Page 14

FOURTEEN

THE BEST WAY TO BLOW OFF STEAM

Theo

The door slammed closed behind me, and I stalked farther into the house. The cool, calm demeanor I’d crafted was near crumbling from just one fucking phone call.

But that was all it took when it came to my mother.

I paced around the kitchen, circling the island, trying and failing to calm down.

Since I’d last spoken to her, she’d gotten a new number, and so had I. Thinking it could be someone calling about one of the several jobs I’d applied to or the apartments I’d inquired about, I answered the unknown number.

But it wasn’t Susie from Human Resources calling to set up an interview. It was my mother, Kimberly Wilde, calling to “ check in.” I hadn’t the first clue how the fuck she got my new number, but nothing should have surprised me when it came to her.

I definitely shouldn’t have been surprised that the call ended in a request for “just a little cash to get her by.” In the past, I’d expected her calls. But I didn’t think she had the courage to ask me for money anymore.

My mom was a compulsive gambler. She hid it really well for a while until I was in high school. At that point, I was old enough to notice her mood swings and recognize that more valuable items around the house were going missing.

It was when she’d cleared out all their accounts and gambled away their savings that my dad decided he’d had enough. He left, and my older brother left not long after.

I was sixteen at the time and didn’t have another option. Neither of them wanted to drag me along, so I watched over her for as long as I could. I lasted a year before I also couldn’t take it.

On my seventeenth birthday, I moved out. I tried to help her for as long as I could, but nothing was working. I had to cut off all contact for my own sanity and well-being.

You would think that her entire family leaving her would make some sort of impact, but it didn’t.

After I turned twenty, had a little bit of money, was working at Haven City, and decided to enroll in college, she came back around. I realized then it was easier to give her a little cash here or there than wait for her to escalate when I told her no. But I couldn’t do it forever. Eventually she began asking for more than I could give, and the little I could manage wasn’t enough.

When I told her it was the last time I gave her anything, she’d broken into our little rental house—mine and Colby’s—and stolen all the cash I’d had on hand and anything else she could find. Anything she could easily sell for quick cash.

I’d been the reason Colby didn’t call the cops. When we’d come home to find the place ransacked and her face plastered all over the camera footage, I’d had to pay him for the stuff she’d stolen as well as any other damages he saw fit to charge me for. It was either that or he wouldn’t hesitate to file a police report.

After Colby’s payout, buying myself a new laptop for classes, and my tuition—which was only partially covered by scholarships—I was broke. But I wasn’t just broke. I was broke and homeless.

While lugging the sad remains of my belongings from Colby’s house, I’d realized I was right being done enabling my mother. It was no longer easier to give her money—even if I only had a few bucks to spare—than deal with her rage.

It was never enough for her. The hundred bucks I gave her the week before she’d broken into our place was “an insult,” as she’d called it when I confronted her. She knew I had more, so she took it. In her mind, she was my mother, and I should have wanted to help her. I owed her because she raised me.

And if I didn’t help her, I was ungrateful. So she took what she felt she deserved.

My teeth ground together, and my body vibrated with cold anger.

She’d turned my life upside down, yet I’d protected her. I’d kept her out of jail, and she still had the audacity to call me afterward and ask for more. She had no remorse.

Ryder told me to file a police report, but I hoped spending my life savings to keep her out of jail would mean she’d be out of my life for good. That was all wishful fucking thinking. And, looking back on it, I wish I had called the cops.

I braced my palms on the counter and took a deep breath.

The only consolation was she still had no idea where I was. And I was going to do everything in my power to keep it that way. I could block her number and ignore her calls, but every time she showed up in person, something worse was on the horizon.

Hopped up on adrenaline and frustration, I paced back and forth between the living room and the kitchen, wearing a hole in the hardwood, until I fell into one of the large chairs near the TV.

I pushed my hands through my hair, bracing my elbows on my knees as I leaned forward. After several deep breaths and trying every other trick I could dream up, the irritation still sat heavy and uncomfortable on my skin. And I didn’t know if it was the call itself or my reaction to it that frustrated me more. Hearing her voice and pleas for help wasn’t supposed to affect me anymore.

At the front of the house, the door opened, instantly pulling me from my thoughts. The click of Natalie’s heels echoed down the hallway, and a few seconds later, she stepped into the kitchen. Her cell phone was to her ear, several bags in her hands, and a concerned look marring her gorgeous features.

“Yes, I’ll handle it on Monday,” she said with an exasperated sigh and tossed her bags down by the kitchen island. Then she toed off her shoes while still listening to the person speak on the other end.

Her long, dark hair was pulled back by a clip, and the navy-blue pencil skirt she wore hugged her hips and fell right above her knees. She was breathtaking, but I could also feel the tension rolling off her in waves.

