Chapter 40
40
JO
We’ve been in our new apartment for a week. My period also started the first day we got here, and I felt murderous and refused to get out of bed. Since then, I’ve done nothing but eat and sleep. Cole brought me a phone to try and coax me out of bed, but I couldn’t.
It’s all too much. Too much change. Too much newness. Too much…everything. Not even the food is the same here. Although, every day since we’ve been here, my favorite snacks have been turning up at my bedside. They’re the only things I’ll eat.
Every time Cole checks on me, I see the torment in his gaze, although he tries to hide it. I want to fight with him about it. To tell him he caused this. Make him give me anything other than a pitying look, but he doesn’t get roped in. Which throws me off even more. I’m used to them fighting me. Tormenting me. But they’ve done none of that. Well, Cole doesn’t. I know I could get Jayden to fight me, but I almost never see him. Cole says he’s out looking for jobs.
I almost miss the toxicity. I just want something to make me feel normal again.
On the evening of the seventh day, Cole drags me out of bed. He says nothing, just grabs me under the arms and legs, and heaves me up bridal style.
I squeal, “Put me down!”
“No can do, lemon drop.” Cole doesn’t lose his grip on me as I fight. He just carries me to the kitchen and puts me down. I glance around. I’ve seen the kitchen briefly from the hallway. It’s an open-style kitchen with a huge island in the middle and a large window lining one of the long countertops. Golden light filters in, and I see neighboring buildings and trees. Despite myself, I admire it for a second.
“You’re gonna teach me how to cook mac ‘n cheese,” Cole says, caging me in.
Immediately, I cross my arms. “No.”
Cole laughs. “You’re cute. That wasn’t a request.”
Despite my fatigue, I glare at him. He thinks he can order me around? After everything?
Cole smirks. “You’re adorable when you think you’re in charge.”
This asshole. I flip him off and start to walk around the island and back to the bedroom.
“Fuck no.” Cole snatches me up and hauls me back. He pins me to the island with his body, leaning up behind my ear and pulling in a breath. “Fuck, you smell so sweet, lemon drop.”
“Let me go.” I struggle.
“What, so you can hide again? No. Your days of hiding are over, Jo.” His voice gets tight. “Now teach me how to make this damn food.”
Fucking hell, trying to push against him is like trying to wrestle a wall. He won’t budge.
I let out a breath and glare at the island. There’s food there, with corkscrew noodles and milk and cheese. So much cheese, actually. An absurd amount.
“I tried to remember what you told me, but you didn’t say what kind of cheese, so I bought them all.”
I look through the ingredients. “You didn’t get any spices.”
I feel Cole shrug. “So we’ll get some.”
The fatigue hits me again. “I don’t feel like going out.”
“Well, lucky for you, the store is right under us.”
“What?” I turn to look at Cole, and he lets me. His eyes twinkle. “Isn’t that what you wanted? A grocery store close? I’m sorry it’s not open 24/7, but we’re not rich enough for that yet. Soon, though. Very soon.”
I just blink. He fucking remembered that?
“So, spices, what kind?”
I blink a few more times, then turn back to the table. I can’t believe he paid attention. He stands right behind me like an eager kid.
I frown. I don’t feel like cooking, but Cole never takes no for an answer. Maybe this will get him off my ass. I give Cole a list of things to get, thinking he’ll let me stay here.
But the fucker drags me downstairs with him, forcing some shoes on my feet. I’m pissed and fight him until I see the small store. I’ve never been to Mexico, and as I look at all the food, I can’t help but get excited. There are so many things I’ve wanted to try from here.
Cole sees me eyeing the candy and buys every option they have. I roll my eyes when he also buys a jar of onion powder and gives me a wink. Then, Cole grabs what ingredients we can find and carries them all himself.
By the time we get the food upstairs, I’m shoving Cole’s awkward ass out of the way. It’s clear he doesn’t know his way around the kitchen. Despite that, Cole hovers around me, asking questions and getting in my way. To get him to stop stepping on my feet, I sit him down to shred cheese, and he does so enthusiastically.
I get to work prepping the other parts of the sauce while walking Cole through the steps. He’s terrible in the kitchen, but he does everything with such energy I can’t help but catch a little of his pep.
