**~MARLOWE~**As the first bullet had hit the building, it had startled the shit out of me. The second, third, fourth and fifth—I'd lost count after that—had me ducking and covering. It's not a common thing for a girl to hear bullets peppering the building she's in, and let me tell you, I can't think of a damn thing that can get your heart pumping any fiercer—no joke! With my heart pounding away like a drummer for a heavy metal rock band, I'd begun crawling toward the door. The wayward thought crossing my mind that by the time I got back to the bomb shelter, I might have to change my panties.I hadn't known what the hell was going on out there, and I hadn't known whether I was in a good place or bad. Either way, I hadn't liked it. When I'd finally reached the door, I'd inched it open and poked my head out. A bullet had whizzed past me, and I'd quickly ducked back inside. The thought, damn, damn, double damn, had echoed through my mind as the bullet had been way the shit too close.I
As Rook drove one of the pickups that had been stored in a building, we were both silent. My thoughts were all over the place. His… I had no idea. To be honest, I didn't know what my thoughts were either…what to think, how to feel. Torin was hurt, but…. Then all pretense drained out of me—this was Torin, no matter what he was calling himself. And despite my earlier thoughts, Satan and Torin were one in the same. It was then the tears came. Yes, Torin had hurt me, lied to me, and deceived me. But right now, none of that mattered, he was hurt, maybe worse. I didn't know, and that was the bitch of the thing. But whatever his condition, it wasn't good. If Burdock felt it was bad, then it was bad. He was not the type to inflate a situation.Mind wandering, I turned my head, looking out the side window. A bobbing headlight behind us caught my attention, and as I watched, another appeared, then another, and another, until there were at least a dozen motorcycles behind us. As they quickly
**~MARLOWE~**This was unbearable! Torin had been in surgery for hours and I just kept thinking, hold on, don't let go. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. God and I had never been on close terms. I had long ago decided he didn't exist, but right now, if he truly was there, Torin needed him. So, putting aside all my disbelief in God's existence, I became a hypocrite and prayed, placing all the cards in His hands. I didn't know what else to do. I didn't know how many times a person could ask the same favor repeatedly. But until I knew Torin was okay, the supposed man upstairs was going to be bombarded with my pleas. My butt had long ago fallen asleep, and standing, I signaled Rook to stay seated when he made to climb to his feet as well. "Stay where you are, I just need to move around a little," I told him. With a quick nod, Rook settled back into his seat, and raising his coffee cup, he sipped at the now luke-warm contents, his eyes following me as I made my way over to a window, peering
I felt like I had spun a bottle all my life and its neck had always come to a stop, pointing in the wrong direction. I guess I had unknowingly spun the bottle again, and once more, I'd been pointed in the wrong direction. I wanted to mean something to Torin, not just a passing steamy as fuck night four years ago that I had been unable to forget. I knew he'd cared, and I felt he still did, but he was pushing me away, and I didn't know why. He had been the one; the one I would have spent the rest of my life with—made babies with, but that dream had died the same day as I'd been told he had. I had tried to move on with other men, to forget, but I just hadn't been able to—none had ever measured up, none had lit the spark Torin had. That night in the pickup with Rook on the way to the hospital, I had forgiven Torin of the hurt he induced within me by hiding the fact he was alive. I had spent the last month in his presence. Yet he had never once let on who he truly was, and I didn't unde
Silently, I gave a nod and he slid from the bed, making his way across the room toward his dresser. My eyes followed him, appreciative of his tight ass, the sculpted curve of his back and shoulders. He was absolutely gorgeous. As he turned to face me, there was no denying his arousal, nor the fact he was well endowed, for his cock thrust outward, long, thick and hard. Though I was already wet, I grew more aroused at the sight. Shifting my hips, I drew my knees up, squeezing my thighs together; trying to relieve some of the ache between them.God, I was more turned on than I'd ever been in my entire life. Unable to draw my eyes away from Torin as he climbed back on the bed, I gazed into his eyes, as holding up a necktie, he stated, "I'm going to tie your hands to the headboard, princess. You okay with that?"Holy Mary, Mother of God! He was going to do WHAT?! My breathing began pulling through my mouth like I'd been running a marathon. HOLY—FUCK! I'd had fantasies about him doing t
The realization slammed into me that I needed a friend, someone to talk to, to help distract my mind—my heart.Thirty minutes later, I'd changed clothes, washed my face, and cleaned my teeth. As well, I pulled a brush through my hair. As I did so, I avoided looking into my eyes, for I hadn't wanted to see the pain etched within their depths.~~Over the next hour, as I worked in the bar with Ginger, we girl-talked and knocked back the occasional shot of whiskey. Senseless, non-specific conversation flowed between us, something I was in need of. After a while, she finally broached the subject of me and Torin. "So, I saw you going after Tonya last night, then follow Satan out. How'd that come out?"I gave a shrug, muttering, "We had sex."Shock held Ginger hostage for a second before she gasped, "Come again?"I gave a shrug. "I mistakenly thought he was making love to me through the night. However, this morning he made it clear he'd been doing nothing but fucking.""Wait, hold up. This
The next morning I was again sitting beneath my tree, and as I glanced up from the book Tonya had given me, my breath kicked up at the familiar shoulders of the man walking toward one of the buildings. As I ran my eyes over the length of him, taking in the muscular build of his back, the way his jeans hugged the spectacular curve of his butt, my gaze dropped to his hands—in particular, his fingers.God! What those magical digits had done to me last night and with my thoughts, an ache began between my thighs. My nipples hardened, and I grew damp thinking about the things we'd done. I found, as well, I wanted to do them all again.Standing, I hurried after him, and when I reached him, I grasped his hand. At my touch, he gave a start and jerked his hand from mine, snarling, "What the fuck!" as stopping mid-stride, he whirled around to face me. A smile spread across his lips, and taking my hand back in his, he laughed, "Sorry, didn't know who the hell had a hold of me!" "So, do random wo
An hour and a half later, when the movie came to an end, I lifted my head off Torin's shoulder where it had come to rest at some point during the evening. Torin had dozed off early in the movie, and without moving, he cracked an eye open, husking, "Just stay put." The evening hadn't gone anywhere close to the direction I'd expected it to. Yet, I couldn't deny more snuggle time was damn tempting. Giving in to my desires, I settled back into Torin's arms, and placing my head back on his shoulder, I gave a huge yawn and a contented sigh. Floating in that moment that comes right before the blissfulness of sleep, I heard Torin whisper to himself, "I'm so fucked!"**~TORIN~**I should be sent straight to hell. I had to fucking stop this shit. Out of Marlowe's presence, I had it together, my mind set. But when she was around me…yeah…no, my dick got to sniffing and I followed where the hell it led like an idiot, skipping along with it as if I were its damn sidekick. God, I loved what she