Empathy (23 page)

I track her GPS in her phone which leads me to her dorm and I use the key I copied from hers.

She sways her hips slowly, her lips mouthing the lyrics to a soft rock ballad playing from her iPod. She’s feeling the beat, moving in sync with it. Tears leaks from her eyes when they clash with mine, emotions heightened from the bottle of Jack, half full on the table.

I creep from the shadows, stalking towards her, the tint from the moonlight highlighting her. Her tattoo is right. She blossoms in the dark because I am the darkness and with me she blossoms. When we’re apart we’re just shadows, apparitions of souls that used to be there. We never really had much, and what we had was taken from us, but we found each other. She was sent to thaw me, to bring back my warmth.

I slip a hand around her waist, my body encompassing hers. I bury my face in her hair and inhale her, the apple shampoo she uses washes over me with familiarity and my heart thuds against my chest. My fingertips skim the hem of her top, she doesn’t need directions, her arms lift for me to skim the material from her. Dropping it to the floor I stroke back, down her arms and across her chest that’s lifting with her desperate pants mixed with sobs. She’s still raw from our argument.

“Why did you want me?” she whispers.

It’s a question most women want to know.
Why them
and among the deceit I keep from her out of necessity I don’t want to lie to her.

Skimming my hand down her torso, her body shuddering under my touch, I push her shorts and panties down her hips, my fingertips never leaving her skin. I lower myself down with them so I can lift her foot, freeing her completely so I can bask in her nakedness. God, she’s beautiful. On my knees, looking up at her, I wrap my arms around her hips, my hands grasping her ass and bringing her forward so my face can seek out the scent of her arousal. I breathe her in and relish in her whimper. She smells of heaven. I pull back my eyes showing her the intensity of how much I need her.

“I didn’t want you.” She flinches, her hands coming down to push against my shoulders. “I never wanted anyone. I lived my life detached, cold and then one day you crashed into me, dislodging something inside me. You refused to leave me, like fate placed you there for the sole purpose of making me realise I’m still human, that I don’t have to live in the darkness of the past.”

Her eyelids flutter as more tears cascade from her eyes. Standing, I stroke the pads of my thumbs across her reddened cheeks and bring my lips down to kiss her now closed eyes. I lift her onto the bed and savor the gentle, delicate moment between us. I breathe heavy, finding the words I feel and she deserves to hear. “I love you. God, I love you. I didn’t think I could ever love anyone but it’s here.” I grasp her hand and place it over my heart. “You make this beat harder, I feel you here, I feel your soul, it’s wrapped around mine, cleansing me, inundating me with so much love I feel like I may crumble under the weight of it. I never knew I could feel this and now I do it’s so intense I’m scared of it, scared to fuck it up. It grows with every second that passes. I love you.”

Worshipping her body, every inch of warm flesh, kissing each fingertip, her palms, up her delicate wrists, down her arms raising them above her head and skimming my lips down the side of her chest. Her skin tastes like candy from the lotions she smothers herself in. I’m completely drunk on the scent, the taste. Her body shivers under my attention, she’s used to our rushed, raw passion but I need to relish in the flavor of her beauty.

Her pants echo through the room, adding to the soft beats coming from her music. I trace a path across her navel, licking out to taste her. I go lower, making her pant harder, her little whimpers make me anxious to be inside her. I move down to show her pretty pussy the same tender kisses I’ve shown the rest of her body. She’s on fire, her arousal igniting my primal need to be rough and dive into her. I need to taste the wet heat beneath me. I swipe my tongue between her folds, groaning as her taste sparks my taste buds, circling her throbbing clit, her moans making me fucking crazy. Her hips lift to my mouth, begging. I continue to tease, bringing her to the brink but not giving her what she needs.

“Blake!” It’s a plea whispered on the thick, hunger-filled air. I bring two fingers to join my mouth, delving into her hot depths, her tight walls squeezing them. Her body is writhing, she’s slipped into a state of intoxicated desire and it’s gorgeous. “More, Blake!”

“More what? What do you need, Puya? Tell me?”

“Harder!”