She still hadn’t noticed me sitting in the corner of the living room, so I took the opportunity to run my eyes over every inch of her. Something I hadn’t had the chance to do in the past three days.

Ever since she’d walked past my room after Caroline’s party, we’d missed each other at every opportunity. That night, she’d stayed in her room, and I was sure she’d needed the distance to get her head around what we’d done earlier that day.

But I’d already thought enough about it and decided that I needed it to happen again. I’d already jumped off the metaphorical cliff, and I didn’t have a fucking parachute. So, I might as well enjoy the fall.

I hoped she would come to the same conclusion.

“Yeah, you too,” she said and dropped her phone on the counter. Bracing her hands on the island, she let her head fall forward. She sucked in a deep breath, and I heard her release it, but the tightness in her shoulders was unmoving.

“Tough day?” I finally asked, uncomfortable with watching her without her knowing.

She jumped at the sudden sound of my voice but quickly recovered with a shake of her head. “Tough week,” she muttered, pulling her hair free from the clip and letting it fall in waves around her shoulders.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I offered, and the surprise on her face made me chuckle.

“You don’t like talking,” she said skeptically, and I shrugged, leaning back into the chair and watching her closely.

I rested my elbows on the armrests as she removed her blazer, tossing it on one of the barstools. She didn’t try to hide the way her eyes raked over me or the soft smile that sat on her plump, kissable lips.

“Yeah, but you do.”

Her smile widened slightly, but it was the interest flaring to life behind her blue eyes that hypnotized me. And I hoped that meant she wasn’t going to keep from us what we both wanted.

For her, I would’ve talked about whatever was bothering her until we were both blue in the face. Or at least I would’ve listened and chimed in when necessary, but I didn’t think that’s what she wanted. She rounded the couch, her eyes fixed on me. Her steps were slow and purposeful, and my cock was already hard behind my zipper.

Even the way she walked got me hard.

“I don’t wanna talk, Theo,” she said, stopping in front of me, her legs barely brushing the inside of my thighs. She pushed out a long breath. “I don’t want to think.”

She was so close I could easily make out the quick rise and fall of her chest.

“That’s something I can help with,” I said, my voice unintentionally dropping an octave. “But we didn’t talk about limits. Do you have any?”

She stood, thinking thoughtfully for a moment, and I could see the wheels in her head turning. It was a struggle, but while she thought, I kept my hands to myself, not wanting to pressure her to decide quickly or say something she didn’t mean.

“Just don’t umm…slap me in the face. I think that’s really the only major one. But if you do something I don’t like, I’ll tell you to stop. What about you?”

I shook my head and laced my fingers through hers, pulling her closer by half a step. “Not exactly. But we need a safe word.”

She nodded and narrowed her eyes like she was trying to think of one. But I’d already considered all the options.

“Red means stop. Yellow means slow down, and green means keep going.”

“The stoplight system,” she mused, curiosity lacing her voice.

“You’ve heard of it?”

“Yes.”

“But haven’t used it?” I added, filling in the gaps in her tentative, one-word answer.

She shook her head and let her eyes trail over my body.

I didn’t mention that I hadn’t used it either. I hadn’t had a reason to. Ava and I had a basic safe word she’d chosen, “bananas,” but we rarely did anything that would warrant its use. Same with any of my other partners.

But the things I wanted to do with Natalie. The way I wanted to explore her body, we needed more. I wanted her to feel safe with me no matter what. And a definitive system, something she could use no matter what, was a step toward that.

“If anything we ever do becomes too much, tell me. Don’t hesitate.”

She nodded and tightened her hold on my hand. “I trust you,” she said quietly, and my chest tightened at her confession. Possession wound through me, and blood pounded south, my dick growing painfully hard.

“Good. Then get on your knees.”

Without hesitation, her knees hit the rug in front of me. And the vision of her knelt between my thighs, eyes wide and eager, was nearly too much. It stirred a desire deep inside of me to take her. I wanted to claim her and make her beg.

I reached out and stroked down the smooth skin of her cheek. Whether she meant to or not, she leaned into the touch. Her eyes closed momentarily but opened again the second I took her chin between my forefinger and thumb.

“Open,” I commanded, and she did so. I pushed my thumb against her tongue, and she sucked it deeper. “The things I want to do to you,” I growled.

She peered up at me through dark lashes and smiled around my finger. “I want it.”

I shook my head and pulled my thumb free. She let go with a satisfying pop, and my hand gripped the side of her neck. Her eyes were steady on mine, and I liked the confidence she exuded. Like she knew the power she held while on her knees. How weak she made me from that position.

“I want to fuck you,” I began, deciding that she should know all of my intentions before we went any further. “But I also want to claim you, mark you. I want to make you cry, and I want to make you beg. The pleasure I want to give you, I want it to make you fucking delirious.”