“You should put me in your cooking videos.” Cole grins after pouring the water out of the noodles and dropping a third of them down the sink. “I’m kind of a pro.”
Instantly, I sober. That’s not a part of me anymore. It can’t be since we’re on the run. I’ve been thinking about that all week. I can’t be who I used to be at all. Can’t show my face. Can’t teach people to cook. Can’t…anything. I don’t even know what I like to do in a foreign place…besides cooking.
Cole flexes his arm as he holds the pot. “I mean, look. These arms look so good carrying things around.”
I shake my head, and Cole notices my mood change. “Uh oh. You afraid the other girls will be jealous?”
I scoff, snatching the pot from him. “I can’t make those videos anymore.”
“Why not? You love them.” Cole watches me.
“You know how fast the cops would be at our door?”
Cole shrugs. “Cause of your face? Wear a mask.”
I start to argue, then pause. I didn’t think about that.
“I’ll wear one too. It’ll be hot. We can even get Jayden in on it.”
My stomach is in knots. I don’t want to start from scratch all over again. The idea of building followers from the ground up just makes me tired. I mutter, “Jayden would never agree to that.”
“He won’t have a choice.” Cole grins.
I roll my eyes. “What are you gonna do? Wrestle him to the counter?”
Cole laughs. “Maybe. Why? Would you like that?”
Despite myself, the thought of them fighting with their sweaty bodies thudding together makes my cheeks flame.
“Oh, you would.” Cole leans across the counter to get closer to me.
“Fuck off. Where’s Jayden anyway?” I busy myself mixing the mac n’ cheese with a long-handled ladle.
“Says he’s looking for a job.” Cole snatches the ladle from me and licks the cheese sauce off it. “But most likely hiding from you.”
“Hiding?” I whirl.
Cole catches me and plants a kiss on my forehead. “You know, you look so sexy in the kitchen. I could just eat you up.”
I pull away from him. “Why in the hell is Jayden hiding from me?”
Cole rolls his eyes. “Who knows. You know Jayden is afraid of feelings. And your ‘feelings’ for him.”
I stare at Cole.
“I mean, you’ve always had feelings for him, but he’s refused to admit that until now.”
I continue to stare.
“Plusss,” Cole snatches a noodle and eats it, “he also might be shopping for your birthday.”
I stiffen. Oh fuck. I ask cautiously, “What is today?”
“September fourth.” Cole grins.
The day before my birthday. I swallow hard. My recurring nightmare comes rolling back in. The last birthday I hoped would be a good one was the one when my mom couldn’t give two shits less.
“Birthdays are stupid. Don’t get me anything.” I throw the food into the oven and slam the door.
“Oh, hey.” Cole grabs my elbow.
I shut everything down. All the happiness I started to feel again disappears. Fuck, I had started to feel like there was something here. Cole will stop caring as soon as he gets bored.
“Whoa, where’d you go?” Cole turns me to face him.
I stare at him blankly.
Anger flashes in Cole’s eyes before he dips down to kiss me. Hard. His lips cover mine, and he licks at the seam until I automatically open for him. His hand snakes down my front and palms my pussy. His magnetic energy makes heat flood my body.
I try to fight it, but that only pisses Cole off more. He pinches my clit and bites my lip, causing me to gasp.
Cole kisses me deeper, harder, and more aggressively until he’s bruising my lips. It sparks feelings in me for the first time since we got here.
“Come here.” Cole lifts me up, and I squeal. He drops me on the counter in front of the big window and then rips my shirt off.
“Cole,” I gasp. It’s dark enough outside that everything is visible with the lights on in here.
“Yeah?” He pins my hands in my lap as I struggle to get away.
I hiss, “Someone will see.”
“Kinda the point, Jo.” Cole yanks my shorts down, then rips my panties away.
“Cole!” I fight to get away.
Cole yanks his dick out and lines it up against my legs. “You may be embarrassed, but I have no issues showing off my woman for the world to see.”
“Cole, stop.” Heat creeps up the back of my neck, but the shame mixes with something else. Something more electric.
“Saying no never worked before, and it won’t work now.” Cole lets my hands go to lift me up and slam his dick into me.
