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The Concord Moment, Part 2
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The Consumed Series The Concord Moment, Part 3
I wrap my legs around him, pulling him deeper, wanting him deeper. Seth breaks the kiss as a gruff moan rips from his lips and he shoves his hand from my back to my backside. He grips my ass and angles my hips, the curve of his length touching parts of me that have never been reached.I whisper his name, wishing I could shout it, wishing he could hear it in my tone just how bad he's affecting me. My chest rises and falls with shallow sips of air as he thrusts faster, deeper, sending powerful surges of pleasure through me. A light sheen of sweat builds between us, our skin burning with heat and glistening with desire. I think about his fight tonight, how the light magnified the smooth, wetness of his skin, how he shone, like a star, and lit me up like a galaxy."When we get home," he says, his voice raspy and thick. "I'll have you again."I inhale sharply, already thinking about next time, and nod. "Yes.""We'll be alone.""Yes," I reply again, breathless. "Alone.""And you'll be on you
The Consumed Series The Run
My eyelids flutter as warm lips run along my jawline, stirring me from my sleep. I groan and press my head deeper into my soft pillow not ready to rub away the heaviness in my eyelids and start my day. Seth continues to move his mouth along my jaw, peppering me with tender pecks while smoothing his palm up the flat of my stomach. The rough denim of his jeans scratches at my soft skin, eliciting goosebumps all over me."Good morning," he utters, slipping his hand under my bunched-up shirt to squeeze my breast.I arch against him, stretching my back as I push my arms out. A yawn creeps over me and I swipe my hair from my face. "Good morning."Seth nuzzles into the nape of my neck and floats his fingertips up and down my torso, touching every dip, following every curve, appreciating every inch. Heat blooms all over me, and I finally open my eyes. The room is still dim, the sun muted, barely seeping around the edges of the blinds."What time is it?" I ask, my voice husky from sleep and his
The Consumed Series The Concord Breakfast
In the hotel room, Dad curses from the kitchen as Seth and I enter. Ambrosial wafts of bacon and paprika engulf me, making my stomach growl. We stroll into the kitchen area, startling Dad as he hunches over the stovetop, battling the spitting oil armed only with a pan lid, a spatula, and a towel slung over his tartan-clad shoulder."Olivia," Dad calls, smiling wide though his brows are kinked with stress. He places the pan lid over the spattering bacon, almost silencing the simmering. "I was wondering where you got off to."I gesture to Seth. "We went for a walk."Dad flickers his stare over Seth, then turns his attention to the sink, looking everywhere but at Seth's face. "I didn't realize you were gonna stay the night, Seth. I wouldn't have gone to bed so early. I could've had the couch made up for you."Dad's face deepens to a boiled pink and he tugs at the collar of his shirt as if it's too tight. I peer sideways at Seth who swallows hard. How does he know Seth stayed? Did he leave
The Consumed Series The Bad Idea
-Later that afternoon - Welcome to Portland, Maine!, the big sign on the outskirts of my hometown reads. I exhale, dropping my head against the headrest of the passenger seat of Seth's car, and close my eyes. Back to reality, I guess."Are you still returning the ring to Blade today?" Selena asks, causing stones of dread to sink into my stomach. "Or are you going to save it for another day?"I open my eyes and stare ahead as we enter the city's limits. Earlier, I knocked the little velvet box from my suitcase as I was packing my things. It stopped at Selena's slender feet and, out of panic, I told her I was planning on returning it to Blade today.Out of the corner of my eye I see Seth tighten his grip on the wheel."Uh." I clear my throat and glance over my shoulder at Selena. She catches the pink, sparkly nail of her thumb between her teeth, none the wiser to the daggers I shoot in her direction. On her lap, Jackson rests his head, sleeping soundly. "Ye-yeah. I'll return it today."
