JOINED (The Joined Series) (8 page)

She nodded. “It was tough…going on that first date because it was good. The second date was even harder…because it was good too. But when I am not with Bray, I think about him all of the time. I wonder how his day is going and what new job he has.” Her eyes sparkled as she looked around the room, talking about
him
. “I love him even more now that’s fucking hot as heck, because he’s still a good person.” She smiled. “I thought
he would let it get to his head
.
He’s shown me who he really is.
”

“I know
he’s a good person
.”

“That’s why you’re living with him!” She playfully spanked my backside when I
was about to
put on gloves. “Take a quick shower and get dressed. I’ll wash the dishes.”

“Don’t you have class in an hour?”

She cocked her head to the side. “I do, but I am missing it today.”

I tapped my finger against my chin,
thinking that
I misheard her. “Since when do you skip classes?”

“There’s a first time…for ever
ything. I’ve learned that this
month.”

Left to my own devices on a bright
June
morning a week later, I showered and dressed by
six in the morning
. Feeling like I was on the right path, with an early start to my day, I went on a brisk walk. I felt tense from having a fitful sleep. Horny to the point of insanity when I woke up, I gave in to my body and slowly, then vigorously masturbated until my hands and clit were sore. Waiting a few hours made the experience even more pleasurable. The joy of food could not compare.

Winded by the time I finished my third mile, my pace slowed and I really began to see the changes to the neighborhood: the family owned eateries, shoe shops, and hardware stores were out of business. I didn’t know how long they were gone for. My favorite bagel place, where I sneaked a bagel on my way to school or back home in my adolescence was closed down.

Passing by a school guard, I took a flyer handed to me for yet another yoga place. This advertisement, though, intrigued me, with the swirls of colors and wide shapes that crowded the edges of it, something Sarah would appreciate, no doubt. From the outside, it looked like a small building that contained office space. Inside, it was big and lush with dar
k wood, air conditioning, with
the
smell of rubber and cleaning products, men and women of all sizes. Instantly,
it
was my newfound haven.

Not feeling out of place in my fitted black running pants, tank top and hoodie, I signed up. I used to love yoga, an activity and “way of being”
as Sarah said, that relaxed her and I recalled that I used to enjoy yoga.
Occupied with school, she didn’t have much time for me and joining a yoga session was a way
that I could feel connected to her
. I wasn’t sure that this was her type of yoga—a combination of two schools of thought when it came to the practice.
However, I definitely intended on letting her know about this place.

The hour introductory class left muscles, tendon, ligaments, and joints that I forgot I had in need of a warm compress. Becoming re-acquainted with the breathing techniques,
made my mind feel more focused
. The “simple” beginner pos
e
s proved to be more intense and required more exertion that I expected. My body really woke up. The vibe felt relaxed and only nine people were in the room. The rooms were bigger than what I was used to for a yoga studio.

Other factors that drew me in were that I was given re-fills of their ginger tea, almost as good as having it fresh and they provided small fruit baskets for first-timers. The second level of the studio held lockers and showers,
and I blushed as I saw a few hot
sweaty muscled men walking to and from the men’s section
, but I didn’t have a response south of the border
. There was nothing wrong with
observing
walking human
beauty
.
None of them looked like a good Guvo substitute.

A staffer handed me a pass into the women’s locker. Insi
de, three
very fit
female staffers
monitored the area with attentive eyes, putting me in
a
relaxed state. Placing all of my goods in my temporary locker, I remembered that I left my keys on the floor in the yoga room. I didn’t have any place to put them during the session without making noise. My wallet was in the only pocket I had—in my hoodie.

As I exited the female locker and shower area, I walked down the hall. Suddenly, my eyes and mouth were covered. Pulled into another area, a locked turned. The muscles in my stomach clenched. Sweat broke out throughout my body, betraying my fear. I bit into the hand covering my mouth, but the grip on my mouth tightened. Reaching to claw out at my assailant with my sharp and newly manicured nails, I was stilled with strong and powerful arms from behind me.

I tried to pretend that I was giving up, so I stayed still. The assailant didn’t loosen hi
s grip.
I stomped on his foot, trying to keep my sore legs from being lifted o
ff of the floor to prevent him
from taking me out of the studio. From his low breaths and his scent, I figured he was male. He was very
calm.
I wanted my struggle to be loud, to be heard.

Technically, I
guess I
w
as already in a second location.
M
y chances of escaping were already limited. However, being taken to a third location, against my will, would’ve been worse. My upper body was completely locked, providing
me
no opportunity to jab him. It was unbelievable how he managed to lock my body with one arm and keep my eyes and mouth covered with the other so efficaciously. It shook me up.

