BOUGHT: A Standalone Romance (5 page)

Without warning, Connor pushes my panties aside. His fingers trail over my labia, tickle at my clit until I’m moaning, wriggling my hips, gasping. Then he’s plunging his fingers inside of me. He twists them, pulls them out, slips them in once more. I’m in a sea of ecstasy.

Connor holds my hips in place with his other hand as he explores my depths. I can’t seem to stop moaning. He begins to move his fingers in and out of me, quickly. Moaning, I grip the table as I feel the oncoming wave of pleasure building.

Then he stops. I groan, deep and feral. I’m not used to this amount of pleasure, and to have it denied is a sharper slap than the ones he’s administered to my flesh. When I calm down, he starts up again. Teasing, slowly, he strokes me into a frenzy until I’m gasping, waiting for the climax, when he stops again.

Over and over he does this until I’m a mess of suppressed frustration, bordering on being pissed off. I’m craving it now, that ever-elusive orgasm that not many men have been able to bring me to. Just as I think I can’t take it anymore, he slides my panties down my body. Effortlessly, I kick them off as my bra falls down my shoulders.

“On your knees.”

I drop down eagerly. At this point, I’ll do just about anything to feel release. The warmth of my skin against the coolness of the wooden floor makes me squirm. I want him so bad that it almost scares me.

In anticipation, I watch him undo his belt. As it falls open, my heart quickens. Connor unzips his pants, pushing them down until I can see the black boxers underneath. Slowly, he pushes them down.

I can’t stifle the moans that slip from my lips as I gaze at his cock. Even semi-hard, it’s large. I bite my lip as he runs his hand up and down his cock, teasing me more. There’s nothing I want more than to wrap my lips around his length. As I lean forward to capture him in my mouth, he stops me.

“Manners,” he says quickly. “What do you say when you want something?”

I squirm. Why is he torturing me? Would I like him this much if he didn’t? I gather up the confidence, force myself to get the words out.

“Please.”

“Please what?”

I can feel the blush staining my cheeks and ears. “Please may I suck your cock?”

A smile forms on his lips, making me melt. “Yes, you may.”

I take his cock into my mouth almost greedily. The warmth of him, the taste of pre-cum in my mouth, turns me on. I run my tongue over his length, making every inch slick. Slowly, I swirl my tongue over the head of his cock, my eyes locked onto his before I take as much of him in as I can.

My mouth sucks in as I begin to twist my head. Up and down, in and out I suck as he rests his hands in my hair. I find myself wishing he would tighten his grip, shove his cock down a little further until I can’t take it anymore. The thought drives me on as I slip my fingers between my thighs to stroke my clit.

“No touching,” he says breathlessly.

Reluctantly, I remove my hand and focus on him. Even though I’m working harder than I ever have, he still doesn’t even seem close to cumming. Instead, he moans, deep and lustful, as I pleasure him. It makes me moan in turn, the vibration rattling in my throat, caressing his cock.

“Stand up.”

I do so quickly; no need to tell me twice. Connor turns me around until my hands are planted on the couch. I can’t see him, but I can hear the familiar sound of a condom being unwrapped. After a few moments of silence, I can feel the head of his cock pressed up against my entrance.

“Fast or slow?”

“Fast, please,” I answer quickly.

Connor complies. In one motion, he’s pushed himself inside of me. I feel inch after inch enter me, making me cry out as I grip the couch for stability. He takes his time, makes sure he’s buried within my pussy before he begins to stroke.

When I asked for fast, I had no idea just how amazing it would be. Every thrust is powerful; every thrust makes me cry out, as it takes everything not to fall over. His hands tighten onto my hips, fingers digging into my skin. I hope they leave bruises.

Heat swept over my body, but Connor doesn’t seem to tire. Instead, he pushes his knees onto the couch, making me grip the back of it quickly to keep my balance. He twists my hair around his fist, pulling my head back as he picks up speed.

I can’t take it anymore. My legs begin to shake, my fingers gripping the couch so hard that I’m almost surprised I’m not pulling chunks out of it. I can feel my pussy clenching his cock tightly as it begins to spasm and throb. I try to hold my breath, keep it in, but the sounds that escape my lips slip out unbridled.

“Oh. My. God!”

Connor is moaning behind me. His sounds are so deep and guttural, so primitive. It goes against the usual pristine look that he bears. I love it. Finally, he thrusts into me one, twice, three times, before I can feel his length twitch and throb within me. I bite my lip as he cums inside of me, almost wishing I could actually feel him filling me up.

