Traded for Love (26 page)

“See?” She grinned. “It pays to step out of your comfort zone.”

For a few minutes we did nothing but chew and sip. We exchanged glances at intervals. She was unlike any other girl I'd ever dated. Most women I'd eaten with chose a salad or a steak, something they could compartmentalize and take small bites of. She took big bites, not caring whether there was grease or ketchup on her face.

What a woman.

Bellies full, we sat back in our chairs, almost in tandem. We grinned at each other like kids.

Her eyes drifted to the box, where it sat between us in some kind of terrifying gift limbo. “What I wonder is why you don't give it to your slave, that pretty girl you always bring with you.”

“I might consider it if she was still my slave.” I sipped my Coke.

“Ah. Got rid of her, did you?”

“She got rid of
me
.”

I scowled as Chastity laughed so hard that she snorted.

“I'm sorry. You just … look so sad about it.”

“I'm not sad about it.” I rubbed my finger over the channel-set diamonds in my wedding ring.

“You're
totally
sad about it,” she balanced her chair on its rear legs. “Don't tell me you're secretly sentimental.”

“I'm not, but I
am
sad because she was my trade and I don't have one now. Of course, it's not like it matters anyway, since your guard dog won't let me in.” I balled up a napkin in my palm and squeezed it like a stress ball.

“You don't have to worry about him.”

“Really?”

“I asked him to let you back in. He said as long as you treat me well, he won't interfere.”

“So you want to see me again?”

“Why not? You're … fun.”

“Fun?” It was my turn to laugh.

“Not a word you'd use to describe yourself?”

“Nobody's ever referred to me as fun. I've always been serious and business-minded.
Fun
doesn't fit my life away from you
at all
.” I shook my head and took a deep breath. “So, what do we do now?”

“Want to take a walk?”

“I guess, though I'm not sure about leaving my car.” I took out my wallet to pay.

“I'll get this,” she said.

“Don't be silly. I'm paying,” I remarked as we walked up to the counter. I held out my American Express to the cook, who returned the gesture with a puzzled face. He pointed to the sign above his head on the bar's overhang.
Cash only
.

I swallowed hard in my embarrassment. I hadn't brought any cash with me.

Chastity leaned over and passed the cashier a few tattered bills. “They don't accept cards here,” she said with a smile.

I put my wallet away, absorbing the cook's scornful glance.

We walked out, arm in arm.

“I'll get the tab next time,” I said.

“It's not a big deal. Really,” she assured me.

“I don't let women pay for my meals.”

“It's not the fifties anymore, Jack. Women can have jobs and even
vote
!”

I rolled my eyes.

Across the street was a park. I could smell ocean and ozone from the previous day's rain.

“I've been coming to Wedge's since I can remember,” she said as we strolled down the sidewalk under the cover of tree boughs. The buildings transitioned from commercial to residential. Old houses with little yards lined the streets. We passed a school. This area felt safer to me.

“It's nice.”

“My aunt's place used to be up here on the left.” As we rounded the corner, she pointed to an empty lot and we stopped take in the view.

“What happened to it?”

“It burned down. I lost her and everything else in that fire.”

“What about your parents?” I asked.

“Mom took off when I was three. Dad left me with his sister and disappeared, too. I haven't seen him since I was five.” She shrugged. “Before she died, my aunt told me he had a bad coke habit. He's probably dead.” She tugged on my arm and we kept walking.

I exhaled heavily. “Shit.”

“What?”

“What do you mean 'What?'? That's a brutal fucking story.” I shook my head. “And you're just like, 'Oh yeah, everyone I love is dead, but it's okay because I make cakes now.'”

Chastity burst into a fit of laughter. “Everybody has their tragedy. What's yours?”

“Me?” I thought hard. “I don't really have one.”

“
Everybody's
got one. You're no exception.” We cut into the park and across the lawns.

“I mean. I have some stuff, I guess, but it's nothing like yours. Nobody
died
.”

“Death is a part of life. It's not a terribly complex idea to wrap your head around.”

“Yeah.” We were silent for a while. The path came to a patch of trees and we stopped there. “Should we turn back?”

She gave me a feline grin. “Why? Are you afraid of the dark?”

“No, but I do like to be able to see where I'm going.”

“We've got a little time before it's pitch-dark. We'll turn back just before sunset.”

“Okay.” If she'd asked me to jump into an Olympic-size pool full of razors and swim laps, I probably would have.

It was awkward to be walking with someone. I usually drove everywhere. There was no
walking
slot in my schedule. Hell, I barely had time to work out.

This was an unexpected but welcome treat.

I loved walking with her. I loved the quiet of the woods. I loved how the scent of her perfume mixed with the musk of the Poplar and Maple trees. I loved how her warmth sunk through the barrier of her denim coat and into my body. Most of all, I loved that we were alone.

I inhaled the crisp air, trying to absorb as much of the moment as possible. The trees parted suddenly and provided access to a footbridge. We crossed over the parkway and stood silently in the twilight. We'd made it just in time to catch the last of the sunlight melting over the churning waters of Little Neck Bay. The channel faded from orange, to blue, then black. We must have stood there for an hour watching the change. The time went by so quickly.

“I guess we should go back. Your wife is probably waiting for you,” she said.

I lowered the hand, and wove my fingers with hers. “I don't want to think of her right now.”

She leaned her head on my shoulder.

Stars began twinkling before we finally turned back. My heart grew heavier with each step. Neither of us said a thing.

Mid-way through the walk through the woods, I spoke up. “So, when will I get to see you again?”

“You could come to the club tonight if you wanted.”

“Are you sure we can't just get a hotel room?”

“I don't feel I know you well enough for that.” Her eyes shifted, as if she was checking my response. “No offense.”

