Page 74 of Maid in America

She was frozen in his grasp. Too eager to breathe right. To turned-on to think.

He kissed the flesh of her upper breast and latched on hard, sucking forcefully enough to leave a solid mark. He pulled away seconds later with a wetpop.

“Did you just give me a hickey?” She pulled away from his grip enough to look down. “Are we inhigh school?”

His lips curled into a grin, eyes full of something wild and enticing. “I wanted you to have something to remember me in the coming days. This should keep the boys at bay, so you have time to give it some thought. If you want to be with me,I don’t share. ”

Part of her wanted to be offended, but the act... the magenta mark it left... the ownership it displayed made her utterly turned on.

“I think I wantmore, Aphrodite.”

“Of what?”

“Ofyou. I knew the second I laid eyes on you that you were intoxicating. If you don’t feel the same, I understand. But tonight, I’m satisfied leaving you with a little reminder, a little sign to show the other men I call dibs.”

She pulled her shirt down to see the small circle on her breast. “Dibs? I’m not a piece of meat or a plot of land to claim.” Her voice raised a little and lowered again as he caressed her inner thigh. “What if I have nocluewhat I want?”

“Take a beat to decide, Aphrodite. We can fool around if that’s all you want, but I’d like more. I want you to bemineand mine alone.”

“And you’d be mine?”

“Yes.”

“Mine…and all the horny wives of Jackson.”

“That’s just a job, Chastity. I’m not fucking them. I’m talking about a relationship. I’m talking about coffee in the morning or stroking your hair while we fall asleep watching trash reality shows. I’m talking about a future and trust.”

“Can’t we just… I don’t know…”

“Chastity, now that I’ve had you, I wantallof you. If you don’t want me, we can go back to playing the field. But I don’t want to be half-in this thing, whatever it is. I want you. All of you. Body and soul. I won’t settle for anything less.”

Barrett shifted back into his seat until he was staring out of the windshield.

“Alright.” She laughed and grabbed the seat belt behind her. “So you’re just gonna drop me off all wound up with a purple hickey on my boob?”

Barrett chuckled. “Part of you ispurple.” He looked down at his lap. “Part of me isblue. I’d say we’re just about even.”

There was a long silence where only the wind spoke in a quiet howl, rocking the Jeep a little before dying down.

Finally, she spoke.

“Barrett, I really like you…”

“But…?”

“But… I don’t want to drag you -- oranyone-- into my bipolar shit-storm. This… us… it’s poor timing.”

“I’m a big boy. I’m no stranger to a shit-storm. Give me achance. Let me decide for myself what I can handle.”

“I have no idea what I want out of life, Barrett.”

“You’re twenty-five. You don’thaveto have it all figured out yet.” His eyes were fixed on hers. “Chastity, I fuckingwantyou.”

“I want you, too,” she said softly. “I’m just…scared.”

He pressed his forehead to hers, tenderly stroking her jaw.

Without another word, she bolted forward, pressing her lips to his and kissing him with urgency, hands clutching his hair, his shirt, his belt, needing him, needing to not lose him, needing to feel everything about him in and on her body all at once.

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