“You’re mine,” Connor whispers into my ear, the warmth of his breath tickling.

I don’t know what to make of that. I’m his? It was one thing to get on my knees in the bedroom, another to let another person claim ownership of me. Trust doesn’t come to me easily, and I don’t want to make another mistake, certainly not this quickly. The words turn over and over in my head.

Once the wave of pleasure dies down, Connor slowly pulls out of me. A gasp escapes my lips as he does. Slowly, he walks upstairs. I have no strength to follow him. Instead, I flop onto the couch, my head swirling with the thought of what we’ve just done. I jump when I feel something caress my skin.

Popping open one eye, I see Connor wiping between my legs with one of my towels. He takes his time, cleaning me of the sweat and my own, drying juices. When he’s done, he nods in satisfaction before he returns once more. Wordlessly, he slips into his pants.

I’m expecting him to leave. Why wouldn’t he? He got what he wanted, and so did I. Instead, he sits beside me, propping his feet up onto the coffee table. One of his arms rests against my back, the coolness of it calming the heat that still crackles beneath my skin. With a contented sigh, he flips on the TV.

It’s still on the same channel as before, and it’s one of my favorite movies. Closing my eyes, I half expect him to change the channel. After all, not many people have my tastes in all things classic. Cars, movies, television, fashion, music…if you name it, I love it. When I don’t hear the channel change, I pop my eyes back open. Connor’s staring at the screen, smiling.

Who is this person?

I’m almost tempted to ask him what’s changed. Every time we’re around each other, usually he acts as though he hates me. Now, he’s sitting with me on the couch, watching a movie, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. Not to mention the amazing sex.

The questions continue to swirl in my mind, but I decide that I don’t care. Why ruin the moment with stupid questions? For once, I’ll enjoy someone else’s company. Sitting up, I wrap my blanket around my body before I cautiously rest my head on Connor’s shoulder.

He reaches up a hand, running it through my hair. I smile as he strokes me softly, his eyes never leaving the screen, and the smile never leaving his lips, either. I don’t know how long we sit like that, glued to the screen, before I finally can’t stay up any longer. I fall asleep against him, the sound of his heartbeat lulling me to sleep.

Sunlight. Why is it so strong though? I wave my arms, trying to shield my eyes from the strong light, before it dawns on me. Slowly, I open my eyes. Connor’s gone. There’s no trace of him at all, only the binder sitting neatly on the coffee table. For a moment, I wonder if any of it really happened. After all, I was really tired. What if I’d just passed out and dreamt the entire thing?

Pushing myself off of the couch, I groan. My body is sore all over. I force myself to walk up the stairs one by one until I stumble into the bathroom. My searching hand and half-lidded eyes find my toothbrush. Why is my head so foggy? At the same time, why do I feel so rested?

I hardly ever sleep, and certainly not peacefully. Now, I am more awake than I’ve been in months. I spit out the toothpaste and wash the brush before I slip it back into the mirrored cabinet. Glancing down, I notice it. The wrapper from the condom sitting on top of the trash.

Okay, so I definitely wasn’t dreaming it. A little grin forms on my lips, and I can’t seem to make it stop. I flip on the faucet for the shower, letting it steam up as I pace back into my bedroom in search of clothes. Even though there’s more than enough of it, I still can’t seem to find anything as I root around.

Finally, I settle on a red sundress. I like the way it falls against my skin, but hugs my curves as if holding on for dear life. For shoes, I go simple with a pair of red flats. Leaving my clothes out on the bed, I head back to the bathroom.

As I step into the shower, the steam fogging up my vision, I can’t help but wonder about Connor. On the one hand, I can’t understand why he did half of the things he did. Then, I begin to wonder why he left this morning, without a word. Did he think I was going to become clingy? Needy? I’m more than capable of having a one-night stand.

Pushing the thoughts away, I try to focus on something else. Anything else. There’s Connor again. I groan in frustration. Why am I thinking about him so much? …It’s not like I don’t already know why I’m thinking about him so much. He’s the first person in a very long time to make me feel something. With him, I can see the layers of his personality hidden under the sharply dressed, smug, stuck up asshole image that he portrays to everyone.

Stepping out of the shower, I dry my hair off before I wrap another towel around my waist and walk back to the comfort of my bedroom. I take my time drying off and moisturizing my skin before I slip into my clothes. Once I’m dressed, I only put on a little makeup and jog back downstairs.

My stomach growls loudly, making me sigh. It’s definitely time for something to eat. I wonder if Zoey is up and moving around. Glancing at the clock, I see it’s after one. I slept a lot longer than I thought I would, that’s for sure.

