Contradiction (7 page)

Chapter 11

~~Jasmine~~

Seven o'clock finally comes around and my workday is done. It felt good being back at work again. I clock out and walk to my car. As I sit down my phone whistles indicating I have a text message and only one person is set to that particular sound, Brandon. A huge smile crosses my lips as I open it.

"Hi."

I laugh at that one small word. All I can think about lately is him and the things he said to me. "Sweetheart, I am far from perfect and I have many flaws. One of them being the inability to leave you alone."

I really don't want him to leave me alone, but I fear he's going to want more than I'm willing to give right now. I'm damaged, Jeff ruined me in such a way I'm not sure I'll ever have the ability to fully trust anyone again. I shake off the feeling of doubt and reply to his text.

"Hi."

I sit there with my eyes closed for a minute and then put on my seatbelt and start the car. As I put it in reverse my phone sounds off again.

"What ya doing?"

A huge smile crosses my lips as I respond.

"Just got off work and headed home." 

"If you're headed home why are you still in the parking lot? "

Immediately my heart begins to hammer in my chest as I look around for his car.

"How do you know that? " I text back.

"I can see you."

"Don't bother looking you won't find it. I got a new car. ;)"

"Where are you?  I want to see it."

"Three cars over. Come on and I'll take you for a ride."

I can feel the heat rushing to my cheeks and the excitement is overwhelming. Quickly I look in the mirror making sure I look presentable and spritz a bit of perfume on. One last glance in the mirror and I sigh, drawing in a deep breath, as I get out and walk over to him. I see this metallic blue beauty a few spaces over. Walking to the driver's side quickly as I pull my coat tightly around me. The night air is cold and chills me to the bone. He rolls down his window and says, "You know it is a lot warmer in here." I giggle and smile because the temptation is almost too much to resist.

"I'm fine." I fib as I pull the hood up on my jacket. I am really freezing, but I don't want him to think I'm excited that he's here.

"Oh, come on." He says, "I don't bite."

Men make me nervous. Even after being at his apartment, seeing him in nothing but his slacks, I still get jumpy. After all the turmoil concerning Jeff, I'm extremely guarded. I slowly walk around the car and climb in. The warmth is so nice, I remove my gloves and put my hands close to the vents to warm them.

"See, I told you it was better in here." He says with a smile. Nodding in agreement I look around and check out his ride. Immaculate I think to myself.  I should have known. "What are you thinking about?" He asks. 

Smiling, I reply. "I never would have figured you for a SUV kind of guy. I would have assumed you would have a shiny new gas guzzler, not a hybrid."

He smiles. Well I still have my gas guzzling truck, if that makes you feel better."

A fit of laughter escapes my lips and it takes all I have to compose myself. He sits there smiling. "Oh, there it is, my favorite shade of red." I turn my face to look out the window drawing in deep, steady breathes. When I get everything in check.

I sigh, "It's very nice, but I really do need to get home."

"Want to go for a quick ride?" He asks smiling that panty soaking smile. My mind tells me NO but my body won't move.

"Sure." I reply having no idea where this is going. He pulls out of the parking lot and my heart begins to pound in my chest. The sound is so loud I'm certain he can hear it over the radio. I sit staring forward trying not to let my eyes waver in his direction.

We turn down a dark side road and I look over at him raising my eyebrows.  "Ummm... where are we going?" I ask.

"Nowhere, just driving around." He says with a smile.

"Ok, but don't get lost." I reply with a snicker.

The intensity with which he looks at me makes my walls begin to melt. The sudden urge to touch him is almost overwhelming so I sit on my hands in an effort to keep them to myself. He keeps looking over at me with that smirk I love so much.

"Eyes on the road." I blurt out. He laughs a hearty laugh.

"Yes, ma'am." He says looking straight ahead.

I see his eyes darting in my direction and I can feel the blush begin to creep up my cheeks, again. I draw in several deep breaths as the dark road winds on. He reaches over taking my hand and places it on his lap, only centimeters from his cock.

An intense heat fills me and the wetness between my legs indicates the effect his touch is having on me. He moves my hand slightly and I can feel his hardness straining against the fabric of his pants.  He smiles and groans from the movement of my hand. Next thing I know he has unzipped his pants and my hand is sliding against his bare flesh. I begin to panic and pull my hand away knowing where this may lead. He looks over at me with a pained expression on his face.

"I’m sorry, Jasmine, I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do." He says catching his breath.

I smile weakly, knowing this is true. He has been nothing but understanding regarding these situations.

"I want to, I do, and I just panicked in the moment. Jeff was never as understanding. He assumed since we were together I was.." I pause for a minute trying to find the right word. "Obligated." I finally whisper. He takes my hand in his and softly kisses my palm.  A shiver of lust runs through me at the contact. I draw in a deep breath and smile. I reach over and slowly begin to stroke him. The sheer size of him is daunting. As I continue I can feel the warmth between my thighs. He reaches over and grabs my breast squeezing lightly and rubbing until he finds the edge of my bra. He slips his hand inside and rubs his fingertips across my now hardened nipple.

A ripple of desire takes over as I lean over and kiss his neck and whispers in his ear, "Have you ever had a blow job with Altoids?" He hits the brakes on the car rather hard and looks over at me with curiosity.

"Altoids?" He asks.

"Yeah." I reply pulling the tin from my purse. I turn on the inside light so he can see as I pop a couple in my mouth. I look around and realize we're in the middle of the road. "You may want to pull over for this." I say smiling.

"Nah, it's cool." He replies as he hits the gas.

"Ok, but if you wreck, it's all on you."

