Page 30 of Deadly Obsession
“You ass… You could have gotten free that entire time?” she said, a light laugh buried between the hard breaths.
“'Course not. They just happened to get loose.” I chuckled. Moving one hand up to the back of her head, I gently petted her before craning my neck to the side so I could press my lips to her temple. “I think we both need a rinse,” I whispered.
Sera propped herself up on her arms and ran her fingers over my still-wet beard. “That sounds like a good idea.”
Her eyes scanned over my face as her thumb traced my lower lip. The way the candlelight flickered making her pupils sparkle. The flames dancing, hypnotizing me in their magic, and silencing the storm outside.
And suddenly I was back home. Sitting on the hood of my dad’s old Chevy in the middle of one of the pastures, on a warm summer night, watching the fireflies twirl over the tall grass. There was the remainder of a six-pack of Bud in a cooler beside me, 90s country music playing from a boombox off a burnt CD I’d made in high school. It was the most peaceful memory I had, the same one I’d escape to when things got bad overseas and I was too scared to sleep and needed to calm my mind. It was like my brain was overwriting that file, or maybe stitching this one onto it.
“I love you.”That was the second time I’d said it now.
“And I love you, James.” Sera smiled, kissing my lips before jumping off the bed. Totally oblivious to the near out-of-body experience I’d just had. Shaking my head and laughing softly at myself, I got up and grabbed my towel from the bench.
A short while later, we were showered, dried, and wrapped up in blankets, Sera’s head resting on my chest.
“James?” she said softly, the familiar sound of fatigue in her voice.
“Hm?” I responded, my mind half in a haze as I gently stroked the top of her head.
“Are you sure you love me? I mean, it’s not just me, you know. Alex and I are a package deal. Can you see yourself being a dad?” she asked as she traced the tattoos on my chest with a fingertip.
I kissed the top of her head before looking up at the ceiling. “I can. I might not have met him yet, but I love him too because he’s a part of you. Besides, he seems like a pretty cool kid from what I’ve seen of him.”
“Would you want more?” she said with a long yawn.
“Perhaps one or two. Though that’s not just my decision. I’d be happy as long as I have you.” I kissed the top of her head again and awaited a response. But none came.
Sera’s breathing was soft and slow, a telling sign that she’d fallen asleep. Reaching out and picking up the candle on my nightstand, I blew it out and settled in as comfortably as I could without disturbing her.
On a typical night, I’d lie awake for hours, trying to hide from the demons that lurked in my dreams. Tonight, though, with Sera in my arms as I counted the rise and fall of her chest, it wasn’t long before I too slipped off to sleep.
NINETEEN
LOLA
TUESDAY
“Fuck me…” I placed the back of my hand to my pounding head and groaned, using the other to push myself up into a sitting position.
I could feel a mattress beneath me.Beneath that, the ground and not the couch I was meant to be sleeping on. Opening my eyes, I glanced around the room and instantly regretted the quick head turns when my vision blurred. My arm gave out from behind me and I fell backwards, landing on my side. I buried my face in my palms and took slow breaths, waiting for the spinning to stop. I tried to focus on the sound of the light rain outside and snoring somewhere nearby.
Great. My hangover was starting and I was still a little drunk.
Once the room started to settle around me, I lifted my head and opened my eyes. I had no real recollection of how the night had ended. I remembered starting the game, someone getting scared, James going to check outside…
Oh my God, I’d started fucking myself in front of James! But what the fuck happened after that?
It was then that a hand reached out and gripped my hip, pulling me back into something hard and warm. Pressing against my bare ass.
Oh, fuck, that’s right! I’d ended up fucking James in front of everyone. But what about Sera? Wait…
I sat up in a panic. Looking back over a shoulder to the man whose cock was on my ass right now.
Oh, fuck no!
I felt my stomach twist as my eyes fell on Brian’s face, last night’s festivities returning to my memory. Something I knew I’d never be lucky enough to forget again for as long as I lived.
I’d drunkenly began fucking myself, displaying it all for James, and he’d silently rejected me. I remembered trying to take more shots, but Brian stopped me. That was until I’d talked him into taking a body shot of tequila from between my tits. After that, he’d taken two more, and I was pretty sure the second and third time, he’d licked the salt from my nipples.
