Chapter 11
11
R AIN
We leave the estates behind and drive back to the main route before heading north through a small neighboring town.
Their voices fade in the background while James’ words still echo in my ears.
It’s hard to say what saddens me the most.
His admission he’s never been in love and doesn’t believe in it? Or what he’s said about the other men?
Is my father one of them? Is Eve’s father?
I think James is wrong.
They are not like that. They are good people.
Half an hour later, we exit the road and roll onto an open field.
“Here,” James says.
I bring the car to a stop on a patch of dirt. Not far from us rises a wall of trees.
They clamber out of the car and swagger away with James leading the way. He talks to them, gesturing and pointing to the land before they fist bump and cheer.
It must be about something good.
A sober moon casts a cold glow over the field as I turn off the engine and step out of the car as well.
“What’s this place?” I ask, inching closer to them.
“This is Sexton International. The Casino and Entertainment Resort,” Ed says. “Red’s on steroids,” he adds, and images play in my head.
Gambling, women, sex. More sex. The deal James talked about.
Another place––a bigger place––where powerful men like him do what they do best.
Cut onerous deals and feast on forbidden pleasure while feeding the beast roaring inside them.
The conversation we just had comes back to me, haunting me.
How is this place going to make things better?
If he is jaded and convinced the world is an inhospitable place, why would he add more crap to that pile of crap?
Why would he make it easy for these people to live their filthy lives away from their families?
And why does he enjoy it so much?
Is it the money?
He has money.
He’s also young.
He can make money in other ways.
Why this?
Why tap into this well of lust and greed only to crush more innocent hearts and souls?
A strange sensation swirls inside me, making me physically sick.
I take a few steps backward, my heels sinking into the water-soaked ground before I quietly spin around, making a beeline to the car.
When footsteps trail behind me, I start to run.
“Hey, hey... Where are you going, sweetheart?” James barks, rushing after me.
He catches me just as I struggle to climb into his car and locks me in his arms.
“Let me go,” I shout.
He pushes me against his car, sliding his strong arms on either side of me, boxing me in, his chest pressed against my back.
“What is it, Rain? The real world is too much for you? Not good enough for you?” he rasps, his voice vibrating with resentment, his body lining mine. “Huh? What is it, darling?”
Anguish and trepidation sweep through me.
“Tell me, babe.”
I fight back my tears of disappointment and try to keep my voice steady and talk straight.
“Why would you build a place like this? And how could this project make things right?”
A dark chuckle falls from his lips.
“Oh... Is that what the problem is?” he says, a smile woven in his voice.
He clicks his tongue in mockery as I tremble in his arms.
“How sad... Our sweet little angel had her wings clipped by the cruel reality of life, and now she has regrets. And she can’t take it anymore. Is that it? Too much reality for you, babe? You just discovered the world is not filled with unicorns and rainbows, and now you’re bailing out on me?”
His hands slide down over my body, inching closer to my hips.
“Tell me, darling… What is it?” he murmurs in my ear, touching my hair with his lips.
He brings his hands to the front of my body, rides my T-shirt up a little, and strokes my stomach before tracing the edge of my jeans with his fingers.
A warm sensation flows from his touch, echoing between my legs and making my sex tingle.
I close my eyes and thoroughly enjoy it, not even realizing how hungry I am for more.
It’s impossible for me to stop him.
His breath rolls over my neck as he slides his hands up and palms my bare breasts, making my skin explode with unimaginable pleasure.
A moan rolls off my lips as I shudder against him.
Another whimper follows.
“Yeah, baby...” he murmurs, squeezing my breasts hard while stroking my nipples with his thumbs and firmly wedging his knee between my legs to nudge them open.
“The world is not the beautiful place you thought it’d be. It’s downright cruel and dirty,” he murmurs, pressing his body into mine, locking me against him.
He’s hard and hot and big, his bulge pressed against my lower back.
He’s all revved up, his blood racing through his veins like mine, his touch burning holes into my skin.
Another moan peels off my lips as he slides his hand a little lower, right between my legs, harshly grabbing my pussy through my jeans.
Pleasure soars between my thighs.
“How is it, babe? It feels good, doesn’t it?” he rasps, stroking me between my legs, trailing my slit through my tight-fit jeans.
My eyes peel open, and my nails scratch the roof of his car while my head is tilted back against his shoulder.