The Consumed Series The Ruined Dress
The sharp winged butterflies in my tummy magnify tenfold as Seth rolls the car to a stop along the curb outside Blade's home. I smooth my sweating palms against my thighs and stare at the single-level brick home he's occupied for years. Once upon a time, I was supposed to live here too. I lift my phone and text Blade I'm here. Then, I unclip my seat belt and reach for the door handle. Seth touches my thigh and I whip my head in his direction. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asks, gently stroking me. A small laugh falls from my lips. "No, I don't think that'll go down too well."I leave the car and walk around to the trunk. I open it up and retrieve the little red box from the top pocket of my suitcase. Blade appears on the front porch as I close the trunk. I gulp and offer a small wave. He doesn't wave back. He broods, his dismay wafting off him in powerful waves, sucking the life out of me. I should have come alone. I approach and it takes all the energy I have to keep my spi
The Consumed Series The Hoodie
I'm miserable. Work today has been the busiest it's been in a long time and I haven't seen, or heard, from Seth since he dropped me home yesterday. Maybe it's a good thing since I'm still processing my frustration. It's just such a disappointing end to an otherwise perfect weekend.I hit the standby button on the T.V. remote and switch it off. Sighing, I run my finger around the edge of my bowl, collecting minuscule cubes of cinnamon sugar that fell off the monstrous slice of apple pie I had for dessert. I suck the granules off my finger, then lift myself off the couch and put the bowl in the sink with the intention of leaving it there for tomorrow. As I pass by the dining table, I swipe my phone off the surface and unlock it. Like clockwork, I swipe away all Blade's texts and missed calls, react with a heart to Selena's Facebook message about getting a job at her father's law firm, and pout at the fact Seth hasn't texted me. I drop my phone to the table and trudge to my bedroom for sl
The Consumed Series The Make Up, Part 1
It's been an hour since I left Seth's place. I thought the anger and confusion would've worn off by now. It hasn't. His rejection hurt. I hate that it hurts as much as it does. I should be stronger than this.My phone vibrates in my pocket and my heart skips a beat. Gasping, I shove the pillow off my head, launching it across the room. My heart makes its way into my throat as I brush away the hair that sticks to my wet cheeks, and dig into the pocket of my pants. Holding the phone a few inches from my face, I blink away the blurriness and focus on the name flashing across my screen. Seth. I suck air between my lips and hold it deep in my lungs. I've been planning what I'm want to say to him in my head for the last hour. Now? I'm a blank canvas. What do I say? How do I handle this? I've never had to talk through things before. Fixing things with Blade meant he would take off and come back later like nothing happened.I chew my nails until they ache, thinking and driving myself crazy. Th
The Consumed Series The Make Up, Part 2
We sit in his car in the driveway for a while, the both of us staring up at a house that takes my breath away, a house I never imagine a man like Seth to live in. For him, I imagined a grungy bachelor pad above a nightclub, the floor littered with men's magazines and discarded t-shirts. I sweep my attention along the tidy, landscaped garden on either side of the drive and onto the perfect lawn, not a single blade of grass higher than another."Is this your parent's place, or yours?" I wonder aloud."Mine.""Do you do the gardening yourself?"He laughs and opens his door. "I do all the yard work myself, yes."I lift my eyebrows, impressed by the creativity and precision of his landscaping. Seth exits the car and closes his door. I wait in the silence, barely three heartbeats, before he opens my door and helps me out. He takes my backpack off the floor and slings it over his shoulder, then escorts me onto the pebbled path I strolled along earlier and, this time, it feels welcoming. I gli
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The Consumed Series The Epilogue of Vol 1
I push away from the heavy bag with a sigh, then drag an inhale in through my nose. My lungs burn, and my arms feel like stones. I pluck the towel from my shoulder and swipe it over my face. I've been slamming my fists into this bag of sand for the last hour, waiting for Olivia to finish cleaning the gym. There's no one left, the doors are locked, the blinds drawn, but she insists on having everything in top shape for when it opens in the morning.I can't say I don't enjoy watching her walk around the place with a determined little pout on her lips, because I do. I enjoy it so damn much.Blowing air from my lips, I lean against the ropes of the boxing ring. She does another round, picking up a missed towel here and there. I track her every step, my shorts growing tighter every time she bends over. Eventually, she enters my area of the gym.She doesn't pay me any attention.And it drives me crazy."Olivia," I call out, and she whips her head in my direction, her perfect, long hair whirl
The Consumed Series The Surprise Visit
I sit in my car outside Mom's house, gripping my steering. I stare at the quaint little home nestled somewhere in the middle of Sparrow Road and dread burrows deep. If I walk through those doors, I'll be alone in the house for the first time since Dad's death. The thought is isolating.Chase left for Pakistan this morning and Mom is spending alone time in a hideaway cabin in the hills. The house will be quiet. And I'll be alone.Loneliness has been the theme of my life for more days than I can count. I miss Dad. I miss Seth. It gets harder to pin Seth down with a phone call with every passing day. He calls me and I miss it. I call him back and he misses it. By the time we catch each other, he's exhausted and sleeping on the other end of the line before I can ask him how he is. He asks me to join him in every city he lands in, but I haven't had the heart to leave Mom alone, especially now Chase is gone.Releasing the wheel, I sit back against my seat with a sigh. The vermilion afternoon
The Consumed Series The Vegas Fight, Part 2
