Toxic (12 page)

She’d already said as much to me before, but I suspected she wanted Jennifer to know as well as reinforce it all to me again.

After her coffee was delivered, we managed to get over the awkward, stilted way things started. It was mostly because Jennifer refused to allow any conversation to remain boring for any length of time. She had both of us laughing and talking like old friends before long.

I still didn’t share much about my life with John, but it wasn’t anything different from how I was with Jennifer. John was a private topic and I didn’t like giving away anything about our relationship if I didn’t have to.

By the time we parted ways a few hours later, we’d all come to the agreement we’d meet again in a few days for another coffee date because it had gone so well.

Over the next two weeks, we all met up a couple of times, each one becoming more and more comfortable. I really felt like Mariah had changed her ways and she was actually kind of funny and sweet. She often talked about her boyfriend, Bry, and their relationship woes and triumphs. Sometimes I wondered if she was hoping I’d share the same stuff about John’s and my relationship, but she never seemed disappointed when I didn’t. I’d caught her eyeing my ring a few times, but I couldn’t blame her for that as it was beautiful and hard not to be impressed by.

One day when it was just Jennifer and I, she turned and looked at me with the most serious expression I’d ever seen on her face before.

“Uh oh. I don’t like that look,” I told her, but she smiled.

“You need to have an engagement party,” she said, grabbing my left hand and squeezing.

“Why?” I asked, curiously.

“Because! You need to announce to everyone that you are getting married and show off that beautiful man of yours. I’ll even throw it for you and do all the work of putting it together if you don’t want to do it.”

“No. That’s not it. I just don’t know who we would even invite. I mean, it’s not like we have a ton of people to really tell. Plus, most of them already know,” I said, shrugging. I really didn’t want her to get the idea of inviting my estranged family, not that she knew about them, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t find out if she dug. Oh, how I hated the internet sometimes. Somethings were meant to be left in the past. A shiver ran up my spine at the thought of seeing any of them again.

“Girl, it’s not just about making the announcement. It’s showing that you are happy to be joining your lives together. Let the people from both of your lives mingle and get to know each other, as from now on it’s likely that they’ll be seeing each other at any event you go to or throw as a couple. Then there’s the whole gift aspect. Free stuff! That’s an excellent reason alone. Plus, who doesn’t love a good party?” She was practically bouncing in her seat as she excitedly listed off the reasons. “And let’s just admit it, you and John likely aren’t going to have a big wedding because neither of you are like that, so this will be the one chance for everyone to get together and celebrate. Come on.
Please
.”

She was begging, the look on her face said I might as well kick her non-existent dog as turn her down.

Sighing, I said, “Sure. Fine. We’ll have a party.
But
I have to make sure John is okay with it before we start planning anything.”

Jennifer squealed and hugged me just as Mariah sat down at the table. I prayed she’d not find out the single secret I kept from every single person in my life. If my family showed up, the party would instantly be ruined.

“Wow, what did I miss?” Mariah asked, smiling even as her eyes bounced from one of us to the other.

“We are throwing an engagement party!” Jennifer literally bounced in her seat.

“Oh, how exciting,” Mariah gasped, holding a hand up to her chest. A sad look crossed her face a moment later. “I hope it’s beautiful.”

“If, and that’s a big if, John says the party is okay, you’ll get an invite too,” I said, and her face brightened again.

“That’s very sweet of you; however, I doubt John would be okay with me coming so don’t feel obligated to include me. I’ll just hear all about it afterwards. It’s okay,” she said, but I could tell she wanted to be included even if she was trying to be nice about it.

“I’ll talk to him about it, okay?” I tried to reassure her. I considered her one of my friends and didn’t want her feeling left out. Not to mention, we might need the extra pair of hands to get everything ready.

The rest of our coffee date reverted to the easy conversation that had become our way, leaving parties and engagements behind.

***

That night when John got home from work, I had dinner ready and put it on the table once he’d changed. I let him tell me about his day while we ate. Once we’d done the dishes and were cuddling on the couch, I decided to broach the topic.

“So, I saw Jennifer for coffee this morning,” I started, pulling back to look at his face.

“Yes, you told me that you had planned to do so,” he said.

“Well, an interesting topic came up and I wanted to talk to you about it,” I said, taking a deep breath.

He lifted one eyebrow but stayed silent.

“She wants us to throw an engagement party,” I revealed, not sure why my stomach was a bundle of knots. John didn’t know about my past, not that part anyway and I wanted it to stay that way. I didn’t want to drag all the horrid memories out from where I’d locked them away.

“That sounds like an excellent idea. Then I can show off my beautiful fiancée,” he said with a wicked smile on his face.

I loved that smile and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“There is one other thing…” I trailed off and couldn’t help but tense before I finally told him the truth. “I’d like to invite Mariah to the party.”

He sucked in a sharp breath and I felt him stiffen next to me.

“Why?” he finally asked.

“Well, I’ve run into her a few times and we’ve been talking. I think she’s gotten help and is not the crazy woman who tried to break us up. She’s really different now,” I said, talking quickly.

“Wait. Say that again. You’ve run into her and haven’t told me?” John interrupted and I could tell from his tone that he wasn’t happy with me.

“She’s always been really nice and sweet. I mean, she’s apologized more times than I can count about how she behaved. She even has a boyfriend she’s been seeing for six months now. I just think this would be a good way to show that there are no hurt feelings.” I tried to ignore his question and hoped if I explained enough he would let it go.