“Yes.” She nodded, stare unwavering, and inched closer to me.

“Show me what this pretty mouth can do,” I mused, and she reached for my button. There was a minor tremor in her fingers, but she easily unfastened my jeans and lowered the zipper.

I lifted my hips slightly, helping her pull the denim down my thighs just enough to expose my black briefs and the large bulge of my erection.

I pulled my black T-shirt over my head and dropped it on the floor beside the chair as Natalie dragged her nails down the outline of my cock. Even restricted by the fabric, we both saw it jump and flex.

Before she could get too far, I reached forward and tugged her blouse free from where it was tucked into her skirt and pulled it over her head. Her bra was white lace, and I traced the top of one breast and then the other with the tip of my finger. That contradiction was still impossible to miss. She looked angelic in the pure white, but she was seconds away from having my cock in her mouth.

Her eyes fell shut, and I smiled at the goose bumps that pebbled her flushed skin.

Yes, I would need to mark her before we were done. See the beautiful colors I could paint her skin.

I sat back once again, and Natalie didn’t need any prompting. She ran her palm over my cock back and forth until I couldn’t contain my groans any longer. Then she tilted forward and sucked the blunt head into her mouth through my briefs.

“ Fuck, ” I groaned, drawing the word out as she sucked harder.

My hands clutched the armrests, and I watched her lick my length with careless abandon. Too much longer, and I was worried I was going to come before I really felt her mouth. And just as the thought crossed my mind, her fingers dug under the elastic and tugged my briefs down.

My cock sprung free, hard, leaking, and primed for her mouth. Her eyes bounced back and forth from my cock to my face. And when she licked her lips, I smiled.

I gripped my cock at the base and pumped once hard before she struck out and wrapped her hand around my own. My movements stopped, and I removed my hand. The first brush of her fingers against my bare cock was euphoric.

She squeezed hard, and my head dropped back against the cushion. She pumped up and down, her touch unrelenting as she added her other hand. I chanced a look back down at her, but I was already staving off my orgasm with what was left of my restraint.

With measured determination, her hands worked in tandem, twisting and working me until a bead of precum leaked from my tip. She eyed the arousal and leaned forward. With her eyes on me, she licked the precum and smiled before she suctioned her mouth over me.

She lapped and sucked, tonguing the metal piercing and slowly pushing deeper. The stretch of her lips around my shaft was nearly obscene and almost as beautiful as watching her pussy spread around me. She worked her mouth from side to side, taking me deeper.

A little more than half my length disappeared before I felt the back of her throat, and she gagged. She began to pull back, but I weaved my fingers through her hair and collected it in my fist at the back of her head.

My fingers brushed the side of her face, and I trailed my touch down her neck.

“Relax your throat,” I instructed and used my hold on her hair to ease her back down. She gagged once more but tried a second time and was able to take more of me before gagging again.

“Mmm,” I mused. “So good. I didn’t think such a pretty little slut would need instruction on how to suck cock.”

The words were out of my mouth before I could think about them. With her mouth around my cock, giving me more pleasure than I ever knew possible, I worried that I’d gone too far until she looked up at me and smiled as much as she could.

She began to speak, but I tightened my fingers in her hair, and I refused to let her up an inch.

“Uh-uh. Didn’t anyone teach you not to speak with your mouth full? Manners, baby.”

Her growl vibrated through me, and I chuckled at her small display of defiance. But I quieted any further arguments by fucking up into her mouth, setting my own pace. And she took everything I gave her. She dug her nails into my thighs and swallowed me down like she was made to do it.

I fucked her mouth until I felt that imminent release barreling down my spine. I didn’t want to pull her off because her mouth was the second closest I’d ever come to heaven. But I needed to feel the first closest—her cunt wrapped around me.

I pulled her back by her hair, and there was a line of spit leading from her mouth to my cock.

Her breathing was ragged, and her skin was flushed. The tears that streamed down her cheeks were black from the mascara that was perfectly brushed on her dark lashes. And if it were possible, she was even more gorgeous when she was panting from having my cock in her mouth.

“Take that skirt off and sit on my cock.”

She was on her feet in a second, and while she did as I asked, I toed off my shoes and tugged off my jeans. Then I reached for her, grasping her hips and guiding her until she straddled my thighs. My hands smoothed down her curves, running over the sides of her breasts, waist, and hips as one of her palms flattened against my chest and the other gripped my cock, lining it up with her slick entrance.

I unhooked her bra and tossed it near her other clothes lying on the ground.

She rubbed the head back and forth over her pussy, teasing her clit and pushing down just enough to taunt me with the warm, wet ecstasy waiting for me.

“Such a little tease,” I warned, and she grinned.

“I want you just as needy for it as I am,” she said breathlessly.

