Fighting to Be Free Page 5

  lip, and I felt my tummy flutter as he shifted closer to me, his eyes locked on my mouth, his intention clear.

  Before our lips connected, though, he abruptly pulled back, his eyes widening. “Oh, shit, I don’t have anything, you have anything?”

  “ ‘Anything’? Like what, an STD or something?” I asked, a little shocked at his question.

  “A condom,” he clarified, grinning at me, obviously trying not to laugh.

  I burst out laughing and blushed at my embarrassing stupidity. “Right, well no, I don’t have anything,” I replied, putting plenty of emphasis on the last word, giving it a double meaning. He laughed too and shook his head before leaning forward and relaying more instructions to the driver.

  Shortly after, the cab stopped at a gas station, where Jamie jumped out and bought what I presumed to be condoms. When he was settled back at my side again, he rested his arm over my shoulder. “So, I haven’t seen you at that club before. Do you go there a lot?” he asked, cocking his head to the side curiously, looking adorable.

  I shook my head. “No, I’m not old enough. My friends dragged me there tonight because I’m mending a broken heart, apparently,” I answered, rolling my eyes. I didn’t realize at first, but he’d jumped away from me as if I’d just confessed to having the plague. He was looking at me with wide, horrified eyes. I had no idea what I’d said to warrant that reaction. “What’s wrong? Don’t worry, I don’t really have a broken heart. Not that it matters to you anyway, but at least I get to have hot rebound sex, right?” I said, giggling at how slutty that made me sound. He was just staring at me, unmoving. “What?”

  He pressed back against his door, running a shaky hand over the back of his short hair. “You’re not old enough to get into the club? Please tell me you’re not like thirteen or something.”

  I grinned wickedly, now catching on to his horror. He thought I was underage. “I’m seventeen; I’ll be eighteen in three months.”

  He blew out a big breath, looking extremely relieved. “Thank Christ for that, I thought when you said … Oh, never mind.”

  “Well, how old are you?” He had to be over twenty-one to get into the club, but I wouldn’t have thought he was much older than that at all. Maybe he’d even used a fake ID, like I had.

  “I’m eighteen,” he answered, grinning as he took my hand and pulled it into his lap.

  “You are? You look older. I bet you get that a lot, huh?” I asked as he played with my fingers.

  He shrugged. “Occasionally, but I’ve never heard it from someone as beautiful as you.” He leaned in and peppered little kisses on the side of my neck.

  I couldn’t help but laugh at his effort. “Jamie, you’ve got me in the cab, we’ve just stopped to buy condoms, and you’re still trying to impress me with corny one-liners? Trust me, they’re really not necessary.”

  He laughed quietly. “Maybe I want to try out my best lines on you,” he whispered against my overheated skin, making my heart melt and my stomach get butterflies.

  “Wow, that was your best line? Jeez, stud, seriously? That was the corniest damn thing I’ve ever heard,” I teased, laughing.

  He faked hurt, pulling back and setting his hand over his heart. “Ouch, Ellie, that hurts. I’m really trying over here!”

  I giggled and pressed myself tighter against his side. He laughed too, and that cute little dimple reappeared in his cheek.

  When the cab came to a stop outside a run-down-looking building and Jamie leaned forward to pay the driver, I quickly pulled out my phone and sent a text to Stacey with his address. I might be being bold and daring tonight, but I wasn’t stupid.

  As he stepped out of the cab and held the door open for me, I tried not to react to where he lived. The building was a mess, and I knew this area wasn’t exactly the best. Graffiti covered almost every surface, and the windows of his building were boarded up. I gulped and flicked my eyes around. Women were hanging out on the street corner, eyeing Jamie with seductive smiles. He was glancing around quickly, seeming cautious. His shoulders were tense as he strutted away from the cab, pulling me along quickly behind him, like he didn’t want to be outside too long.

  Once we stepped inside the building, it got even worse. There were cracks in the walls and more graffiti, saying things I wouldn’t dare say in front of my mother. There was even a homeless guy asleep on the grimy, stained floor of the hallway.

  I cringed into Jamie. This clearly wasn’t my brightest idea ever. “I thought you said this wasn’t a nice place,” I joked, making him chuckle as he hurried me up the stairs. With each step I was becoming increasingly nervous. I was starting to feel a little stupid for coming to this part of town with a complete stranger for sex. This really wasn’t me. I had never done anything remotely reckless in my life; I was always the sensible one.