“See, none of us are as good as we think we are... It’s just that some of us are more honest than others,” he says, sliding my zipper down, pressing his fingers between my folds, and stroking my clit through my panties.
Gasping, I push against his hand, wanting more.
And more…
As twisted as this is, it feels good.
Fueled by my dark emotions, this is nothing like I’ve felt before.
It’s the first time I’ve been touched by a man, and nothing seems more important now.
There is no wrong or right in this world. Only this. What I feel right now, and it’s so powerful and intoxicating.
He pushes my panties and jeans to my thighs, and all I feel for a second is the air rolling over my heated flesh between my legs.
All I hear is our explosive, short breaths.
I’m tense in anticipation, my hard nipples pushing against my top.
I don’t know if his touch will come back to me or if I’m supposed to turn around and face him.
A second has passed, and his calloused fingers sweep through my wetness, touching my folds and clit and slippery entrance, and I could come right now.
And I could just die… of too much pleasure.
I never imagined it would feel like that. Or that nothing else would matter.
My chest moves rapidly, my center craving more of him.
He doesn’t have better control than me. He wants it just as much.
Circling my clit with his fingers, he presses his hard-on against me.
He’s still fully clothed, but his effect on me is just as powerful as if he were naked.
Hands propped on his car, I lean forward, giving him the perfect angle to run his thick shaft against my backside.
The tension only grows, prompting him to slip his fingers further down and slide his middle finger into me, dipping it into my wetness with great ease.
Quickly, he removes it from my entrance, still stroking my clit, yet tearing his groin away from my backside.
I straighten and jerk back, my rear touching his bulge again.
He pins me against the car with his body, his grip tense, his fingers on my sex, stroking me––not entering me––his hips rolling, his thick erection rubbing against me.
Through his jeans, yet I don’t care… I just don’t care. I feel him, the way he rocks his hips driving me wild.
My hips move too, and my pace is off at times, but that’s not what I have in mind right now.
My instinct takes over, my moves mirroring his grinding, my flesh pulsing in his hand.
This is better than I thought. It’s addictive and amazing, and I can’t believe I missed out on so much.
If Eve were privy to my thoughts right now, she’d laugh in my face.
She’s always been smarter than me when it comes to men.
But this is not any man, and it wouldn’t feel the same with anyone else.
I was right. He is the one I’ve always wanted.
My thoughts get pushed back as I scale up fast, a delicious pleasure swirling in my center, making me lose control.
“James?” I murmur, sensing him eager to fuck me.
He clamps his hand over my mouth, muffling my moans while tilting my head back, forcing me to arch my neck.
His lips graze my skin as he speaks.
“I was damn sure about you, Rain Morgan. You may be untouched, but you sure have the fire in you,” he rasps, his lips searing my neck with their heat. “See, life is really simple when you think about it…” he murmurs, his fingers pushing me to the edge fast.
I suffocate.
He lets go of my mouth.
“Please...” I say, the pulse between my legs quickening rapidly. “Finish me,” I beg, panting, my fingers slackening on the keys before sliding off the car.
He locks me in his arms, one hand curled around my neck, the other stroking me, his middle finger sliding back into my center.
In a split second, I turn to dust.
Shudders go through me while I convulse against his chest, experiencing an earthquake of pleasure.
It takes a few moments before a smooth sensation of relief courses through me, the tension spiraling down.
My muscles de-tense, my knees turning soft, my body relaxing as I prop myself against him.
A few more moments pass before he tears away from me.
I turn around to face him, my legs growing feeble, my breaths still shallow.
He palms his fly and the bulging erection underneath, his fingers raking through his hair, a small smile tilting his lips.
He snatches the car keys from my hand and motions me to his car.
“Get in,” he says, showing me to the back seat.
I pull my panties and jeans up and fix my fly before slipping in and crashing into my seat.
He slides into the driver’s seat, turns the engine on, and flicks the headlights a couple of times, signaling to Ed and Lex.
They saunter back when a thought pops into my head.
They must’ve seen us… James and me.
His arms around me, his hands pulling my jeans and panties down.
James finger fucking me, making me come against his car.
I’m sure they did.
I don’t have time to think about it as Lex takes the front seat and Ed slides next to me.
I slump into the corner, clenching my thighs, still holding onto that sinful feeling of wet, throbbing sex.
Ed’s eyes twinkle playfully when he takes me in.