He shakes his head and smiles as I edge closer to him, slowly lowering my head onto his lap and taking him in my mouth. As I begin to slowly move up and down his shaft he grabs my hair and sighs. "Oh. My. God." He says as I take his full length in my mouth. I can feel the car slowing down as I suck harder and he begins to pump into my mouth hitting my throat so deep. Cupping his balls in my hand as I lick the tip slowly, I notice he has placed both his hands on the steering wheel. I can feel his breathing quicken as his thrusts become more intense.

"Jasmine, I'm about to come." He says.

A sudden jerk and my mouth begins to fill with his seed. I swallow quickly and lick away every last drop. The car has stopped in the middle of the road again as he sits there with his eyes closed. I lick the tip one last time and he shivers and opens his eyes, looking at me strangely.

"That was damn good." He says as he zips his pants up.

I smile and laugh,“"I told you I was good."

"I admit, I had my doubts." He says with a wink, "but you clearly have talent." I half smile and roll my eyes at him. He laughs and turns the car around. "Want to go get some dinner?"

"Sure, what you have in mind?" I ask. 

"Well there's this little hole in the wall place near my apartment that has the best Italian food ever." He replies.

"Sounds good to me, my lunch is gone."

We turn back onto the main highway and my phone starts ringing, I look at my phone and Jeff calling me. "How the hell did he get this number?" I ask myself.

"How did who get your number?" Brandon asks.

"Jeff." I reply, fear rolling off of me.

I can see Brandon's eyes darken and his face turns to that of disgust. "After all he did you still talk to him?" He asks, clenching his jaw.

"No, I don't. I-I have no idea how he even got this number."

We pull into the parking lot of the little dive. The little building doesn't look like much and the pitiful attempt to brighten it up only highlights the broken parking lot and the peeling peach colored exterior. We park and Brandon takes my hands in his and looks at me with softness returning to his eyes.

"I think you should stay with me tonight, just to be safe." I look at him and narrow my eyes. He frowns and says. "Look, I'm not trying anything, but if Jeff has your number, he probably knows where you live too." I shudder at the thought. Drawing in a ragged breath I nod, knowing he has a good point.

The interior of the cafe is surprisingly bright and inviting. The tables are all full so we take a seat at the counter. A sweet smell permeates from the kitchen and it makes my mouth water. Brandon looks at me and smiles, handing me a menu. "The eggplant parm is to die for." He says, smiling.

A little elderly lady with salt and pepper hair comes to greet us. Her bright blue eyes showcase the youth still in her soul.  "I'm Adalina and I'll be serving you today," she says, her voice slightly above a whisper. She looks at me and over to Brandon. "Brandon?" She says scolding him with her eyes still on me. 

"Hi, Ada. I know what you're thinking but it's not what you think. Carlie left me a few weeks ago."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." She says patting his shoulder. "Sweet tea?" She asks. Brandon nods and Ada scurries away, coming back quickly with two huge glasses.

"Thank you." He says and looks at me. "Oh, where are my manners?" Ada says as she reaches out to take my hand. "I’m Ada. What’s your name honey?"

"Nice to meet you Ada, I'm Jasmine." She looks at me and grins.

"You take care of this fella here, he's a good one." I nod feeling my cheeks begin to flush. She smiles a sweet smile and winks at me. "So what will you two be having? Might I recommend the Chicken or Eggplant parm? Those are the house specials."

Brandon nods, "We'll both have the eggplant parm."

Not much is said beyond Ada gushing over Brandon and the occasional sigh. After dinner we head back to the hospital to pick up my car. As I walk up to it I notice a piece of notebook paper tucked into the wipers. I'm shaking as I reach for it. I open it and begin to read as Brandon walks up.

"What is wrong?" He asks noticing the fact that I'm shaking. "J-j-eff." I stutter.

Jasmine-

If you think I'm going to give up on us so easily, you are wrong. You are MINE and always will be. I won't stop until I prove that we belong together and you are by my side.

                                                               -Jeff

"You need to get a restraining order." Brandon hisses, his jaw clenched and darkness in his eyes. I nod, unable to speak through the tears. Brandon pulls me into him and holds me tightly as I sob against his chest. "You stay with me tonight and I'll take you in the morning to the police station."     

"Ok." I reply, knowing it's the safest option for me. "Oh and hold on to that note." He says.

I grab the necessities out of my car and jump into his, all the while looking around the parking lot. I lay my head back and close my eyes trying to stop the sobs ripping through my chest as we drive to his house.  Brandon comes around and picks me up carrying me inside when we get there. I just can't seem to move. He sits down on the couch and holds me tightly letting me just cry. I finally fall asleep, cradled in his arms. Waking up, I roll over and find him smiling at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Time to get up sleepy head, breakfast is waiting." He says kissing my forehead.

I smile and climb out of the bed pulling on my shirt. My eyes and cheeks sting from all the tears and I cringe when I walk past the hallway mirror. "Oh my God, I look horrendous." I say trying to straighten the tangled mess of hair. Yesterday's make-up is smeared and my eyes are red and swollen from crying.

Two white bags are sitting on the table with two large cups of coffee and a shallow black box with a purple ribbon. "What's in the box?" I ask.

"Let's eat our breakfast, and then we will talk. You know I'm serious about that restraining order, right?"

"Yes, I know, but it's complicated."

"How so?" He asks.

"The truth is, I'm afraid of what he will do. Jeff is used to getting his way and, he has the means to get himself out of trouble," I reply staring down at the table.

Brandon reaches over and puts his hand over mine. "Well, I think it's time for you to open the box."

With shaking hands I pull off the ribbon and open the box. Inside is a small purple and black handgun. I look at Brandon wide eyed, not sure what to say.    

"It's for protection." He says forcing me to look at him. "I don't like you being in that apartment alone with nothing to protect you." He says leaning in and kissing my cheek.