubbed his hands down his face in disbelief, anger and shame.
Russell hadn’t meant to start sleeping with Gage’s friend. He’d been deeply hurt when she’d decided that globetrotting all over Europe was more important than being with him. They’d built a solid relationship that he’d been ecstatic about making permanent once she graduated. Gage apparently had had other ideas; ideas that did not include him.
Celeste had been something of an ego boost when he’d been at his lowest. She’d reminded him that Gage’s sabbatical from the relationship was only temporary and that she was definitely lucky to have a man like him, whether she realized it or not. Along with her encouraging words, she’d been an available ear when he’d felt like ranting and a fast friend that invited him out for coffee or a matinee when he was down.
After a while, down became manageable and manageable eventually became better. Through it all, Celeste had been along for the ride, reminding him that he’d deserved to be happy. She told him quite boldly one evening after a Marvel flick that pining would not make him happy, but she could.
And like a fool, he had believed her.
Russell had been sleeping with Celeste for months before he’d found out what Gage had been up to in France.
Sure that she’d sexed the other woman out of his system, Celeste was sitting astride him one night when she’d brashly shown him an article on her phone about some random rich guy and his dating habits. Not thinking much of it, Russell had been prepared to toss the phone across the room and enact round two of their sweaty lovemaking just as she caught his eye. Seeing Gage in the other man’s arms had effectively ruined any chance of him getting off again.
For weeks, Russell had been unable to understand how she hadn’t wanted to be with him, yet had taken up with some random foreigner in less time than it took the moon to complete a lunar phase. The reality broke him, but it also maddened him. Full of pain, hubris and guile, he set out to get his girlfriend back; but this time, on his terms.
“I’m sorry Celeste,” he mumbled as he discarded the latex and reached for his floor-strewn boxers.
“You are sorry, you know that?” she snapped. “Must I remind you that Gage basically told you to kiss her ass in front of the whole world?”
“And must I remind you to keep her name out of your mouth? I told you that I still loved her. I told you that I was going to try to get her back. I told you that I was going to marry her. I never lied to you; you knew what this was,” Russell could feel himself getting angry over her vindictive reminder.
“Right. You are just lying to her,” she tossed as she bent to pick up her own panties from the floor, brushing her lush ass against his groin as she did.
“Same time tomorrow?” she expressed deadpanned once she’d donned her underwear and climbed into the rest of her clothing. Snaking her arms around his neck, she kissed him squarely on his full mouth.
“Hmph,” he affirmed in spite of himself.
“I hate you, you know,” she grabbed his crotch before collecting her purse from the nearby nightstand and sauntering away.
“I hate me too,” Russell said to himself as he caught the gentle breeze from the open windows. Casting his almond eyes over the void of the dark night, he sighed in defeat.
The hidden camera in the dense brush several feet away however, continued to document his every move…