I shift my position and look out the window, turning my back to him.
A dip in the bench behind me tells me he slid closer to me.
I pivot slightly and glance over my shoulder, finding him inches away from me.
He slides his hand into my hair before dragging it to my neck, making my body react to him in ways I wish I knew how to suppress.
His fingers trail down my spine while he buries his face in my hair, inhaling the smell––a mix of shampoo, James’ aftershave, a hint of smoke, and the extra spice coming from my heated body.
He pulls back a little, studying my face.
His eyes sparkle in the dimness, his gaze burning with a lustful grin.
“What did you do to her, James? She’s so hot,” he says, his gaze dipping to my chest and thighs before tilting to my lips.
“Why are you asking me? Ask her,” James says, his voice dry as hay.
His eyes flick to the rearview, taking us in.
His furrowed eyebrows telegraph frustration, and it’s maybe because he’s still hard, and Ed is all over me.
Pressing the gas pedal, he yanks the car onto the main road and heads south without slowing down.
They seem unfazed.
I’m washed with panic.
Ed’s hand drifts from my shoulders to my arm. I push it away.
“What is it, honey?” he murmurs, his voice warm and soft. Tenderly, he strokes my hair. “Hmm…?” His fingers trail my neck gently. “You smell so fucking good,” he purrs, his grin dripping with pleasure as he takes me in, reading my story on my face.
Slowly, he drags his gaze down to my chest again, rolling his bottom lip beneath his teeth.
His hunger gives me shivers and warms me up as well. I press my thighs together, my move registering with him.
James turns on the music.
I toss Ed a warning glare.
“Can you move back to your seat?”
I motion him to the other corner.
His eyes glint with a smile, his gaze hovering over my lips. He slides his hand across my shoulder, pulling my hair to the side before leaning closer.
“I know you want it badly, sweetheart, and James is going to give it to you good, but he won’t be your man… You know that. And that’s why he doesn’t mind sharing you with us,” he says.
His fingers cuff the back of my neck, his breath fanning over my face as he brings his lips to mine.
They’re soft and fragrant, bearing a sweet citrusy taste.
Frozen in my seat, I let him breathe into me. Our lips touch, creating a firestorm that travels through my body fast.
My lips are parted, and so are his.
His eyes sparkle with a knowing smile.
I wish I had a better handle on what is happening to me. I wish I knew what to do.
The way I feel right now is not helping me in the slightest.
My breath catches as he makes his final move and presses his lips against mine.
A serpent of heat slithers through me, coils between my legs, and makes my breath hitch again.
Gasping, I push back, a pair of green eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror, observing my reaction.
“What if I say no?” I ask.
James’ eyes are still locked with mine.
“You can say no, baby,” Ed murmurs, a warm grin creasing his lips.
Lex looks at us, silent, his blue eyes flowing through me, harboring the same thought.
The thought that makes Ed lick his lips in anticipation while James observes us, his expression set in stone.
“Is that what this is?” I ask, moving my eyes between the three of them.
“It’s whatever you want it to be,” Ed says.
“The Night of the Kings?” I murmur.
A mysterious smile flashes across Ed’s lips.
“That... is so much more, but in essence... yes,” he says.
“So what happens if I say no?”
Lex turns off the music.
“We’ll take you home and never cross paths with you again,” James says, glancing in the rearview mirror again.
His eyes could kill me right now.
I don’t quite understand––although at some level I do––yet still, I can’t make sense of this, but I go with the flow.
“So.... the stories are true,” I murmur, but nobody talks to me anymore.
Ed pulls away from me and shifts his focus to Lex and James. They start talking about their new enterprise while I slump into my seat.
Soon, their chatter turns into a muffled noise, rolling past my ears.
My stare goes blank as I shift it to the window.
“We’re getting close to town,” James says after a while with no emotion in his voice.
I look at him, somewhat broken and confused.
I wish he would help me understand.
Instead, he asks me the last thing I thought he would.
“So, which one is it? Are you staying with us, or are you going home?”
Our stares clash in the rearview mirror.
Frustration chokes me as I have my back against the wall.
He wants me to choose something I know nothing about.
Although one thing I do know.
I want him.
So I give him the answer.
“Keep driving.”
“Are you sure?” James asks, no smile on his face.
“I’m damn sure,” I blurt out, furious.
