Bonded (The Raegan Mason Trilogy) (11 page)

My hands trailed down his chest toward his arms and he released his lips from mine only to sensually replace them on my neck as he kissed his way up my neck, across my jaw to devour my lips again.  The thin barrier of my bikini pressed against the hardness of his body was strangely intimate, but when his hand cupped my breast, I gasped and pushed away.  “Don’t.”  I held him at arm’s length and tried to untangle myself from him and climb onto my jet ski.

The desire quickly faded from his eyes.  “Raegan, I didn’t mean to rush.  I just thought, I mean…” He hung his head and looked away while I put on my life jacket.

“I think I need to go now.”  I started the engine and waited patiently while he stored our gear in the storage beneath his seat and he put on his life jacket.  I could feel the heat in my face still.  I had boundaries, and one of my closest friends just crossed it.

CHAPTER 9 – BONFIRE

I didn’t see Jaxon or Kyler the next day.  Depression was beginning to sink in when Julie called to remind me about the bonfire that night.  She showed up early and began the beauty treatment on both of us.  She covered my face with a sticky clay mask before creating a matching green face on herself.

She had drilled me for details about my fishy date with Kyler.  I told her very little because there really wasn’t much to tell.  I did mention that we went to the carnival but that I had chickened out on almost all of the rides.  I didn’t mention Kyler’s cold brush off afterward either.  Maybe he was trying to play hard to get?  I’d heard very little about him, certainly nothing that would lead me to believe he was a charming playboy.  Both Julie and Jaxon mentioned that he was a quiet loner.  Somehow that didn’t make any sense after my brief get-togethers with him. 

I also did not tell her about mine and Jaxon’s little make out session.  I’m sure she’d find out eventually, but I wasn’t going to bring it up.  After we got back to the docks, Jaxon had loaded the jet skis and drove me home in complete silence.  He didn’t even say good bye when I jumped out of his truck.  The tension was so thick in the cab of his truck, I thought I’d suffocate. When we stopped at my house, I jumped down and he pulled away before I could even shut the door.  How could I have let it go so far?  I knew it would ruin our friendship.  It seemed like no matter whether I went through with seeing what was there between us or avoided it, I still ended up hurting Jaxon.  Plus now I’d lost a really good friend, too.

Kyler had said he’d see me soon, but soon was taking too long.  Maybe he’d be there tonight.  I was trying not to get too excited with the possibility of being wrapped in his arms around a raging fire. 

Julie interrupted my thoughts by instructing me to go wash off the now dried mask.  After washing it off, she proceeded to apply other facial techniques, rubbing some liquid into my face and massaging my cheeks and forehead.  If Julie didn’t succeed in college, she could be one awesome cosmetologist or esthetician.  She wiped the solution off of my face with a cotton ball before adding a moisturizing cream and a lip conditioner.  Then she began with the makeup ritual.  When she was finished, my face was glowing.  She could work miracles.  I proceeded to get dressed in the clothes she chose for me - tiny denim shorts and a white, laced, sleeveless shirt that was open in the back.  She dressed in something similar, but much more glamorous than mine.  It suited her.  Julie sparkled everywhere she went.  She’d be a glittering disco ball on the beach.

We walked outside to Julie’s car and drove down the strip to the end of the condos.  The bonfire would be out toward the jetties tonight.  The wind wasn’t strong, but the night sea breeze could drift the smoke toward the hotels.  Plus, the only light sources out there would be the lighthouse and the bonfire.

We parked and walked down the boardwalk to the beach.  I took off my sandals to walk through the sand.  The cool touch felt so good.  The bonfire was already blazing when we got there.  Some of our friends from school were there along with some people I didn’t recognize.  They were either vacationers, or locals I didn’t remember.  Someone had brought a keg of beer out and others brought their own drinks.  Although the drinking age was twenty-one, that didn’t stop most of the attendees.  I never drank at these because it was much more fun to watch others make a fool out of themselves. 

Julie stopped and talked to some of the girls from school and I kept walking to the log set up a little distance away from the bonfire to sit.  I looked toward the Rock wondering if I walked over there, would Kyler be waiting.  I didn’t hear the music or the electric force field and I felt disappointed.  I don’t know why I thought he’d be here.  The radio music playing was loud and annoying.  Someone was playing a guitar and wasn’t too bad.  Julie was caught up in her social network, and I felt drawn to the Rock.  I got up and started heading that direction.  I was almost to the shoreline when I got knocked to the ground by the guys playing tackle football.  Several guys were dog piled on top of me and my ribs throbbed.

