Chapter Five
Three months, one day ago
He eased his bike into the far end of the parking lot, closest to the alley, behind Jake's. He turned his bike off, but made no movement to get off it. He wondered why he had agreed to meet her here. Their relationship had been complicated for months now and he had begun to ask himself if he could truly forgive her almost every day. There were images he couldn't erase inside his head and words she had spoken and could never take back. And yet he was here, even after they had decided to take a break, but being with her was better than being alone. Her mother was also dying. She needed him, more than he needed her, but that didn't make his need any less significant.
She pushed through the back door at Jake's, sucking in the cool night's air. She couldn't believe she had the nerve to come here. She couldn't believe she'd sat at the bar for two hours waiting on him. It had been weeks since their rendezvous in the parking lot and it was probably best if she just let it stay that way. A clean break was a good thing, right? But she had never felt anything that hurt so bad. She ran her hands up and down her arms when a breeze washed over the parking lot. This entire thing was silly and stupid, the making of an epic mistake. She fumbled through her purse, trying to find her keys as she walked over to her car. "Where in the hell are they?" she muttered, sitting her purse on the hood.
He slid off his bike when he heard someone in the parking lot. He figured it was probably a drunk trying to find their car, but something about the voice had struck him as familiar. And when his eyes found her, he knew why. He thought of that night at the hospital, the way she had taken him, then pushed him away just as quickly. There had been so many times in the last few weeks when he'd dialed her number or driven by her studio to see if she was there. He wanted to make sure she was okay, but he didn't know how. He didn't know what his place was when it came to her.
"Shit," she murmured, looking through the windshield of her car to see that the keys were laying in the front seat. She cursed again, kicking the tire of the car, before walking around to check every door. This was a sure sign that she should have never come here. This was karma coming back at her for being a cheating whore when her husband was devoted to getting sober and clean for her. She felt her eyes fill with tears. She wasn't sure whether it was frustration or depression that was eating at her. Then again, it was probably both.
"Do you want some help?" he called out before realizing that the words had left his lips.
She turned his direction, her face shocked and nervous. "You," she replied, an amused smile spreading across her face.
"Me," he agreed, stepping towards her cautiously, doubting that she even wanted his help.
She bit her lip, feeling her eyes soften with desire. "I uh, locked my keys in the car," she said, wiping at her eyes.
"I can probably help," he replied, walking towards the car.
"How?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest and giving him a curious look.
He had a feeling she wasn't talking about the car. "I've broken into a few cars in my time," he replied, trying not to smile.
"That's the help you've got?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Are you drunk?" he asked, raising one back at her.
"Maybe," she replied coyly. She shook her head, cradling it in her hands. She was blatantly flirting with him.
"Jake's and you, don't go hand in hand when it comes to drinks," he said, looking her over. He knew that something was wrong.
She lifted her head, her eyes flashing to his. "Maybe I need someone to save me," she replied, stepping towards him, arms still crossed over her chest.
"Then I'm probably your man," he said with a wink, glancing around the parking lot. He wondered if she was here yet, wondered if he'd have time before she got here. And the thought made him feel guilty.
"Good," she replied, reaching out and grabbing him by the front of her shirt. "Because I could use a man." She placed her other hand on the back of his neck, pulling his face to hers. She placed her lips over his, sucking softly on his bottom lip. She knew it was wrong. Knew that this was the place she would be, but she had never wanted anything so badly.
His hand found the small of her back and curved her body against his as he kissed her back with just as much intensity. His tongue forced it's way into her mouth, swirling around hers, and he felt his body ache to be next to hers. He wasn't sure what was going on here, especially after she had become so cold the last time this happened, but he wanted her now. He pushed her back against the car, planting his hands on either side of her, giving her no choice but to stay put. He wanted to throw her over the hood of that car again and repeat history. He didn't care who saw.
But she did. She broke the kiss, pressing her head against his chest. "We're in the open," she panted, slipping her hands beneath his shirt. Her hands were cold and his skin blazed beneath them. She pulled him into another kiss, her tongue searching for his, then pushed him away abruptly. "Come on."
He took her hand, letting her pull him away from the middle of the parking lot. He had no idea where he was going, but didn't care. He'd follow her anywhere. He didn't want to let her out of his sight.
"Hurry," she called over her shoulder, pulling him into a sprint. She led him to the alley behind Jake's, just a few feet away from his bike. The moment they entered the darkness, she shoved him against the wall, her lips finding his.
His hands searched for hers and when he linked their fingers together, he spun her around, forcing her against the wall. He held her hands above her head as his mouth took hers. His teeth nipped at her lips, his tongue curled around hers as he pressed his body into hers. He could feel the heat between them, knew there was no other choice but to act on it.
"Come on," she urged against his mouth. She kept her lips against his, needing to feel them, longing for the electricity of his body on hers. She lifted a leg, wrapping it around him as she ground her hips against his. She could feel him through his jeans and she didn't want to wait, she wanted him now, before time ran out.
He let go of her hands long enough to unsnap his pants and shove them down. When she reached out to touch him, he grabbed them again, holding them above her head. He grinned when she withered with frustration against the wall, her body thrusting at him with desire. He knew she had no control and it was driving her crazy.