* * *
JAMES
It’s hard not to notice her turmoil, the mixed emotions blazing through her eyes.
It’s the hardest decision she’s ever made, and it’s different than picking the color of her prom dress or coming up with a list of guests for her birthday party.
She hates me right now, and that’s good.
I like hatred.
It’s genuine and teaches me a lot about people. Sometimes it shows me more than I need to know.
It peels off the masks, petty lies, and pretense, giving me something to work with. It’s ugly because it’s real.
Testing her, I know what she’s made of.
If she’s as strong as I think she is, or if she’s just spoiled fluff.
If there is substance to her.
I pull up in front of Red’s and turn off the engine before Lex, and Ed jump out of the car and head to the building.
She doesn’t move.
My gaze flicks to the rearview mirror. Frozen in the corner, she looks out the window.
“Are you coming?” I ask.
She flicks her gaze to me.
Our eyes connect.
“Is that what you want?” she asks.
She looks crushed.
“Is that the only way I can be with you?” she continues.
I pivot in my seat and look at her.
“You can’t be with me, baby…” I say quietly. “Not in the way you want me. You know that. I told you from the beginning.”
She tips her chin down, downcast.
“I don’t know why you are so sad...” I say, smiling. “The Night of the Kings is not such a bad thing. Granted, the name is ridiculous. I don’t know who came up with it. It wasn’t us for sure.”
“So it’s the three of you having fun with a woman,” she says, tipping her gaze back up.
“Mm-hmm. Something like that...” I say, suppressing a grin.
She looks at me, disheartened.
“Don’t worry... It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. Even if you said yes, it still means nothing. It was a test.”
“And if I said ‘no’?”
“I guess we’ll never know,” I say, motioning to the door. “Let’s go.”
I slip out of the car and hold the door open for her. She steps out and rises to her feet, shifting her gaze to me.
Biting my lip, I crush another smile.
She seems set to say something else when she changes her mind and smoothly erases the space between us.
Her expression changes, a playfulness I notice for the first time chasing her worries away.
A faint grin creases her lips as she locks my gaze and unexpectedly slides her hand down.
Smoothly, she removes the last sliver of space between us, her frame coming against mine as she gently palms my groin and runs her fingers up my fly.
My eyebrows tilt in surprise, my blood pooling fast below my waist.
She cups my shaft, squeezing me gently. Satisfaction beams in her eyes, spurred by my reaction.
My hand goes on top of hers as I run my gaze over the parking lot. The place is crammed with cars.
Luckily, no one’s outside.
“You’re still hard,” she says, smiling while running her touch up and down my throbbing hard-on through my jeans.
I release my hold on the door, and it slides closed with a quiet thud before I put my hands on the roof of my car on either side of her.
“And you’re touching me on a public road,” I toss back at her, twitching against her hand.
She strokes me slowly, her eyes glued to mine, a teasing smile lining her lips.
As painful and pointless as this is, I can’t stop her.
“I wish I could do something about it,” she says, tilting her head to the side, taunting me again.
I lean closer and murmur in her ear.
“There are things you could do to me, darling, but not if you hadn’t done them before.”
She cuffs the back of my neck and pulls me even closer.
Pulsing in her hand, I lower my mouth to hers, the air crackling with electricity between us.
We part our lips and softly touch, the hunger simmering beneath the surface.
With one passion-fueled stroke, I lock her lips and capture her mouth, her soft moans becoming music to my ears.
Her fingers slide into my hair, her hand running firmly on my length, my palms still resting on my car.
She shakes and moans, her tongue sliding onto mine, her lips rolling right with mine, her breath hotter by the second.
Within moments, her heat enters my blood.
She pulls me into her as we crash against the car, her body crushed beneath my weight, our lips still sealed together.
Fire pours into our mouths as our tongues begin to dance together, hers swirling and mine plunging, feeding her pleasure.
It’s been some time since I’ve gotten hard from a kiss.
She breaks the kiss and teasingly runs the tip of her tongue over her lip.
“I haven’t done those things with a man because nobody wanted to teach me,” she says, a grin lighting up her eyes.
She dips her gaze, observing the slow motion of her hand on my erection, and my balls turn to steel.
She plays with me, knowing full well how this will end.
She wants me to take her, aware I’m set on her as much as she is set on me.
“How come no one has touched you before?”
She doesn’t say a word, her eyes narrowing with another smile, her gaze lingering on my lips.