“Oh, so not only did you not tell me you had seen her, but you want me to forgive her for trying to take you away from me?” John pushed off the couch as tension radiated off him. When I started speaking again, he glared at me angrily. “Tell me how long this has been going on? How long have you been hiding this from me?”

I cleared my throat and looked down at my lap.

“A few months,” I said, barely audible. “Well, sort of.”

“Clarify. Now.” John put his hands on his hips angrily.

“Well, I ran into her a while ago and she’s the one who recommended I volunteer at the shelter. I saw her a few times in passing there. Well, I saw her almost every day really, but she was always really sweet. One day she asked me to meet her for coffee…”

“You. Met. Her. For. Coffee?” He paused for emphasis on each word as if he truly couldn’t believe what I was saying.

“I took Jennifer with me. There were always other people around in case she went crazy, but she didn’t. She hasn’t. I swear I did everything I could to stay safe,” I said, once again meeting his gaze.

“Yet you didn’t tell me.” He looked disappointed in me.

“I didn’t want to upset you, but I couldn’t help wanting to get to know her. She might’ve been crazy but she
is
your past, and she’s not as bad as I thought she was. I can see why you dated her,” I admitted.

“She was crazy as hell when I dated her, so I don’t know how she can be all that different now, no matter what you say.” John shook his head before running a hand through his hair.

“She said she got help. That she knew she had to after the last time she tried to come between us,” I told him, standing and resting my hands on his shoulders. “I think it would be good for both of us to know that she won’t be coming between us in the future, that she is in the past and will be staying there and out of our relationship.”

“Precious, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’d rather just not see her and not have you talking to her,” he said, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I’m not happy that you hid that you were meeting with her from me, but I understand why because I would have told you not to. However, if I find out you are hiding something like this again, I will beat your ass until you can’t sit down for a week.”

“But, sir, I think both of us would like it way too much for it to be considered a punishment,” I whispered seductively as I wrapped my arms around his neck. My fingers slid into the hair at his nape. “However, maybe you should do it now to remind me why I should tell you everything.”

“Oh, you need a reminder? I think that could be arranged.” He yanked me against his body by my hips before he tugged my head back by my ponytail. John nipped my neck with his teeth before spinning me around and bending me over the couch.

My cheek rested on the back cushion as he flipped my dress up over my hips, revealing that I wasn’t wearing any panties.

“Mmm, Precious. You little tease. I think that earns you a few extra spankings,” John said while his hands rubbed my ass cheeks, warming my flesh.

He slapped each side a few times lightly; not hard enough to hurt, but they brought blood to the surface in order to prep me for a much harder spanking.

I gripped the couch on either side of where my head rested in anticipation of the strength of the incoming blows. It was a good thing I did too because the first couple of times his palm landed on my cheeks I wanted to cry out, but managed to refrain from doing so. I was panting shallowly and trying to breathe through the pain when he kicked my feet farther apart.

“Now comes the reminder you asked for,” John purred, running a palm down my spine, over my burning bottom to slip between my thighs. His fingers teased over my damp flesh briefly before his hand descended upon my rear once more.

Even though tears filled my eyes and I wanted the spanking to end, I couldn’t help but be turned on by it as well. When John’s hands were on me, his dominant side in charge, I loved it. He always managed to turn pain into an erotic, sensual experience.  Each time his palm met my fevered skin, my pussy contracted and I got wetter and needier.

I’d lost track of how many spankings I’d received, but it didn’t matter; somewhere in the middle I stopped counting and started moaning instead. While my skin was raw and felt like it was on fire, I prayed that John would follow up the next spanking with a rough and hard thrust of his dick inside me.

There was nothing that compared to getting a brutal fucking after a good spanking. Ass painfully tender, hips grinding into it, making it flare to life as he filled me, stretching me with his beautiful, thick cock.

Absolutely nothing in the world could touch us when we got to this place. It wasn’t just me who was on a wild ride, but John too. As high as I climbed, he was right there with me and that only made me go higher.

Finally the slaps stopped; the only sounds in the room were our breathing. I thought he was finished, then the sound of metal grinding against metal as he undid his zipper came and my breathing sped up even more. Not a moment later, he was balls-deep in me.

I cried out and arched my back from the sudden intrusion.

“Yeah, squeeze my dick nice and tight,” John moaned as he paused for a moment. His fingers gripped my hips tightly as he started moving. Long, slow withdrawal. Fast and hard thrust in.

Each time he filled me, he swiveled his hips, rubbing them across my sore behind.

“Sir!” I cried out from the sweet pleasure combined with the burning addition of the skin-on-skin friction.

“That’s right, Precious. Say my name. Tell me who owns you, who possesses you,” John grunted the words as he slammed into me over and over, vigorously filling me only to slowly retreat time and time again.

“Sir… Master… John…” I gasped between each word. My fingers crushed the cushion as savage, searing warmth filled me.

John grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled my head back so he could kiss and nip my throat as he continued to fuck me. His other hand slipped around my hip to vigorously rub my swollen clit.

“S... sir, I’m going to come,” I panted.

“Come all over my cock,” he hoarsely demanded, slapping hard at my clit with his palm while his hips thumped against my sore ass.

I choked on a wail as every part of me pulsed and heat seared through my veins.

“Yes… Yes… YES,” John whispered each word until he yanked back harder on my hair and his fingers dug into the flesh of my thigh as he too found his release.

My hair slid through his fingers as he relaxed over my back and both of us fought to breathe while staying on our feet.

“How was that for a reminder of why you talk to me?” John breathed against my neck after a moment.