DukeMy rage simmered.Anger and I were old friends.I’d served time for killing a man in a bar fight with my bare hands. Right now, I needed those hands wrapped around the throat of whoever wanted to harm Cori.When she’d walked outside, my dick went on instant red alert. The barely there scrap of jean material drew my attention. The woman had sexual torture down to a science. I’d love nothing more than to tie her up and come on every exposed piece of flesh she offered. She was beautiful with a knockout body unavailable to a man like me.Or it should have been.She wanted to pay her way with sex and she didn’t understand what I wanted. She would run screaming if she did. When we finally satisfied this fucking need, it would be about us and not what she thought she owed me. Once sex happened, all bets were off. Cori would be mine.My inability to speak didn’t make things easier. She’d been through too much and she didn’t understand I wasn’t in this for a quick fuck. She used her body
CoriDuke’s eyes stayed glued to my ass. Usually, the power I had over men was my aphrodisiac. This was different. He looked at me like he owned me. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. If he would fuck me, it would be easier. That I could deal with.I cooked enough food for several people. Slowly, the scent filled the house and my stomach growled more frequently. The panic had receded to a point where I was breathing normally. I had to gain control to move on and I would. For now, I needed time to get my head straight.I popped bread into the toaster and started preparing Duke’s plate. I cut thin slices of orange as a garnish to finish the design. I carried his plate over first and then retrieved mine and sat across from him.He stared down at his food and then looked up at me. He picked up the orange slice and examined it. That’s when I realized he’d probably never ate at anything fancier than a diner. Would he think I was showing off?I picked mine up and ate it without smiling, sep
CoriI went into my room, which was Duke’s room, and packed the few things that weren’t inside my bag. Duke walked in a few minutes later carrying two large duffel bags. He lifted them, then motioned out the door.“You want me to use those for food?” I asked.He nodded and left with the bags. I found them on the kitchen counter when I finished my own stuff. I was in danger and I was still functioning. It was an improvement. While I packed the kitchen, Duke loaded his truck with an assortment of things from a shed he had beside the cabin. I prepped us some sandwiches and added a bag of chips and two soft drinks to the small cooler I found. Duke had a good assortment of food. He carried in a large cooler and I was able to pack the refrigerator. I enjoyed the silence as we worked in tandem.I didn’t notice anyone in the area when I looked outside. If Dax said they were there, I didn’t need to see them. It had never occurred to me that Fernandez would have help or that he was only a pawn.
DukeThis was my grandfather’s place. He decided when he turned sixty that he no longer wanted to live in society and purchased a hundred acres bordering thousands of acres of uninhabited state land. The small container shack he built with his own two hands was off-grid and self-sufficient. The property was in a trust that wasn’t directly traceable to me. I’d never mentioned the place to anyone in the club because it was my fallout shelter if things hit the fan and I had no safe place to go.I’d learned long ago that no matter how good life was going, it went to shit quickly. To stay alive, you needed a fallout. This property was mine.There were shaggy bark juniper trees along with tumbleweed bushes. If vehicles came from any direction, the dust cloud would signal us. Hiking in would take someone with experience. There were traps set in the higher hills around the property. My grandfather had shown me how to keep each one in working order and how to set up new ones. Where my father f
CoriI wasn’t sure what to think. Beggars couldn’t be choosers ran through my mind. Daylight would put a different perspective on things, I hoped. For now, I was body and brain weary. I snuggled in closer to a very naked Duke. I’d left my bra and underwear on. If he wanted them off, he could remove them.His warmth closed around me and I didn’t feel suffocated. The coolness of the bedroom surprised me. I quickly fell asleep and didn’t wake until Duke stirred. He got up quickly and went upstairs with no light. I heard the bathroom door close and used the opportunity to dress. Curiosity was killing me. I grabbed the solar light I’d used the night before and walked upstairs.The walls didn’t look like the inside of a steel can; they were textured like a normal home. It was hard to believe I was standing inside a shipping container. It was like a bare-boned tiny home. I turned at the door opening.Duke walked out in all his glory, sporting a semi-erection and a grin. The picture-perfect i
CoriPrimitive and amazing. I could breathe. I rested my coffee on the deck, then stretched my arms out and did exactly that. Closing my eyes, I allowed the fresh air to fill my lungs. When I opened them, Duke was watching.“Beautiful.” I breathed in the freshness. “I could stay for an extended period of time if there’s a mall within an hour’s drive.”Duke threw his head back and laughed, the sound so uniquely him. We finished our coffee in the double swing looking over the valley. I wasn’t sure why this man came into my life now but I was glad he had. He allowed me to heal in my own time and I never had to pretend. Even with Mak, I did. I didn’t want her pity or guilt. Duke, and his quiet presence, calmed the inner rage and fear that boiled inside my soul.We finished our coffee and Duke led me back to the house. He pulled out my new phone from his pocket and handed it to me. I hadn’t seen my true phone in ages. I lived off that phone and it contained all my contacts. This showed my
DukeThe picture she made when she came out of the water startled me. I always thought her beautiful but even choking, she was stunning. I hadn’t laughed in years and she brought it out without trying. If I could get the image out of my head of her breasts bouncing before she hit the water, my dick would appreciate it.“It’s freezing,” she yelled after spitting out several mouthfuls. “How deep is this?” she asked and sank down a little, though I knew she couldn’t touch. My grandfather brought me here for weekly baths whether we needed them or not. To a young kid, “not” was a good way to live. In the winter, there was a forty-gallon washtub that was set up in the kitchen. With no water heater, it was a long process to heat the water and fill it. Summers were easier.If Cori would stay, I wouldn’t leave. I leased the cabin near the clubhouse so I didn’t become a hermit like my grandfather. Dax needed a hand and I wasn’t ready to leave civilization behind. I easily could with Cori, thoug
CoriThe cool water felt wonderful. I scrubbed myself, including my hair. I’d spotted olive oil on the counter. It would help to get a comb through the mess that would be waiting after the wash. I didn’t have a razor for my legs and armpits but could touch up those places later. I scrubbed my skin using the soap on a hand towel left on the counter. The cool clean water made me feel better and I wasn’t quite as exhausted.Duke came inside just as I finished. He quickly jogged down the stairs to the bedroom and returned with two towels, then made his escape out the front door again. After drying off, I went to the bedroom to moisturize. My skin had been through some shit and I needed to take better care of it. Today was a good day to start.Duke piqued my interest even more. I was beginning to think him a saint. I knew few men who would turn down a blow job when their dick was raging. Him wanting me wasn’t a question. I wanted him too. I knew I wasn’t ready.I walked away from my past m