  He stopped outside a door and set to work on the lock. When the door opened, he ushered me in first. He didn’t turn on the light, but to be honest he didn’t really need to; there was a streetlight directly outside his window that bathed his room in a hazy, dull glow that was just about bright enough to see by. My eyes narrowed as I glanced around the place he called home. His room was totally bare, he literally had nothing except a chair, a bed, a small side table, and a chest of drawers. There was not a single photo or anything personal to say that this room was even being used. The door clicked shut behind me and I turned in time to watch him trap us in with three locks. I gulped and couldn’t help the shiver that ran through me.

  Yep, definitely stupid. I’m about to get murdered, beaten, and used … and probably not in that order.

  He turned to me; I wasn’t sure what my expression portrayed, but even in the dimly lit room, I could see the sadness and disappointment cross his features. “You want to go? We don’t have to do this. I can call you a cab,” he said softly, making no move to come anywhere near me as he withdrew a cell phone from his pocket.

  I briefly considered my options. If he was saying I could go, then maybe he wasn’t the bad guy my wild imagination was trying to make him out to be. This place itself, all dirty and scary-looking, seemed leagues away from the cute, cheeky guy I’d flirted with in the back of the cab. My eyes lingered over his face, wandered down his strong shoulders, over his chest and to his tanned, toned-looking arms. I definitely wanted him. To say that this guy didn’t turn me on something chronic would be a complete lie.

  Before I chickened out, I took a step toward him. He just watched me cautiously, not moving. Looking back at his face, I realized that he actually looked incredibly nervous, too. This gave me some confidence back, so I closed the distance and pressed my body to his.

  “I don’t want to go, just don’t hurt me or anything.” I said the words jokingly but was actually serious.

  He smiled, moving his hand to cup my cheek. “I won’t, I promise.” He brought his lips down to mine softly.

  As soon as he kissed me my body started longing for him again, worse than in the club. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he gently pushed me against the wall, running his hands down my body. My skin felt set alight as my scalp prickled with sensation. When he got to the bottom of my dress, I moaned into his mouth when he slowly inched it up. His fingers left a burning trail along my body as he pulled the dress up over my head. In the back of my mind I heard my phone clatter to the floor, but I was too excited to care. After he’d dropped my dress on the floor, he pressed his body back against mine and kissed me deeply, sliding his hands down over my skin slowly, making me burn with need and writhe against him. Where he was pressed against me so tightly, I could feel his body trembling.

  While he was busying himself trailing kisses across my neck and groping my ass, I unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, leaving him in a skintight white undershirt that highlighted the defined muscles of his shoulders and neck. His mouth claimed mine in a kiss that was so hot I was surprised we weren’t both on fire. He moaned in the back of his throat as his arms encircled me, trapping me
against the wall with his hard body. Alcohol was still sloshing around in my system, urging me to do something I’d never done before, something I wouldn’t dare do if I weren’t wasted. Screw it, I’ll never see this guy again anyway, so it doesn’t matter if I make a complete fool of myself.

  “Do you have any music?” I asked as he licked the hollow at the base of my throat.

  I felt him smile against my skin. “Not really; I have a radio.” Without moving away from me, he grabbed the remote control from his chest of drawers and pressed a couple of buttons.

  I grinned at the sound of the heavy bass in the song that started playing, and pushed him down roughly into his chair, immediately starting to dance in front of him, moving closer so I could grind against him. His bottom lip rolled up into his mouth as his eyes narrowed, looking at me appreciatively.

  I’m actually giving a guy a lap dance! This is totally not me at all! Surprisingly, I was enjoying it, and judging by the look on his face, so was he.

  “Holy shit,” he grunted as I bent over in front of him, putting my behind near his face, swaying seductively as I stood back up. He raised a hand and grabbed my ass, looking at me with a pained, needy expression.

  I laughed and pushed his hand away, waggling my finger in reprimand. “No touching the dancers. House rule,” I joked.

  “Then don’t put your sexy ass in my face,” he growled huskily. I giggled as I straddled him and started grinding into him, trailing my fingers down his chest, feeling the toned muscles hidden beneath his undershirt. When my fingers found his belt buckle, I unfastened it slowly. He groaned and dipped his head, kissing the side of my neck as I slid his zipper down. Suddenly his hands gripped my hips, pinning me on his lap.