One of the drunken football players was Jaxon.  The other guys I didn’t know.  Jaxon started apologizing instantly and tried to help me up.  “Hey Raegan, I’m sorry.  We didn’t see you there. Are you okay?”  He held me close for a moment, but then must have remembered our fight and stepped away.  Another other guy, reminding me of a giant on steroids, did a push up and hopped to his feet.  He stared at me with animalistic eyes and walked toward me grinning like he just won a prize.

“Hey baby. You’re looking smokin’.” Goliath rattled off, opening his arms as to grab me.  I stepped back a couple of steps and looked at Jaxon questioningly.  “Want to be my arm candy tonight?” He attempted to put his arm around my neck and I ducked out.

“Hey Nate, leave her alone.” Jaxon put an arm out to block his advances and Nate/Goliath pushed him down roughly.

“Who’s going to make me?  You, Army boy?” Nate laughed at Jaxon spitting sand out of his mouth.  Jaxon jumped up and rushed at the ox heading toward me.  He tackled Nate from behind and started punching.  Jaxon was thrown backward when Nate slammed a fist into his face.  I rushed toward Jaxon to help him up.  His nose was bleeding profusely and he was moaning in obvious pain.

By then, a crowd of football players were forming around us.  My ribs hurt from the dog pile I was under and my heart was beginning to race.   Nate was bigger than Jaxon and both were obviously drunk.  Nate’s speech was slurring and his movements were sluggish.  He looked at me and started toward me again.

“Look Nate, I’m not interested in being your anything tonight.” I stated boldly.  “I think you should go on back to the bonfire.”  “Jaxon, we should get you to the hospital.”  I reached down to help Jaxon up when Nate grabbed me around my waist and started pulling me into his body.  “Let’s dance, baby.”  I tried to wiggle free from his arm but he squeezed tighter and pushed the air out of my lungs.  I tried kicking and pushing his arm out, but he was too strong.  “I can’t breathe you idiot.” I gasped. 

By then, my heart was pounding in my head.  My ribs were burning intensely, and I had no idea where he was taking me.  Some of the other guys were yelling cheers toward him, and a few yelled to let me go, but he just fanned them off with his free hand.  Jaxon had stopped trying to get up and lay sprawled in the sand.  Nate was walking away from the bonfire, dragging me toward a sand dune when my fear escalated.  I couldn’t fight him off and he was taking me somewhere secluded.  “Let me go!” I yelled as loud as I could muster which was barely a whisper.  I continued to kick and scratch at him.  He laughed.  “You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?  This will be a lot of fun.  Don’t fight it baby, you know you want me.” 

He threw me on the sand roughly forcing out the little air I had left in my lungs.  He crouched down on his hands and knees over me and started groping me and pulling at my shorts.  I tried kicking him and nearly connected with his groin before he straddled my legs and backhanded me across the cheekbone.  My eye started swelling instantly and the pain shocked me so much I stopped fighting. My eyes blurred with tears.  His weight on my body was too much.  I couldn’t breathe and the panic inside of me was too much to control.  He pinned my arms down above my head, and started pulling my shirt away with his free hand.  Each of his legs pinned my legs down and he started grabbing me in ways that I knew he was about to rape me.  I started crying and tried to scream when he put his mouth on mine forcing his tongue around.  I tried to bite him but he slapped me again, sending my head spinning.  I could taste the beer mixed with what I could imagine was my blood, and almost threw up.  I turned my head away and his mouth planted on my neck. “You taste so sweet.” He groaned and then I felt a sharp sting in my neck.  The pain quickly faded to a numbness that spread from my neck down my left arm. I could only compare it to the Novocain shot I once got at the dentist. 

The numbness was spreading to my face and my body and I couldn’t move.  He released his grip on my hands and began pulling off my shorts.  The numbness spread and within a few seconds, all of my limbs were paralyzed.  My mind was racing but I couldn’t move.  Tears filled my eyes again as I tried focusing on the stars above.  His mouth returned to my neck then slimed its way down my chest.  I tried to scream again but nothing came from my mouth.  I could feel his mouth on my body but I couldn’t move.  Tears ran down my face and he licked them. 