I pick up my phone from the counter and scroll through the missed calls and texts. Several are from clients, but Zoey’s is right at the top. I text her where to meet me. A few moments later, my phone buzzes loudly on the kitchen counter, almost falling off.

“I’ll be there in fifteen.”

I walk to my apartment door then turn around to gaze at the place. A smirk comes to my lips as I glance at the couch and sigh. Originally, I only wanted one night with a sexy stranger. Now I’m already craving Connor’s touch again.

A tinge of uneasiness fills my gut. What if he never plans on seeing me again? It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened. I push the thought away quickly. So what if he does? I don’t care about him.

I can feel that it’s a lie, but I don’t want to think about it at the moment. I don’t want to make the night before ugly, cheap. For now, I’ll let it stand where it is. I’m not in any rush. Waving to Anna at the front desk, I push my way outside, into the warm summer air. I don my sunglasses before sliding behind the wheel of my car.

The restaurant, Taste East!, is packed by the time I get there. In the corner, I see a waving arm. Pushing my way through the throng of people, I make my way over to her. She’s smiling wide as I wiggle into the booth across from her.

“Did you order for me yet?” I ask, sitting my bag down beside me.

“Just a glass of wine and pork fried rice,” she says as she sips her drink, her eyes running me up and down.

“What?” I ask, unable to keep the challenging tone out of my voice.

She shrugs in that subtle way that is completely Zoey. Still, her eyes don’t leave me. Thankfully, the waiter wanders over, pen and pad in hand as he takes our orders. As we wait for the rest of our food, she digs into her vegetable lo mein while I devour my rice. I haven’t worked up a proper appetite in a long time. It feels good.

“Where were you last night?”

I almost choke on my food. Clearing my throat, I hold up a finger as I take a long sip of wine. When I replace the glass on the table, Zoey’s tapping her fingers slowly, impatiently. I roll my eyes.

“I told you, I was practicing with Connor.”

“Yeah, I know you said that you would. That’s why I left drinks early to bring both of you something to eat.”

I swallow thickly. “And?”

“Let’s just say your walls are not as thick as you think they are.”

I want to sink into the seat. “W-what did you hear?” I mumble as I pick at my rice with my chopsticks.

“Plenty,” Zoey says.

It’s almost as if I can hear her grin without seeing it. “It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal! Tell me what happened! Come on, I’m your best friend.”

Rolling my eyes, I sigh deeply. “I don’t want to talk about it. It was just a one-time thing that happened, and that’s the end of that.”

Zoey scoffs. “I don’t believe that for a minute. There’s always sparks flying between you two.”

“Are you talking about when we nearly take each other’s heads off every time we so much as look at each other?”

Zoey nods. “Besides,” she says around a mouthful of food, “I know why he’s always so hard on you. So don’t be so mean to him.”

“Why?” I ask with a raised brow.

She shrugs. “It’s not for me to say. I’m sure when he wants you to know, he’ll tell you.”

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to hit Zoey so badly before. Patience isn’t exactly a strong suit of mine, and she knows that. Still, I don’t want to push her. I know that the possibility of her spilling it on her own by mistake is much more likely if I don’t keep trying to pry information out of her. That would only cause her to lock up entirely.

“How’s life with your hot men?” I ask, trying to quickly change the subject.

Zoey scoffs. “They’re annoying, clingy. I need a man who will only come when I call. And when I tell him to,” she says with a grin.

Shaking my head, I chuckle. “You’re ridiculous.”

The conversation continues on like that for a while, easy. So I’m not sure what makes me feel like Zoey’s not saying something. We finish our meal before we step out of the restaurant, both of us fool with leftover boxes under our arms. We decide to head over to the park, enjoy the scenery and people watch for a little while.

Once we’re settled on the bench, Zoey produces a cigarette. She offers me one, but I wave it away. I rarely smoke anymore. The only time I do it now is when I’m under extreme stress. Zoey holds it out for a moment longer anyway. I arch an eyebrow.

“What’s going on? You’ve been kind of…
off
all day.”

She sighs, but doesn’t say a word. Instead, Zoey digs deeply into her purse before she produces a zippo lighter with a skull and bones on the front of it. I can see that her hands are shaking. Okay, not much can make Zoey really nervous, and even less can make her afraid, but what I’m seeing now is that she’s terrified.

“You’re freaking me out. Say something.”

Zoey continues to fumble with the lighter for several moments before I get too fed up to continue watching. I take the lighter out of her hand and light her cigarette. The tip glows red hot, smoke curling up into the sky. I slip the zippo back inside of her purse. She takes three long, equal drags, expelling smoke into the air before she finally speaks.