“None taken, I guess. I should point out that you've put yourself in danger doing
this
. Here we are, in the middle of the woods. Nobody's around.” I grinned.

She quirked a brow, mirroring my silly smile. “The risk is lower. I can run faster than you. It's also open air, so people can hear me scream.”

I quirked a brow. “You've assessed this, have you?”

“I always analyze the risks.” She grinned. “Were you thinking of molesting me?”

“Not unless you requested it. I'd fuck you anywhere you asked me to,” I admitted. My mouth was
far
too quick to pass my thoughts through a filter.

“Is that right?” There was a twinkle in her eye.

When she halted her step and looked around, every part of me woke up to the idea that it might actually happen.

Without a word, she led my by the hand, off the path and into the dark woods. There was no conversation. Like before, I went wherever she took me. She could have been showing me to the gates of hell for all I knew. Crickets chirped as our leaves crunched over beds of leaves and vines.

She slowed and stopped. I noticed we were standing in a kind of clearing. It was isolated. Nobody would find us here.

Her hand left mine and she backed up against the closest large tree. She stared at me, into me, through me. That penetrating gaze was too much.

I couldn't stand the distance between us anymore. Every inch was a canyon. In a few strides we were crushed together—every soft part of her teasing me, every hard inch of me begging for her through our clothes.

I claimed her gorgeous mouth. The taste of her was intoxicating. My hands traveled over her body, my fingers feeding on the curves over her clothes. But time was precious currency, and I had so little to spend. Who knew when I'd see her again? Who knew how long it would be before I could train Emily to obey?

We fumbled with each other's buttons. I undid her zipper and was floored to discover she wasn't wearing underwear. I slipped my hand into her pants and used two fingers to draw tight circles around her clit. She inhaled sharply and arched her back against the tree.

I pressed my face into her neck and listened to her moan into my ear. I braced my other hand on the trunk, scraping the bark with my fingers as her groaning escalated to screams. She could deafen me for all I cared. I could listen to this song all day.

Finally she buckled and cried out, loud, long and with abandon. The sound echoed through the night, until it died in the sound of her stuttered breathing.

I lifted my head. My own breathing patterns were getting away from me. It looked as though a tear had escaped her eye, but I imagined it was because she'd come so hard. If I was right, I'd be happy to make her cry tears of joy all night.

With my free hand I undid my belt. “Give me your wrists,” I ordered.

She obeyed, affording me the opportunity to restrain her. I lifted her tethered arms above her head.

My pants slipped and fell around my ankles. My cock stood out proudly through the gap in my boxer briefs.

I kissed her softly, not wanting to over-excite myself. I had to take my time, otherwise I might lose it. Her chest heaved through her shirt, and I couldn't resist pulling the lower hem up over her tits so I could see them in their full glory. She wore a sports bra underneath, which I also scooped up over those perfect round globes.

“Wrap your legs around my waist. Keep your hips back.”

She did as I asked. The angle of her lower half allowed me to get into position. Now she was held up completely by me, restrained and unable to get away … not that she was struggling to.

With my free hand, I took hold of her ass and hiked her up. She opened for me and I slid into her wet warmth.

I could understood how someone could weep from ecstasy. I almost did the same as I began thrusting. My knuckles dug into the tree as I held her up, but I couldn't feel the pain.

With nothing to stop me, I spent what could have been hours satisfying my craving for her. My face fell into the curve of her neck again. Her cries were insistent, demanding. It was evident she'd wanted this just as badly as I had.

My strength wavered. Before long, I found myself on the brink of losing it and could hardly concentrate on anything but holding back my orgasm. I let go of my belt and her arms fell around my neck. With my now-free second hand, I held her from underneath and drove into her harder.

I knew this position would be the last. Whenever I plunged, she contracted. Everything was perfect. She was perfect. This feeling was perfect.

I was already doomed, but then … then she said it … my name.

It was little more than a desperate, breathy whisper, but it was just enough to obliterate my control. My orgasm tore through me like a bolt of lightning. I shuddered and shook as I filled her with cum.

We held in that position for a few minutes, the steam from our breath curling in the air.

My knees were weak, but I pretended—not convincingly—that I could hold myself.

I lowered her to the ground and untied my belt from around her wrists, afterward using it to refasten my pants.

She didn't seem to mind that her pants were soaked. My underwear was too, but I couldn't have cared less. After we'd put ourselves back together, I held out my hand to her. She took it and we walked back to the path.

“I'm sorry,” I said.

“For what?”

“That I don't have a trade. I'd come see you again tonight if I could.”

“You haven't had enough for the day?”

“I don't think I could ever get enough.” There went my mouth again. I tried to play it off as a joke by flashing her a big grin.

She smiled and tucked a lock of stray hair behind her hair. “We'll see each other again soon,” she said. “Until then, we'll remember this time.”

I was a little worried at how panicked I was. My need for her had returned by the time we got back to my car (which, thank my lucky stars, hadn't been stolen).

“Are you sure you won't take the bracelet?” I asked, leaning against the car.

“I told you I didn't want it. Why don't you go home and give it to your wife.”

“I don't want to. It's yours whether you want it or not. I could never give it to anybody else.” I pressed my hand to the box which rested in my coat pocket. “How about I save it?”

“For what?”

“Until you
do
want it.”

She shook her head. “You sure are persistent.”

I smiled. “I never give up on anything I really want.”

She just smiled and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek before walking away. I watched her cross the parking lot and disappear down the street.

I slid back into the driver's seat and leaned back against the headrest. After I had a chance to calm down, I started the car. As I wrapped my fingers around the steering wheel, I noticed my knuckles were scraped and bleeding a little.

I'd been so focused on her that I hadn't even noticed.