“You’re ssstill pure.” He hissed.  “I’ve found you just in time, princess.”  His hands began to molest my body.  Instead of being repulsed, my treacherous body began to respond to his touch.  “That’s right, princess, let your body respond to
my
touch.”  His hand hovered over my abdomen, rubbing circles.  “Let the bond happened.  Soon you’ll carry my seed and our future will change history.”

This guy was more psycho than I realized.  I still couldn’t move but the feeling had returned and I could feel every nauseating touch.

“After tonight, that earth mover will be a figment of your imagination and you’ll be mine forever.”  He began to unzip his shorts and my heart slammed into my chest with fear.  “Ahh, that’s it, princess, you know how to drive me crazy.  Your fear smells delicious.”  He returned his repellent mouth to my breast, and then he was suddenly ripped off of me.  I couldn’t focus through the tears and my body was still not cooperating.  Angry music filled my ears along with the blood rushing back through my body.  Feeling and movement were returning to my limbs and I tried to sit up, but I still couldn’t command my body. 

Everything was spinning and I heard the fight going on just feet away from me.  I heard a fist to a face and a groan that sounded like Nate.  I couldn’t see who was fighting him, but I knew the music.  The panic was still there, but somehow I felt safer knowing Kyler was near.  I knew I had to try to move but I still couldn’t.  My mind was foggy and my eyes were struggling to stay open.  I felt very sleepy suddenly and I began to drift. 

The heat on my neck slowly brought me back to reality.  My neck was burning and the flames were quickly running through my veins.  My eyes flew open and I reached for my neck.  I was still lying in the sand exposed.  The flames were coursing through my body and I screamed. I tried to sit up but the pain was unbearable.  I couldn’t cover myself because my shirt was ripped to pieces.  I managed to sit up on the sand clutching the remnants of my top and wiping away tears and blood that continued to flow down my face.  I couldn’t move further.  My ribs hurt to breathe, the left side of my body still felt numb as if my arm and leg fell asleep.  And the burning slowly ate away inside of me.  The dizziness and burning overwhelmed me and I curled into a ball on the sand.

The fighting finally stopped and the angry music changed to panic then to anxious as it got closer to my location.  “Raegan?” the sound pulsated through my body.  I couldn’t speak.  He got closer and the music intensified, fear resonating through my body.  Not my fear, but his.  “I’m here.” I rasped.  My throat was dry from screaming.  Relief sounded through his music.  I felt the electricity arcing from his body as he kneeled next to me.  I sobbed and he wrapped his arms around me.  I couldn’t believe the rush of pleasure that surged through me the instant he touched me.  I couldn’t stop myself from latching my arms around him.  I heard him inhale sharply and freeze for a moment then exhale elatedly.  “Are you okay?” His voice trembled as he spoke.

“I think so.” I whispered still holding on.  He gently pushed me away to examine my face.  He looked at my body and then began pulling his t-shirt off.  He helped me put on his shirt and I flinched when I raised my left arm.  “Ouch.” I grimaced.  My left side felt sharp stabbing pain.  “I think my ribs might be bruised.”  He placed his hand on my ribs and the fire intensified that coursed through me and I moaned with aching hunger for him.  I closed my eyes and let him hold me.  My breathing got heavier and reached for him to hold me closer.  His breathing got faster and he picked me up to my feet.  He kept his hands around me in an embrace. The electricity flowing between us was intense.  I thought I was going to burst into flames.  I wanted to kiss him but he was holding me tightly to his chest.  His heart was pounding as fast as mine.  “We need to get you cleaned up.  You’ve got blood on you.  Are you hurt anywhere else?”  He reached for my shorts and helped me put them back on.

“I think he stuck me with something.  It felt like a needle but it came from his mouth?”  I turned my head to show him where the pain came originally came from.  “It felt like a Novocaine shot.  My face and my arm started going numb and I couldn’t move.  Now there’s this intense burning.”

Kyler ran his fingers over my neck wiping blood off with the collar of his shirt.  “I don’t see anything or feel any kind of mark where it would have been.  I need to get you away from here before he wakes up.”  He took a deep breath and slowly let me go.  “I think your ribs might be broken though.” He stated without the shakiness in his voice he had earlier.  “We should get you to the hospital and get you checked out.  Are you sure he didn’t…I mean, are you hurt anywhere else?”