With a shake of his arms, Seth tilts his head to the ceiling, exposing the thick column of his throat, and he closes his eyes. His chest falls as he lets out a long, slow breath. What I wouldn't give to know what he's thinking. Is he nervous? Scared? Neither?A small eternity later, the referee calls both the men to the middle of the ring. He demands a good, clean fight, then sends them back to their corner. With a clap of his hands, the fight begins.Seth plays it cool, each step premeditated and predatory. Don, however, goes in guns blazing. Shooting forward, and swallowing up the distance, Don swings hard and fast, his fists flying through the air like sledgehammers. He wants to make sure that, if he connects, Seth won't get back up.I yank my blanket from Chase and pull it up to my chin. I clench my teeth together. My fingers twitch with the urge to hide under the blanket until it's over, but I told Seth I'd watch the fight.And I want to watch it......but only if Don gets what he
The Consumed Series The Vegas Fight, Part 1
I startle, sitting upright on the couch as the T.V. changes from the live stream loading screen to the emerald exterior of Las Vegas's MGM Grand. "Shhhh!" I shush Chase mid-story about some girl he met when he was stationed in Afghanistan by clamping my palm over his face and pushing him away. I've already heard the story twice. He's in love with her but doesn't know it. "It's starting!" On the screen, cars zip by, and people flood the streets, milling about like ants. "It's an eight-man fighting format," the commentator says as the camera phases into the arena. "The winner receives one hundred thousand dollars, a professional contract with the MMAC, and the title of Amateur Champion."They continue to discuss the layout of the championship and I tune it out. I'm too distracted by the grandiosity of it all as the camera pans over tens of thousands of roaring people, seated around the cage, ready for the fight. "It's a big deal, isn't it?" Chase muses between chomps of buttered popc
The Consumed Series The Swing, Part 2
"What are you doing out here?" I ask. How long has he been out here? Blush gathers in my cheeks at the thought of him hearing the things I said about him. About us."Hiding from Darryl." Seth lowers his hands and straightens. The way he holds himself with such confidence is breathtaking. "Saving you from your asshole ex. Again." I sigh and turn toward the swing. I sit down on it and pat the space beside me. Seth looks up at the worn branch while shrugging out of his jacket. "That's not going to hold me." I glance up, then at Seth. If he weighs every bit of the two-hundred pounds Chase claims he does, then I suppose it won't. I shift into the middle of the plank as Seth steps forward and drapes his jacket over my shoulders. The fabric envelops me and I melt into its warmth, into its crisp citrus and sandalwood scents. "I saw him follow you out here," Seth says, rolling up the sleeves of his fitted, black formal shirt. Each twist of the fabric reveals an inch of, perfect ropy muscle
The Consumed Series The Swing, Part 1
After the funeral, Mom invites over as many people as she can fit into her home for refreshments. They come in droves and I'm too tired to entertain, but I do it anyway. I accept condolences and hugs with grace and enthusiasm and I mingle with relatives I haven't seen since I was a child, relatives who live on the other side of the country. I keep Seth in my peripheral the whole time, wanting nothing more than to be spending this time with him since he flew all this way on the eve of his championship match. I want his touch, his comfort, and maybe that's selfish, but after the day I've had...I just want to be coddled. Chase keeps Seth out of my reach and insists on interrogating him under the guise of friendly conversation. I've tried to save him, but I can barely move a foot before I'm swept up by someone else. I wonder if Seth thinks I'm avoiding him, or can he feel my aura pining for his? Can he feel every cell in my being pushing against my skin, willing me in his direction? I hop
The Consumed Series The Funeral
Funerals happen a lot quicker than I imagined they would. This is the first time I've been at the helm of planning one and I didn't realize I'd be expected to make sensible and coherent decisions while drowning in an ocean of grief. I thought I'd have more time to come to terms with the fact my father has passed. I thought I'd wake up from this nightmare by now.To make matters worse, Seth is in Vegas. His schedule didn't allow a trip back to Portland for Dad's funeral. He demanded the MMAC approve his request for a twenty-four-hour leave, but they declined it because Dad wasn't immediate family. The championship fight is tomorrow night and it's a risk they can't take. And I get it. It just sucks. He's been so busy we've barely spoken. He calls me after midnight every night, but we fall asleep before the conversation goes anywhere. I miss him."Shit," I swear as the zipper of my dress eludes me for the millionth time.It sits between my shoulder blades, where I can't reach, taunting me
The Consumed Series The Breakdown
We pull up outside my parents' home and I cast my gaze over the property. It looks exactly as it did when I left Portland and I don't know why that surprises me. I don't know why I expected it to be any different. The glow of the sitting room light filters through the cracks in the curtains and I suck air deep into my lungs. Mom's awake.Dad's truck sits in the drive and sticks me like a knife in the heart. I glance at Selena who's looking at it too. She clears her throat, casting her attention to the road."Should I come with?"I nod, not wanting to be left alone with the tornado of emotion undoubtedly waiting for me on the other side of the front door. "Yeah, come with me."We exit the car and make our way to the front porch, Selena dragging my suitcase behind us. My palms grow clammy with every step, my heart racing. What's waiting for me inside? I grab Selena's hand and thread my fingers through hers. She wraps her arm across her body and holds the inside of my elbow. I lean on her
The Consumed Series The Declaration
I lie on the bed for a while, thinking about my brother, Chase. Does he even know? Will he have time to attend his father's funeral? I think about it for hours, it feels like. In and out of focus, of exhaustion, of grief, I remain on the bed, my mind too tired to process whether or not I've slept. I must have because the next voice I hear zipping up the stairs is female."Where is she?" Shoes hit the stairs and I shoot up in bed as Selena tears through the door, her pretty face displaying every thread of grief she feels. "Olivia?"Seeing her brings memories flooding back and I burst into tears all over again. Selena rushes over to the bed and climbs on, drawing me into her hoodie-clad arms. We fall against the mattress, our limbs intertwined."I can't believe it." She sniffles, her chest vibrating as she combs her fingers through my hair. "I can't believe it, O.""He's gone," I sob. "And I don't know what I'm supposed to do.""You'll know once you get home." She holds me for a while lo