“Fuck!” I grip Cole’s shoulders, the shock of him filling me racing through my body. He lets me adjust for a second, gripping my ass and keeping me firmly connected to him.
“You ready, my little chef?”
I dig my nails into his back, and he groans. “Fuck yes, Jo. Just like that.” Cole starts pumping into me. I expect him to go roughly, but he doesn’t. He strokes slowly in and out again, making sure I have time to feel every pass. His nails dig little bites of pain into my ass.
“God, you feel so good,” Cole moans.
“Faster,” I groan.
“No. You can take it slow.” Cole peppers kisses up and down my neck.
“Cole,” I groan and buck my hips into him to get him to fuck me harder. It’s too slow. Too sweet. Too nice.
“Yes?” There’s a chuckle in his voice.
“Fuck me,” I hiss.
“Hmmm. Why, when I can torture you so wonderfully right here?”
“Fucking sadist.” I buck my hips into him again, and he groans. “You make it so hard to torture you.” Cole grips my ass tighter and holds me in place. “Look at me.”
I squeeze my eyes shut.
Cole pinches the skin of my ass so hard I gasp and open my eyes.
“There you are. I have something to say, and then we can get back to what we do best.”
I stare at him.
Cole clears his throat. “I know trust is hard for you. And you have every reason not to trust me. But.” He pinches again.
“Ow!”
He grins. “I’m here for the long run.”
I stare at him. I don’t know how to process that information. Despite myself, there’s a flicker of hope.
“And.” Cole has stopped moving altogether. “I know you push me away because you’re scared, but I have…You’re the first woman I’ve allowed into my life since my mom.”
I freeze and glance back at him.
Cole looks at me earnestly. “I’m trying to understand, Jo. I am. But when you push me away, it makes me a little murderous, and I want to come down on you two times harder. Which,” he pounds once into me, “is great when we’re fucking. Not so great any other time.”
I don’t know what to say, but Cole doesn’t act like he needs any response. He reaches down to play with my clit while he pounds into me, this time not holding back. He slams into me over and over, and the pain, mixed with the pleasure, immediately makes heat rush through my body.
Cole leans into me. “Don’t look now. Our neighbors are watching.”
“What?” I try to look back, but Cole grabs my chin and yanks me back to him. His voice gets angry, “My eyes only when we’re fucking Jo. Don’t you fucking dare give anyone else that sexy look. That belongs to me and Jayden.”
As he says that, I see movement in the hallway. I freeze for a second before I recognize Jayden standing in the shadows. He leans there, watching us.
Pure heat rolls through me, and I can’t tell if it’s anger or fear. I’m still mad at him. For everything. For kidnapping me. For not giving me a voice. For being an ass. But among the anger is also arousal. I can’t help but look at his handsome face and muscled body.
Cole chuckles into my neck. “Just noticed him?”
I shiver.
“Make him jealous, baby.” Cole slams into me, and I moan, scratching my fingers along Cole’s back. Jayden’s dark eyes watch my every move, but he doesn’t make an effort to get any closer.
Despite the fact that Cole is fucking me harder, I still sense he’s being gentle with me. And I hate that. I don’t need him to be fucking gentle.
I trace my lips up Cole’s neck, and he groans, shivering while he fills me. I move up to his ear, where I feel his earring against my lips.
“Cole?” I whisper in his ear.
“Yeah?” He moans.
“Stop being fucking gentle.” I grab his earring between my teeth and rip.
“Fuck!” Cole immediately yanks his head away. He stands there in shock for a second, then bears down and bites my throat. He bites so hard I bow my head back and yelp.
Cole chuckles, then picks me up and moves me to the island. He slams me down on it, making the breath burst out of my lungs. There’s blood trickling from his piercing. “You want to get treated like a little whore, is that it?”
A forbidden thrill runs through me at the sight of Cole’s blood. I’m in for it now.
I scramble back, but all niceness is gone from Cole’s eyes. “Hold her down, Jayden.”
Before I realize he’s close, Jayden’s on top of me, pinning my shoulders to the island.
“No,” I say, but Jayden completely ignores me.
Cole comes back into view, holding the spoon we were using to mix the food. “Think this’ll fit, Jay?”
