Haze (5 page)

Jack pulled the curtains open, revealing an incredible view of the New York cityscape. "Come closer," he said.

I stepped near the window and caught my breath. "This is incredible, Jack."

"I'm still impressed even though I'm here a lot. Home away from home, I guess." He pointed toward the closest, biggest thing in view. "That's St. Patrick's Cathedral."

The architecture was so classic and unique, so
Gothic
. It looked kind of like the centerpiece in a horror movie or something in a Stephen King novel. "That doesn't give you nightmares, does it?"

He let out a small chuckle. "No. I live here with it. We've got to get along, you know."

It honestly looked like a painting, the giant, sprawling buildings dotted with random little splotches of light. This was a view I was not used to, one that would have been difficult for me to obtain with my limited finances. It blew my mind that this lifestyle could exist, that all of this beauty was within reach only when huge sums of money were involved. Honestly, it was both disheartening and exhilarating.

"Effie?" Jack's eyes met mine with utter intensity.

"Huh?" I ended my gawking over the incredible view and turned to face him. Seeing it had softened me up, that was for sure.

"You're absolutely beautiful." He kept his eyes trained on me, studying my face as if he were hypnotized.

My brain was overloaded with thought and emotion.
Sensory overload.
In a way, it felt as if I had walked right into a trap. So many things were questionable about being here with Jack, but all sense had just fled from my brain, running away and hiding somewhere else. My body wanted something else entirely—and
it
was in this gorgeous room,
right next to me
.

"Jack, I—" My heart had skipped so many beats that I didn't know what was going on anymore and
feared that I might have died. I watched him approach me in slow motion, as if I were just a witness, not a participant. And then he pressed me against the wall, meeting my lips with a scorching kiss. Waves of pleasure rippled through me, instantly causing goose bumps on my skin. His tongue explored every interior surface of my mouth while his hands caressed my neck and gently traversed through the strands of my hair.

My back to the wall, I felt his hardness pressing against my thigh, his uncontrolled lust fully represented by that single part of his body. Oh God,
he wanted me
—and I
wanted him
.

Who was this guy? Who was I? The questions flickered and then went out like a dying light bulb.
Who cared?
I kissed him back as powerfully as he had kissed me, my decision to
proceed
so clear now. Oh yes, I wanted this. It felt so freeing after all that had led me to NYC. I wrapped my arms around his back and pulled him close.

Jack's hand lowered along my neck until he brushed my bare shoulder. He lightly cupped my breast, but something told me he wasn't about to stay there for long. Every touch was amplified, my lips kissing b
ack in the exact way that he kissed me. Our tongues continued to twine and taste in a beautiful back and forth cadence.

By that point, I w
as so wet, so obviously aroused that there was no way I could hide it. The need kept growing inside of me as I felt his fingers creeping down my side. I knew exactly where they were headed. Bright white heat flowed freely from my core to every other part of my body as dirty images filled my mind.

Jack's hand hiked up my dress slightly, his fingers hungrily digging into the soft flesh of my thighs as he approached the elastic of my panties. He was exploring the soft curls of my mound, slowly moving toward that throbbing nub that was begging for his touch. His hardness seemed to grow as he found it.

"God, your legs." He pulled my panties down until they were bunched at my knees, his efforts quick and focused.

"Jack," I gasped, my voice a desperate whisper as I broke our kiss. I had no air left, my lungs fully deflated of that crucial substance and begging for more. His finger stroked my clit in tiny, minute circles that made me shiver with delight. My legs tightened around his hand as I dissolved
against him. I had never been so sensitive to a man's touch before—either that, or Jack was
really damn good
at this. Maybe both were true.

"Sweet, sweet, Effie," Jack whispered into my ear. I wanted to touch him, but I was so lost in bliss that I couldn't keep things straight in my mind. I wanted to stroke that stiff cock of his, to touch him like he was touching me. In a way though, he just wasn't letting it happen.

I felt the pressure change from his index finger to his thumb as he parted my moist folds with two fingers, stretching me to his liking. He started to slowly finger-fuck me, purposely starting slow so that I had to savor it and drown in the sweet torture of waiting. His fingers pressed against my g-spot with so much precision I couldn't believe it. I knew his hand was probably drowning in my juices by this point, and the thought only made me wetter.

My eyes were closed, and despite my incredible desire to watch his face as he did
this
to me, I couldn't open them. I was against the wall, stuck there as he did whatever he wished in that dreamlike moment.

Tiny cries of pleasure escaped from me as he started to push me toward a climax that was so apparent, so close. He was breathing almost as deeply as I was, his mouth right next to my ear, forcing me to listen.

Jack kept circling and fucking me with his adroit fingers, my body trembling with delight. I was inching closer and closer, the process so expedited by his skill. Oh God, I needed this, needed it so badly. It felt as if it had been so long and honestly, it made me realize how sexually deprived I was. And then Jack stopped and I almost screamed.

"Please," I begged, my body at an enormous tipping point.
This was such a private thing to be doing with him, but dammit, I just didn't care. My mind was on vacation—and now my body was in charge.

"Effie," he said. "Be assertive. Tell me what you want."

"Jack, no games," I whined, dodging the words he wanted me to say.

He resumed his motion for a few quick strokes and I felt everything rushing back—until he was teasing me again.

