Page 2 of Breaking Free (Guarded Hearts)
I shake my head no. It only takes them a few minutes to get drinks, and when they get back, people are starting to crowd around the stage. “I’m going to run to the bathroom.” I don’t need to go to the bathroom; I just want to get away for a minute and get some air. I walk away, trying to figure out how I am going to deal with being so close to so many people tonight.
I walk around toward the back of the building. There’s a railing separating the parking lot and the venue that looks like a good place to hide, so I walk over to it and sit down on the top rail. It’s so quiet and peaceful back here, much different from the front where everyone has started to gather. I lean back and stare up at the sky, wishing that I could be like the rest of my friends. I want to be happy, carefree, and not jump every time someone brushes by me, but I’m not.
“What are you doing back here?” a husky voice whispers in my ear.
I jump, a little startled by the fact that someone has gotten so close to me without me realizing it. Losing my balance, I almost fall backward as a hand snakes around my waist and steadies me. I brace myself for the pain of his touch, but instead of it hurting, it seems to set my body on high alert.
I look over at the person holding me and gasp. He may be the hottest man I have ever seen in person with dark brown hair that I want to run my fingers through and maybe pull a little bit. His black t-shirt hugs his biceps so tightly that I wouldn’t be surprised if it ripped. His eyes are the color of the ocean you always see in those ads for tropical getaways. My attention is drawn to his full lips, drawn in a smirk, as he darts his tongue out to wet them. Watching him slowly slide his tongue across his lips, I have fantasies about it being all over me. I have no doubt that he must be able to see my desire written all over my face because he leans in as if he is about to kiss me.
That’s when I snap out of the spell he had put me under. I hop down off of the railing and disentangle myself from the hold that he has on me. Wishing the ground would just open up and swallow me whole, I begin my walk back toward the stage area.
“Not even a thank you?” I stop walking and look back at him over my shoulder. “Theleastyou could do is tell me your name.”
He walks toward me and my heart starts to beat so fast it feels like it’s about to come right out of my chest. I walk backward, trying to put space between us, but quickly find myself backed against the wall. Before I know it, Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome is within a couple inches of me and looking down at me with a look that could melt the panties off of any straight woman.
He threads his hands through my hair. “What’s your name?”
His face is so close to mine that if I moved even a centimeter our lips would be touching. I shake my head no; he doesn’t need my name. I really need to get out of here, but my legs are no longer listening to my brain.
His mouth crashes against mine with such force that I am now flush with the cold stone wall behind me. He releases my hair and moves his hands down my arms until they find mine. Threading his fingers with mine, he slowly raises them above my head, and at the same time his tongue invades my mouth. I have never in my life been kissed like this and I am now putty in his hands, for him to do with whatever he wants. I think the most startling thing to me is the fact that his touch seems to set my senses on fire.
His free hand moves back down my side, tracing the curves of my breasts, my hips, and then finally stopping at the top of my jeans. His hand slowly moves toward the part of my body that is now screaming for him. Even with my jeans on, as soon as his fingertips brush over the top of me, I let out a moan.
I try to move my hands so I can wrap them around him but he’s not letting them go. His thumb is slowly circling my clit while his fingers are cupping the rest of me, driving me insane. I can’t believe that he’s making me feel this good and I’m still completely dressed.What the heck could he do if we were actually naked?
He grasps my bottom lip in between his teeth. “Tell. Me. Your. Name.”
“Holly…Holly James.” My name comes out as more of a moan than I would have liked it to.
He releases my lips and starts to kiss his way down my neck until he gets to the V of my shirt. His hand starts to move faster against me as he continues his assault on me with his mouth. I can’t believe this, but I am so damn close to an orgasm.
His hand stills and he rests his forehead against mine. I push my hips toward him, begging him to finish what he has started and not to leave me in limbo. A cocky laugh escapes his lips. He presses his mouth to mine again and then steps away from me. My hands slowly sink down and I look at him in confusion.
“Nice to meet you, Holly James.”
My mouth drops open and I am completely speechless as I watch him walk away.Nice to meet me? What a fucking asshole.
I try to smooth out my hair and clothes as best as I can. The show begins but I have no ambition to go join the girls. I walk around for a while before I decide I probably should go and see them. As I’m walking back toward the stage, I’m squeezing my thighs together, trying to get any little bit of relief. I can’t believe that bastard did that to me, but even worse, I can’t believe that Ilethim. Why did his touch not bother me? I can’t even stand when my best friends or my brother touch me, butthatasshole can?
Since the attack, I have been so careful around men I don’t know. Even sometimes just a look from a stranger will make me panic, but doing me against a wall…that’sokay? My head is so royally fucked up. I doubt any of this would make sense to anyone, especially because it doesn’t even make sense to me.
The girls are all the way at the front of the crowd and I push my way through the people, flinching every time I touch one of them. This only pisses me off more because all I can think about is that jerk’s hands all over me. He was so insistent to learn my name, but did he ever tell me his? Nope.
Christen spots me first and looks relieved. “Where the heck did you go?”
“I just took a walk around to get some air.” The look she gives me tells me that she isn’t buying it. Everyone is cheering and singing along to the music while I’m freaking out. Having everyone around me like this is so suffocating that I think I might actually have a panic attack. The band is playing but all I can focus on is the fear laced through my body. I almost feel like I’m drowning and dizziness sets in.
I don’t want to leave and have everyone start to ask me questions about what’s going on with me. Christen is already really suspicious; she’s known that something was up since day one. There have been a couple of times that she tried to talk to me about it, but I just blew it off like it was nothing. It’s my problem and I’ll figure out how to deal with it.
The music has stopped and someone starts talking. My head is spinning and my ears are ringing, so I can’t really make out what is being said. I lean in to whisper in Christen’s ear, “Listen, I don’t feel good. You guys have fun, I’m gonna catch a cab home.”
She opens her mouth, about to protest I’m sure, when Nicole grabs my hand, lifts it in the air, and starts yelling. My wrist is on fire, and not in the good way like it was earlier with Mr. love ‘em and leave ‘em.Please let go. Please let go. Please let go.Something else is said on stage and she starts to jump up and down.
I look at her in confusion. “Go up, Holly!”
I take this opportunity to pull my hand down and free myself of her hold. “What? Go up where?”
“On stage! They picked you!” I look around and everyone is staring at me. “Go! Come on!”