Cole grins as my eyes widen.
“Depends which hole.”
“No! Get that away from me.” I try to kick Cole, but he simply hops on the island and yanks my shorts the rest of the way off. He gets between my legs and holds up the spoon dramatically. “Hmmm.”
I struggle, but Jayden has my upper body pinned entirely.
“You’re lucky, I’ll do the small end. But only ‘cause the spoon is dirty and can’t have you getting an infection.” Cole turns the ladle over. “But this is too small for your pussy.”
“Cole, no.” Fear fills me. There’s no way I want the handle going anywhere near me.
Cole watches my reaction, his pupils getting bigger. “By all means, fight me, Jo. It’ll only make it more fun for us.” He glances behind me. “Jayden’s about to blow a load in his pants.”
Jayden growls, “Eyes to yourself.”
Cole slaps a mocking hand over his eyes while he brings the handle up to his mouth. He licks up it, getting it wet, and pops it in his mouth.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. He plans to fuck me with that.
Cole lowers the ladle to bump into my thigh, all while covering his eyes.
I stiffen. “Cole.”
He drags the ladle down to my pussy. I arch my hips. Maybe I can get him to slide it into my pussy instead of where I think he plans to put it.
Cole peeks out between his fingers, then goes back to dramatically covering his eyes.
“Stop being an idiot,” Jayden growls.
Cole throws me a wink under his hand, then takes his hand away and slides the handle down to my ass.
I pucker immediately. The handle isn’t huge, but it’s partially flat and oval-shaped.
“Cole, please.”
“Relax, Jo, and this won’t hurt as badly.”
Jayden leans down in my ear. “Are you begging, kitten?”
I try to thrash back and forth. Cole pauses, just brushing against my hole.
“You gonna beg me to stop, Jo?”
I stare at the handle. Cole is so hard his dick is throbbing.
“Will it help?” I grit my teeth.
“Hmmm.” He raises an eyebrow and smiles. “Why don’t you try it and see?”
I glare at him.
Cole pushes the handle roughly past the ring of muscle in my ass. I gasp, pain racing through me. My back arches off the island until Cole’s other hand grabs my waist and pushes me back down.
Jayden groans behind me, and Cole’s pupils are completely blown out. “What a fucking gorgeous sight.”
Cole pushes the handle deeper, and I scream.
“Jesus,” Jayden grunts.
“What a good girl. You’re doing so fucking well.” Cole lines his dick up with my pussy. “Be a good girl for me and take my dick too.”
Cole presses into me slowly. I gasp, trying to take him as well. Once Cole’s seated, he sits there, letting me adjust. I have so many sensations all at once, and it’s overwhelming. The pain is overwhelming, but also the pleasure.
“You’re doing so good,” Cole moans. I feel his dick throb in me. “Fuck, you feel so good. So tight.”
Cole moves slowly, and as he does, pleasure builds. Cole groans, pulling out and pressing back in. I gasp. The movement also causes the ladle to move, shooting electricity through me.
“Oh god, Jo. I can’t wait to fill you so full of my cum it spills out of you.” Cole groans, his arms shaking. He reaches one hand around to play with my clit again. “One of these days, we’re going to lock you up in your room and breed you until you’re full with our baby. I’ll tie you to the bed so you have no choice but to accept load after load. Then you’ll be stuck with us forever. No more running, even if you wanted to. We’ll provide everything for you. All you’ll have to be is our sexy little momma.”
Cole flicks his fingers over my clit, and a thrill runs through me. His words are dirty. I don’t want a baby now. I don’t want to repeat history and be my mom to my kid. But still. Something about his possessive energy makes me flush with pleasure.
Cole continues playing with my clit. That and the extra sensations from my ass are enough to have me exploding all over Cole’s dick.
Cole follows shortly after, coming inside me with a groan.
“Fucking hell, Jo.” He pants. “Jesus.”
As the pulses from my orgasm fade, Cole pulls out of me, then gently pulls on the ladle. I tense, but he pulls it out.
Cole hops down off the counter. “Carry her to the room, Jay, and we’ll get her cleaned up. Someone needs their beauty sleep before we celebrate.”