And that’s as much teasing as I can take.
I grab a fistful of her hair and crash my mouth onto hers. No room to play with me this time.
Holding her tight, I thrust my tongue between her lips, fucking her little mouth, making her writhe against my body, consuming all her air.
She sinks her nails into my arm, her free hand squeezing my meat hard. Moans fall in my ears as she grinds against my groin.
I could surely rail her on my car, yet I pull away.
She runs her thumb over her lips, smiling like the devil, her hand still stroking me between my legs.
“I haven’t met a real man, and that’s why no one has touched me before.”
The flattery in her words is hard to miss, a trick I’ve seen before, yet it doesn’t matter now since I can’t think straight.
“Uh-huh,” I say, my voice heavy. “Let’s go inside. This may be as good a time as any to learn something from me.”
I grab her hand and pull her up the stairs.
The doors open, and a few patrons step out as we slip in. A man recognizes me and wants to talk to me.
I mouth to him that I’m in a hurry.
The bouncers and hostess greet us on the first floor. We slide by them and past the bar, dashing straight to the back rooms.
I push the first door open, pull her inside, and lock the door.
“On your knees, babe.”
She looks at me, perplexed.
“You either get on your damn knees, or I’ll have someone else suck me.”
She sinks to her knees.
“You have any idea how it’s done?”
“In theory, yes. I’ve seen it.”
“Live?”
“Once.”
“Good enough. No teeth, no grazing, no biting of any kind. The more you move your tongue, the better. Use your hands. It doesn’t take a genius, really. If you’ve ever sucked a lollipop, you’re halfway there.”
I unfasten my belt and let my cock spring free.
Her hands wrap tenderly around me, and for a moment, I feel like a teenager getting sucked for the first time.
“One more thing... It may be the hardest thing to do. Do it as if you like it,” I say.
She looks up at me, her hands already sliding over me, her mouth closing around the tip.
I observe her, anticipating a reaction.
A blush spreads across her face, her eyes burning like luminaries.
She smiles around my dick, and sure as hell, my pre-cum drips on her tongue.
She pulls me out and slides her hands down again before cuffing the root of my erection.
She parts her lips and darts her pink tongue out. Starting at the root, she gives my hardness a long lap.
My balls draw tight.
She runs her hand up, spreading the moisture over my shaft before sheathing the crown with her mouth.
Her touch is soft, making me smile.
“Go at it… It doesn’t break that easily,” I smirk.
Her eyes narrow with a grin, a come-hither look on her face.
I could come all over her mouth on that sight alone.
She swirls her tongue and sucks on my hard flesh, prompting me to jerk my hips and fill her mouth.
More blood draws to her face and more pulsing in my shaft.
“I won’t take long. I promise,” I say, pushing slowly to the back of her throat.
Heat grows in my groin.
She runs her tongue around the tip again, her mouth soft and wet and hot, the sight making it difficult to hold back.
“That’s good. Keep it that way,” I say as she starts bobbing her head more confidently.
I thread my fingers through her hair and guide her head, observing her as something powerful awakens in her eyes.
Our stares stay connected as I roll my hips. Her lips glisten, her face turning red, a smile flooding her eyes.
My lip bleeds beneath my teeth as I suppress the need to rip her clothes off and fuck her like a savage.
I still have a hard time believing she has her mouth wrapped around my cock.
She’s so sweet and hot my flesh melts.
I watch her closely as she loses her focus and steps out of her awareness, driven by pleasure.
Her eyes get heavy. And so do mine.
She breathes soft moans that make my hard length tingle, the sight of her sucking on my flesh sending sparks of electricity up my spine.
I could write a book about this.
From the amateurish blowjobs involving alcohol to the women getting paid to do that, the facial expression is the most telling, regardless of the participant’s skills.
It varies from insecure glances to failed attempts to mimic pleasure and awkward posing.
Pretending to have unfocused eyes, flushed skin, and in-trance stares is difficult.
It’s hard to mimic pleasure.
And yet, the most potent aphrodisiac of all is the lust in the other person’s eyes.
Without it, the act becomes tedious and distracting.
She attaches her fist to her mouth and slides them both up and down, sucking me harder while her free hand strokes my balls.
“That’s fucking it...” I mumble while she stares drunkenly at me.
Tense, I shudder and erupt in her mouth, blasting my load down her throat.