“I heard from Nathan today. It was this morning. It’s the real reason I texted you. You just looked so happy when I saw you that I didn’t want to say anything.”

My heart has dropped into my stomach. The thudding of it pounds against my ears so loudly that I can’t make out what it is that Zoey is trying to say. The only thing that echoes in my mind is the name
Nathan
over and over again. There’s a name from my past I never thought I’d hear again. I thought I’d gotten far enough away from him…

“Here,” Zoey says, pushing the cigarette into my hand. “Take this.”

This time, I don’t turn it down. Instead, I place the cigarette between my lips, taking in a long drag. Now my hands are shaking as well. I’m sweating, too, I notice, though I’m not sure why. My entire body is cold, freezing. I’m not even quite sure if I’m breathing anymore.

“W-what did he say?” I’m finally able to squeeze out of trembling lips.

“He wanted to know where you were.”

“You didn’t tell him,” I say flatly.

“Of course not!” Zoey almost yells. She pinches the bridge of her nose. “You know I’d never do that to you. There is a problem though.”

“What’s that?”

“The number that he called me from was a California area code. When I called the number back, it was a restaurant’s phone in a city not that far from here. I forget the name now,” she mumbles as she begins to search for her phone.

I place my hand on hers. “I don’t want to know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t want to know?”

I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter,” I mumble as I throw down the trail of ashes and the cigarette butt. Stomping the mess out beneath the heel of my shoe, I push myself off of the bench. “It’s time to go.”

“Go where?” Zoey asks, her eyes wide.

Shrugging, I glance at her. “I don’t know, but I can’t stay here if he’s that close.”

I can see the anger and frustration in her eyes. “So what are you going to do? Just run away again? Haven’t you had enough of that? Haven’t you lost and had to abandon enough people?”

That hurts. I can feel the stinging of impending tears at the corners of my eyes. It’s been a very long time since I’ve cried, and I’m not about to do it now. Holding my head up a little higher, I turn away from Zoey. It’s not as if I want to run. How many times can I start over? How many times do I have to get away? Every time I have to run again, I get a little farther away from the family that I love.

“You know what he’s like.”

“Yeah, I do. I also know that you have been here for a long time now. You have people who will support and protect you. Stop running away. Don’t you think it’s time to stand your ground?”

“You don’t know what he’s capable of,” I whisper, glaring at her.

Zoey glares back. “I know exactly what he’s capable of, and I’m telling you that enough is enough. It’s time to stand up for yourself.”

After a while, I won’t be able to take it anymore. I can feel the tears pricking at my eyes as I turn on my heel. Zoey calls after me, but I ignore her. There’s a lot to do before I have to leave town. The walk back to my car is quick, my anger and frustration carrying me faster than I would have gone on a normal day. Of course, there’s fear too.

Once more I feel like he’s lurking around every corner. I see a flash of blond hair and I begin to shake. It’s too much. All of a sudden, I’m overwhelmed. It feels like I’m drowning. My hands keep dropping my keys. Every time I pick them up I curse a little more, and I almost want to scream.

When a hand grips my arm, I lose it. I turn around, digging into my bag for the can of mace that I always keep handy. I stop when I see a concerned face looming over me. Placing a hand on my chest as if I can manually still my thumping heart, I let out my held breath.

“Connor. What are you doing here?”

“I was in a meeting and decided to get coffee. Are you okay?”

I nod briefly. “I’m fine,” I say as I turn around to slip my key into the lock.

“You don’t look fine.”

As he says it, I glance at myself in the window. I really don’t look fine. My eyes are still wide, darting at every little noise or aimless shadow. My hands are still shaking so hard that the rest of the keys on the ring are clattering together. Connor rests a hand on my shoulder.

“I’m not letting you drive like that,” he says, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket. “I’ll take you home.”

A part of me wants to be stubborn, to say no. I’ll be fine. It’s all a lie, though; I’m perfectly aware of that. The truth is that I’d rather be with someone at this moment than be alone.

“What about my car?”

“I’m already on it,” he says, moving the phone away from his mouth. “Give me your car key.”

I pry my apartment key from the ring before I pass it to him. As we’re waiting, a man in a black suit jogs up and takes them. Connor speaks to him quickly, before the man nods to me then slips behind the wheel of my car. I wonder what’s going on, but the only thing I really want at the moment is to be home, in the tub, with a bottle of wine in my hands.

“Come on,” Connor says as he turns and begins to walk away.