  “I can’t take any more,” he whispered, kissing me passionately.

  My will to tease him was gone as soon as his lips touched mine, so I wrapped my arms and legs around him, pressing into his chest as he stood up and started toward the bed.

  “Are you not turning the light on?” I mumbled against his lips.

  He grinned and shook his head. “Nah. It’s more romantic like this, the streetlight glow is almost as good as candles. Don’t ever say I don’t do romance,” he joked, dipping his head and kissing me again. I giggled, tightening my hold on him as he sat me on the bed and knelt in front of me on the mattress. Smiling excitedly, I reached for the bottom of his undershirt, easing the material up and over his head.

  He seemed to flinch, his muscles bunching as if I’d somehow made the wrong move.

  Even in the dim light my hungry eyes practically devoured his body. Getting to my knees too, I slid my hands over his chest and down to his stomach, noticing the outlines of his toned six-pack. He stiffened and sucked in a sharp breath as my inquiring fingers found something else, several somethings, actually. Scars. They littered his abs and chest. I trailed my fingers over them, looking down but unable to really make them out in the semidarkness.

  Jamie had grown very still, watching my face, seeming remarkably unsure for some reason.

  I smiled reassuringly, wondering why he would be so tense. Gripping his shoulders, I pulled him closer to me, kissing him again. He immediately thawed from his frozen state and laid us down, settling himself on top of me.

  His body covered mine, pressing me into the mattress, making the bedsprings squeak from the movement. His hands wandered over my body, seeming to take their time, as if trying to touch every part of me. Finally he fumbled at my back, unclasping my bra and pulling it off slowly. His eyes darted down to my breasts and then back to my face as he smiled that cute, boyish little dimpled grin at me. I smiled back and pressed myself to him tighter, raising my head so I could kiss him again. The way he seemed a little unsure and nervous was really endearing and sweet. I could already tell that this was going to be a good night.

  Jamie’s mouth trailed kisses down my neck before licking and sucking on my breasts. I gasped. My whole body felt like it was on fire at his touch. Miles had never made me feel like this. I pushed my hand into his jeans pocket and pulled out the box of condoms, tossing it to the side table where he could reach it when we needed it. The way he was making me feel made me wriggle under him with an unbearable need to be closer, to feel more of him against me, to be possessed by him completely.

  Slipping my hands into the back of his jeans, I pushed them down over his hips until he took the hint and kicked them off. I was breathing heavily; my heart was beating out of my chest already. Jamie kissed farther down, nipping gently at my stomach as he pulled my panties off. My body was on a slow burn, waves of pleasure radiating from everywhere he touched me.

  Seeming a little hesitant, he pushed two fingers into me. I arched my back and let out a breathy moan. I felt rather than saw him smile against my stomach, and then he moved, pressing his mouth between my legs while continuing to work his fingers. My moans were already bordering on obscene but got even louder when he started using his tongue. I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed my hands over his short, silky hair. My body was pushing forward through the stages. I couldn’t keep still; I was wriggling and moaning like crazy. Out of nowhere it felt like my body exploded as I climaxed, panting his name. He chuckled and kissed his way back up to my mouth. The taste of myself on his tongue made the kiss ten times more exciting and erotic. I eagerly pulled his boxers down and looked at him. I wanted him right now, I couldn’t wait any longer, the anticipation was almost killing me. I reached over and grabbed the box of condoms from his side table and ripped the plastic off, opening the box. I got one out as quickly as I could and held it out to him.

  “Is someone a little eager?” He breathed against my ear, nibbling on my earlobe.

  “Jamie, come on now, please,” I said with a gasp.

  He just laughed and kissed down my neck. “Patience, Ellie,” he mumbled against my skin.

  “Jamie, please,” I begged again, running my hands over his back. I could feel the same scars on his back as he had on his chest. My body was aching for him in an unpleasant, needy way.

  He looked at me with obvious excitement dancing in his eyes as he pulled back, kneeling on the bed. With shaky hands he fumbled with the foil packet, trying to open it. After a few seconds he gave up and ripped it open with his teeth—which I found incredibly sexy. He slipped the condom onto his shaft, rolling it down achingly slowly. Once he was done, he lay back down on top of me, nudging my legs farther apart. I pushed my hips up in invitation.