"Damn you," she said, hanging her head when he flicked the snap of her jeans and slid his hand inside. She tried to pull away, but it was hopeless. She felt his lips brush against his ear, his hot breath leaving a trail against her cold skin. She bit her lip, turning her face to his, searching for his eyes when he rubbed his hand against her. She noticed how he froze for a second, staring at her intently, and then in one swift motion, his finger rubbed over her slit, then slid inside of her.
He knew when she bucked against him that he had caught her by surprise. He let go of her hands, so he could use his hand to push her pants the rest of the way down. He grinned in the dark, pressing his forehead against hers as he moved finger swiftly in an out, his thumb sweeping across her nub from time to time. He felt her hand tightened over his as he pumped in and out of her, the other tightening around his lip as she tried to keep her balance. He liked how she moved her hips against his hand, the same way she would have if he were actually inside her. When he felt a slow tremble run through her and knew that she was close, he pulled his hand away.
"No," she murmured, her body exhausted with pleasure. She could barely hold her balance and when she stumbled, he grabbed her, holding her in place. She moaned in annoyance when he kissed her again, pressing his body against hers. She could feel him against her leg, could feel the way he pulsated as he pressed himself against her and she was dying to have him inside of her. She countered his kiss, biting his lip hard as she thrust her hips at him. She wanted to make sure that he knew what she wanted.
And he did. As badly as he wanted to make it last, to draw out any moment he had with her, he knew he couldn't. He pulled her legs apart, his thumb sliding over her slit, causing her to cry out. Sliding an arm around her waist, he pulled her against him, as he dipped below her, pushing into her slowly.
"Oh God," she murmured, pressing her face against his neck. She slipped her arms around him, holding on as he started to thrust. Her tongue slid across his neck in short flicks, eager to taste any part of him that she could. She threw her leg around him and felt him slide deeper inside of her.
His face was buried into her neck, just as her was his. Pressing one hand against the wall to steady them, he started to move. His thrusts were hard and fast, each one knocking her back against the brick wall. She cried out every time her back hit the wall, but it was a cry of delirious pleasure. He felt arms tightened around his neck, her teeth sink into his skin, and knew that she liked being taken like this.
She dragged her teeth across his neck, sucking hard, branding him like he had done her so many times. She wanted him to know, to remember her lust. Tightening her leg around him, she matched him thrust for thrust, crying out every time he slammed into her. She liked the sound of his groaned muffled against her neck, like knowing that his desire matched, maybe even rivaled hers. She felt his hand slip from her waist to between her legs and she knew he was on the edge.
His thumb grazed over her, wanting to wait until he last possible moment before he pushed her over the edge. However, she had other ideas. He felt her hand tighten over his, pulling him to the tiny bud between her legs. She pressed her finger over his, guiding him, almost as if she were teaching him how to touch her. He bit down on her shoulder, the sheer turn on of it nearly causing him to lose control.
She felt the release long before it came and she pressed her face against his, shrugging him away from her neck. He gave her a confused look and she stretched to kiss him, sucking hard on his bottom lip. She wanted to bruise him there too. When she felt her body begin to shake, she pulled away, pressing her forehead against his. She bit her lip, looked straight into his eyes, continuing to match him thrust for thrust. And when she came, she cried out his name over and over, her voice echoing up and down the alley.
He felt her body quiver around him and soon, he was coming with her, moaning her name into the night air just as she had his. Pressing his face back into her neck, he tried to catch her breath, realizing his entire body was trembling. His lips found her neck, tasted her skin one last time before he pulled back and looked at her. Just when he started to speak, his cell phone rang. He cursed and she lowered her leg from around him.
She looked away feeling guilty as she pulled her pants up and buttoned them. It was a bittersweet feeling, getting what she needed, but losing what she wanted. She leaned back against the wall and listened to him whisper into the phone. That was when she knew she had made a mistake. Knew that she had made this something it wasn't. It was supposed to be innocent and pure and now it was….Wrong. A lie.
He kept his back turned and his voice low as he talked into the phone. It was the worst possible timing, but that was how things like this went. "I'm sorry…Just a second," he murmured into the phone when she scolded him for making her wait for over an hour. An hour? He snapped the phone back and turned back to her, but she was gone. He hurried to the parking lot, saw her car, but didn't see her. Had she gone back inside?
She pressed her body against the wall of the parking lot, holding her eyes tightly closed, praying he wouldn't see her. She watched him look around in confusion, heard him call her name a couple of times before heading to the back door of the bar. She crumpled to the ground when he was inside, a low sob escaping her throat. She had made the biggest mistake of all. She has used him.
He looked around the bar and was surprised when he didn't see her. There was no way she disappeared out of thin air. "Oh fuck," he muttered under his breath when he noticed the brunette at the bar who had been waiting on him all night. He looked over his shoulder towards the parking lot. She had had all the control. She had known just what she was doing. And she hadn't taken him because she wanted him, she had taken him because she knew she could. He cursed again, his fists tightening. She had treated this like it was game, like it meant nothing, but he wasn't angry or irritated. He was just hurt.