“Rebecca,” a familiar voice said. Lights were turned on in the room. At some point in my struggle, I didn’t realize that my eyes were uncovered, though slammed shut in total fear. He released his hand from my mouth, but he still had dominance and control over my body, adding to the second time in my life that I felt completely weak.

“Please! Let me goo!” I implored. “I’ll give you everything I have on me. I don’t have much, but please don’t…” I frantically stammered, trying to pull the man’s arms away from my chest, so I could bolt.

He completely released me. I turned around to face him.

“Mateja?”

Leaning against the door, he pressed his hand to his forehead.

“Sorry that I frightened you.” He sounded very sincere, even regretful.

“What the fuck are
you d
oing?
Restraining me like that! Is that all that you
’
r
e
sorry about
?
” I snapped at him. I didn’t want to walk too far away from him, keeping in mind that being as close to the door as possible was wisest.
Yet, for some unexplained reason, I was no longer afraid, just
tense
and sore from my introductory yoga class and my struggle against him.

Moving away from the door, he
gestured
toward it. “You want to leave, all you have to
do is unlock that door, Rebecca
.”

My mind went blank, taking me a few minutes to process what he said. He swung both my locker room key and the apartment keys to Brayden’s in his hand, while racking his eyes from my backside upwards towards the back of my neck. The first time that I saw him ogle me below my face. And I
relished in
it, as it showed me that he at least had some
attraction to
me. I didn’t
want him to stop looking at me
.
When I wasn’t applying for jobs, I repeated
errands to get my mind off of him. At night, though, I couldn’t hide from him. Now, I didn’t want to hide from him either.

Reaching for my keys, he pulled me flush against his chest. The smooth material of his blazer pushed against the dampness of my tank top.

“Are you staying or going?”

I felt vulnerable to the first real contact I had with
muscularly broad chest. His breath was
warm against my neck,
with a
scent of soap, aftershave, and mint. Dipping his head to my ear, he said, “Answer my question and I’ll give you your keys,” in a low and even tone.

“Staying,” I immediately answered, earning me a look of approval. No longer impassive, but still hard to read, he dropped my keys on the floor.
H
e loosened my
ponytail
, lacing through the tendrils of my hair with his long fingers. No one had ever given me a scorching look before, as if he wanted
me.

Before I realized what I was doing, I placed my hands on each side of his sternum. I felt him move his hands over my arms. I couldn’t believe how easily distracted I had become
.

I laid my head against his chest, just like I yearned to do from the first moment I saw him. He stiffened. Feeling like an idiot for making such a tender move, I moved back.
He took
off his blazer and he pulled me back to him. M
y aroused nipples brushed against his navy blue buttoned shirt, dampening it more, but he didn’t seem to care. With one hand, he brought my hands behind me, restraining me with an iron grip, making the hold he had on me before seem like nothing but an embrace.

He picked up the end of a curl from my hair and brushed along the side of my jaw, towards my chin,
he flicked his eyes over my hair
. “I like your hair out.” To my surprise, ever so lightly, he teased my mouth so I could barely feel the contact, but craved more of his touch. Pressing his hips into me, he coaxed me to respond. I moved closer, kissing
him firmly.

He released his grip on my arms and I wrapped them around his waist. He murmured his permission. With his tongue, he traced over the middle of my lower and my upper lips. Quickly nibbling on my bottom lip, he swept in with a finesse I had never experienced. My senses were reeling. Is
this
the passion my parents fe
l
t
? Is this the way Brayden and Sarah felt from just
looking
each other?

Pulling my head back, he trailed kisses down my throat to my chest, right before the start of my breasts.
I
lingered over his shiny and thick dark brown hair while I unbuttoned his shirt. I had to see all of him and if this was an impulse for him, I had to take advantage before he regained logic.
I didn’t think we’d run into each other again.
The first look at his bared chest exceeded my most sensual dreams. His delightfully tanned broad shoulders tapered down to his washboard
six
-pack. Faint traces of hair covered his lower torso, making me want to know how far his trail went, wanting to know what his cock looked like. Was there hair surrounding his cock, or was it lightly covered too? The perfectly sculpted V at his
hipbones
was a
mouth-watering
invitation.

In a swift move, he turned me so my back was against the wall just as I rubbed my knuckles against his chest, on his taut nipples. One of my legs wrapped around his hard muscular waist, my other foot touched the ground by the tips of my toes. He took off my tank top, resumed kissing my chest
and started
sampling my breasts through the thin cotton fabric of my bra. I dug my nails
onto his arms for more support.
T
he cool air seemed to turn my already puckered nipples to sharp looking points as I realized he freed them.

I reached to unzip his pants, but he grabbed my hands,
placed them
high above my head, pressing his hard
dick
against by belly. I whimpered. “Mr. Guvo,” I panted.