  “Fuck, you’re so hot,” he mumbled, dipping his head, his teeth grazing the base of my throat. When he pushed inside me, I cried out and dug my fingers into his shoulders as pleasure shot through my body. The feeling of fullness was incredible. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, taking him inside me completely. He groaned my name, burying his face into the side of my neck, his hands clenching into fists as he stayed perfectly still.

  My eyes fluttered closed and I trailed my fingers up and down his back a couple of times, listening to his labored breathing. When he finally moved his hips, we both moaned. He pulled back, his eyes locked on mine as he stroked my hair away from my face before bending and kissing me softly as he started to build up a steady rhythm. As the kiss built in intensity, so did his thrusts. My body was a bundle of sensations; all of my nerve endings seemed to be alight and throbbing with pleasure. I raised my hips to meet his, matching his rhythm thrust for thrust. The look on his face as we moved together in perfect sync was totally adoring and exhilarated.

  I moved my legs up higher across his torso, lifting my bottom from the mattress. The new position allowed him in deeper and caused my eyes to roll back in my head at the sheer luxury of it. He grunted, thrusting harder so that our bodies slammed together. The sound of the mattress squeaking with every movement just seemed to add to the whole sexiness of the moment. I could feel myself getting there, I would climax soon, it was building inside me.

  When he went to pull out of the kiss, I captured his bottom lip between my teeth, biting down
as my fingers dug into his back, clutching him closer to me. He moaned into my mouth and kissed me almost desperately. His movements were getting more frantic, jerkier, and his breath was coming out in pants, so I knew he was close, too.

  When he slid one hand between our bodies and rubbed my clit gently, I just about lost my mind. My body was going crazy, I was tingling all over, I couldn’t breathe properly. I moaned his name and my body convulsed as my climax hit me like a freight train. My legs clamped tight around him and my hips jerked up roughly to meet his. He groaned, his eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched tightly, and he bent forward, kissing me roughly. His shoulders hunched, and his fingers bit into my skin as he did a couple of last gentle thrusts before he stilled completely and slumped on top of me, pinning me down on the bed with his weight. I smiled tiredly as he kissed the side of my neck. Our sweaty bodies were slick against each other; the smell of sex lingered in the hot, stuffy room.

  I wrapped my arms around him weakly, feeling totally and utterly exhausted. My muscles quivered from the small effort of moving. We both just stayed there, wrapped up in each other as we caught our breath.

  He pulled back after a minute or so, kissing me softly before easing out of me and pulling the condom off, throwing it into the trash can next to his bed. He rolled onto his side, reaching out his hand and pulling me against him as he slowly ran his hands down my back.

  “That was incredible, Ellie,” he murmured, kissing my nose. He was grinning from ear to ear as he stroked his fingers across my cheekbone.

  I smiled and sighed contentedly. “Yeah, it was.” And it really had been. That was incredible; he had been soft and tender, his hands seeming to explore every part of me as he’d taken my body to heaven and back again. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tightly against him, tangling our legs together as he just looked at every inch of my face with a small, satisfied smile on his lips.

  “You don’t have much stuff,” I stated after we’d been silently cuddling on his bed for a couple of minutes.

  He frowned. “Uh, no, I haven’t even been here a week.”

  “Where were you living before?” I probed, wanting to hear the sound of his sexy voice some more. He shifted uncomfortably, and I took the hint that he didn’t want to talk about it. “That’s okay, you don’t have to say.” I rolled so that I was on top of him and sat up, straddling him. He ran his hands up my thighs and rested them on my hips, just watching me with a satisfied smile on his face.

  I sighed. It was time to go. This was where it got a little awkward. What was I supposed to say? Thanks and good-bye? “So, I guess I should get going. Would you mind calling me a cab?” I asked, climbing off him and looking around the room for my clothes.

  The bed creaked behind me. “You’re going? Why?” I didn’t need to look to know he would be frowning—I could hear the shock in his tone.

  I smiled at him over my shoulder. He was sitting up on the bed, a little pouty expression on his face as he watched my every move. “Well, I’ve never had a one-night stand before, but I thought that was how it worked: You have sex and then you leave,” I joked as I pulled on my panties.

  He shook his head. “No, I mean, why do you have to go now? You can stay the night; I’ll drive you home in the morning.”