Gripping her hip, I fisted my other hand in her hair and yanked her head back, exposing her neck. I kissed and nipped up her throat until my mouth was poised over hers.

“Do you not feel how hard I am for you? Trust me, I fucking need you,” I growled against her lips and used my hold on her to shove her down onto my waiting cock. Her warm, wet cunt welcomed me.

She cried out at the stretch, and I devoured every single one of her sounds. My tongue dove deep into her mouth, dueling with hers as her pussy stretched and relaxed.

I released my hold on her hair and gripped both her hips. Slowly, I guided her to begin moving on top of me, rocking back and forth until her arousal dripped down my cock.

I loved the feel of her beneath my palms. Her smooth skin slipped against my calloused fingers, and she trembled with imminent release and unhindered pleasure. I pulled back from her mouth as her nails dug into my chest, and she really began to ride me.

Her eyes had fallen closed, and her mouth had dropped open. With her head tilted back, all evidence of previous worry or concern had vanished.

Her hips kept a steady, consistent rhythm, making sure my cock touched every inch of her inner walls before she pulled out and did it all again. While she drove the pace, I took the opportunity to touch her fucking everywhere. I noted how she reacted and what seemed to feel the best based on every shuddered breath, moan, and the way her pussy tightened around me.

And my conclusion was that my little slut liked a bite of pain.

“Talk to me, beautiful. Tell me how good it feels.”

I returned one hand to her hip, my grip likely bruising exactly as I hoped it would, while my other hand palmed her breast. Using my thumb, I drew tiny circles around her dusty pink nipple and then pinched it with increasing pressure.

She gasped, and her eyes flew open, looking from her tits to my face.

‘Tell me,” I growled again, and she swallowed.

“It feels… so good.”

“You know you’re going to have to be more descriptive than that,” I instructed. I replaced my fingers with my mouth, lapping at her peaked nipple before taking it between my teeth.

She cried out, and her movements over my cock became hurried. One of her hands dove into my hair and held me against her breast, and the other covered my hand at her hip, urging me to tighten my grip even more.

“It’s better than anything I’ve ever felt before. The way you fill me and stretch me. And god, that fucking piercing.”

I couldn’t agree more. She was better than anything I’d ever experienced. I knew it would never be better than her. Our bodies felt like they fit together seamlessly, like we’d been fucking forever, already in tune with every movement, sound, and look.

I released her nipple and found her blue eyes hooded and blissed-out.

“Show me how good it feels by coming all over me. You think you can do that for me?”

She nodded and beared down on me. Her internal muscles worked and choked my cock as she rode closer to her orgasm. I knew she was right on the brink. It was easy to tell because her eyes were slightly distant.

My thumb wedged between us, I found her bundle of nerves and started easy circles against her clit as she rocked over me.

Her jaw dropped, her body tensed, and then she came all over me. Her moans were uninhibited and echoed in the quiet room. She pulsed around my cock as her nails bit into my skin at my neck and shoulders. Her eyes stayed on me until she couldn’t help it, and they closed anyway.

If the way she tightened around me was any sign, her orgasm was intense and long, drawing out for several seconds and racking her body with a shudder afterward.

She was breathtaking, coming on my cock and taking exactly what she wanted. But I didn’t give her a break.

There was a need clawing at every part of me, begging me to set it free. And before she’d even finished coming, I was out of the chair and placing her on the couch.

Her back hit the cushion, but she didn’t have time to get comfortable. Like she weighed nothing more than a few pounds, I turned her over onto her knees and pressed her upper body down onto the armrest. I peered down at her cunt and ran a finger over her opening that was still pulsing and dripping.

“You came so much,” I muttered, dipping a finger inside and twisting until I found her G-spot. One small touch and she nearly leaped from the couch. My other hand shot out, and I pressed my palm between her shoulders. “Be a good little slut and stay there while I take what I need.”

I fisted my cock in my hand and pumped just once, reveling in her release coating every single inch. When I didn’t immediately enter her, my insatiable little devil stuck her ass up higher and pushed back, searching for my cock.

“Look at you, presenting yourself for me,” I mused, running my free hand over the curve of her ass before my palm cracked against it. She cried out, and the red that bloomed across her skin made my dick leak. I did it again and again, and by the time I was done, both of her cheeks were red and tender, and she was panting against the couch.

“Please,” she begged, and I thrust into her.

“Only because you asked so nicely.”

My thrusts were unrelenting and could have been considered punishing if I didn’t know she wanted everything I was giving her and more. She backed up into me each time I pushed forward, and the words that tumbled from her lips were mostly unintelligible pleas and moans.

I thought I was in control. But I was sorely mistaken. Because with every second we were connected, the more she wrapped herself around every inch of me. Inside and out.