"Jack!" My cheeks were flushed red and my body wouldn't shut up. I couldn't believe I was doing this with him, couldn't believe how far I had lowered my defenses in this carnal moment.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me what you want." I complied and opened my eyes. He was there, so beautiful and perfect,
demanding my eye contact. "Tell me," he said again.

"I want
..." I wasn't used to talking like this and trailed off. This was so dirty, so salacious.

"What do you want, Effie?" Jack's inquisition was tireless, but in the best possible way.

"I want to..."
Could I actually talk like this?

"You want to
come
?" he added.

"Yes!" I said, my voice so desperate.
He couldn't stop now, no way. He had to keep going...

"Say it!"

"I want to come!" Those words I meant more than anything I had ever said prior to that in my life. Jack delivered.

His hand sprang to life, pushing me right off a cliff. My back hit the wall hard, my pussy twitching rapidly around his fingers. He kept right against my g-spot, pulling with that
come hither
motion that made me so weak in the knees.

"God, you're so fucking hot." I heard his words, but could barely perceive them.

I cried out again and again into his shoulder, his erection still just an innocent bystander. My toes curled in my heels and my nipples became rock hard. I just couldn't get enough air no matter how hard I tried. Jack led me up and down, over and over again until I was totally spent, his hand soaked with my cream.

The craziest thing about it all was the way he stopped right with me. Most guys would keep going until I physically pulled their hands away—but not
Jack
. He stopped right with me, right when the over-sensitivity
kicked in and eased his hand away from my body.

My breaths came quickly as I continued to stand there against the wall, trying my damndest to re-collect myself. I opened my eyes to see him
slowly tasting his fingers. "You're so sweet, Effie. I love it when you come."

So fucking dirty...

I had nothing to say—I was totally blown away. But not for long. Freeing from bliss, my mind returned to the usual suspects—my job, my future, this nearly
random
guy—and I suddenly felt ashamed. He was hot and famous and I had been caught under his spell. I didn't do
this
. It just wasn't me, even though it had felt incredible.

"Let's go to the bedroom, Effie."

As much as I wanted to return the favor, I couldn't do it. My mind was scolding me like an angry parent. "Jack, I'm... so sorry. I have to go." I bent down and pulled my panties back into place.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"This isn't like me." I turned my head and stared out at the city again, worried that if I made eye contact with him again, I'd be totally trapped. I couldn't help but feel as if I were just another number in his endless conquest of women. He had probably never been rejected in his life—and I had ensured that his perfect victory streak continued.

"It's not like
that
," Jack said. "I like you, Effie. I like you a lot."

"I'm sorry, Jack. I have to go." I immediately walked toward the door while he trailed behind me and stood there like a sad puppy.

"Are you sure, Effie?"

"I had a really nice time tonight. Thanks again." I opened the door, and standing there—she actually just about to knock—was a statuesque blonde, clad in a dress not unlike mine. She appeared to be a model, her dress
almost as revealing and low-cut as mine. Her breasts also overflowed from the top. I couldn't help but notice, even though that was the last thing I needed in that moment.

"Who the hell are you?" she said with piercing aggression.

I stared back at Jack disapprovingly. There was a look of horror on his face. "Who the
hell
are
you
?" I snarled. No, I didn't even care about an explanation. I pushed past the girl and made my way down the hall. Jack began angrily whispering to her as I got further and further away from his room and the madness contained there.

"Effie, it's
not
what you think it is!"

"You're a cliché," I shouted ba
ck. "Did someone write that for you?"

I half-expected him to come running after me, but he didn't. I got to the elevator—Martin seemed surprised to see me so soon.

Chapter 3

The
subway was even more mesmerizing than usual. I stared into the rapidly moving shapes as if they were the sun, my guard lowered as I sat there on the dirty bench in my nice dress. I just didn't care. My mother would have killed me if she knew I went out alone in the city dressed as I was. No one bothered me, thankfully.

I wanted to hate Jack, yet I couldn't. I couldn't stop thinking about the way he had touched me, the way he had
manipulated
my body into so much pleasure. The gusts of air from the passing trains just reminded me of how out of breath I had been while Jack had me against the wall. He
took my breath away,
the cliché brought to life.

Who the hell was the gal at the door?
Not knowing made me want to scream.

She looked like a high-class escort, to be honest. If she was, she probably made a hell of a lot more money than I did. Being realistic
on my end made hating her specifically difficult because maybe she was just doing her job, trying to make a living in a very expensive city, not unlike me.

But Jack? That was a different story. Was she the
paid entertainment
for the evening? Maybe he had set it up before meeting me at the party and just forgot.

Asshole. He got a surprise too, I guess.
She didn't seem happy about seeing me.

The rumble of another train rushed by and totally changed the direction of my thoughts, smashing into them like a battering ram. The voice of reason was creeping in...

Maybe it was all just a misinterpretation. She could have been his sister, his ex, a neighbor. Just because she was a
girl
didn't mean he had to be sleeping with her. Even if he had slept with her in the past, why did it matter? As long as people were faithful in the present, it was good enough for me. It's not like I could wander around in the present and just make unpleasant events from the past disappear. No, I still wasn't a magician.

Oh yeah, and work and the recording deal and Sam and Jack and...

Honestly, Effie. You don't know a damn thing!

It was all so stupid, yeah. I couldn't get involved with this guy, could I? Jack turned heads when he entered the room. He could have any woman he wanted, including me. Well, not if I didn't let him. Was
saying no
the only weapon I had? Was that even the outcome I wanted?