I suck on her clit and pound my fingers into her. She comes undone under my tongue, her pussy pulsing around my fingers. I lift my head to watch the final throes wash through her. She reaches down and grabs my wrist, moving it up and down as my fingers continue to work her pussy, it’s sexy as fuck having her guide the rhythm of my hand, her hips rising to gain friction against her clit. A mist of sweat coats her skin making her glow under the moonlight.

I can’t hold back any longer. I pull free from her, making her groan, mourning the loss. I grip her hips and indicate for her to turn over; she complies turning onto her stomach, lifting her ass up to me, offering me what I need.

Stripping my clothes off I crawl over her body, kissing her shoulders and down her spine. My hands follow the same path. I lick the dimples at her lower back and sink my teeth into her ass cheek. She whimpers then moans when I lick the sting away. I raise her hips further and sink straight into her, her pussy grips me. I lean forward, bringing my hand underneath her, my other hand in her hair gripping tight and tugging her head back so I can get access to her perfect tits. I buck my hips into her and she matches me thrust for thrust, her body rocking against mine, skin on skin, my front covering her entire back, my elbow the only thing keeping my weight from crushing her into the mattress. Tugging more firmly on her hair, I bring our bodies to the side so her front is completely accessible to my hand. My lips latch on to hers as I piston into her, my other hand slipping between her legs. Pinching and tapping her clit with gentle slaps have her moaning, playing a chorus to the beat of the music. Her hand lies on top of mine as she guides us together to rub her clit. Her pussy convulses, strangling my cock and she calls out my name. I bite down on her shoulder and thrust a few more times before succumbing to the pleasure her body gives me.

Our heavy breaths are the only sound now. I reach for her duvet and pull it over us, keeping her pinned against me. She doesn’t fight, and within minutes her breathing evens out and I follow her into sleep.

I’M IN A FURNACE, SWEAT coating mine and Blake’s skin, moulding us together. Damn, my head hurts, the bottle of Jack playing its encore through my body. My stomach vaulting. I shove at Blake’s heavy frame and he grumbles, turning over onto his back completely naked, his morning glory on full salute. No matter how rough or fragile I feel, just seeing him proud and ready makes me dampen between my thighs. I need to relieve my bladder and drink water. Lots and lots of water.

“Come back to bed.” The vibrating echo of Blake’s voice follows me to the bathroom.

“Shower.” I call back.

Two hours later we pull up to the aftermath of the party. I swallow the nerves of him finding his office door off its hinges. I text Markus to tell him I need to come home to talk to him; he replies
tomorrow
. Fine, tomorrow it is. That gives me time to let my anger fester, let the fuel of my grief rise. I will not hold my tongue, I will not show mercy when I throw everything I have at him. I’m ready to explode and I want it all aimed at him.

“You coming in?”

“Yeah. I can’t stay long. I need to go to class and I have my self-defence class tonight.”

“It’s fine, Mel. I have work tonight too.”

The house is spotless. My jaw unhinges and Blake’s fingers caress my cheek. “He’s a clean freak, Mel. There’s never a mess when I come home, just sluts lurking, usually.”

Shit. You would never know that just hours before, the house was at full capacity with students.

I follow him upstairs, my eyes bulging at the closed, locked office door. Oh my God, I love Ryan in this moment; he saved my ass. I jump when Blake’s foot collides with Ryan’s bedroom door, forcing it to fly open and ricochet off the wall behind it.

“Get the fuck up and get to class with Melody, now. I’m getting really sick of your shit. Every time I leave you, you act out like some kid!”

With that he waltzes out and over to me, crushing his lips to mine. “I’ll call you tonight when I get off work, okay?”

Class drags. I need to rethink my courses. I’m not enjoying college at all. I’m thinking about investing some money into a small newspaper business that’s struggling in my home town against its much bigger rival. I’m young and still need an education behind me but it’s a huge step in the direction I want to take my career. The prospect of going into business would never have crossed my mind at this age before my tragic loss. It forced many changes in my life. I’m growing up at lightning speed. I want to make my parents proud of me. I won’t die from my wounds I will own them and fight life right back.

“Kick, punch,” My instructor shouted at me. I paid for private classes so if I did freak out he would be the only one to witness it. I had enough crap flying around thanks to that woman Abby. Sweat beaded against my forehead, my whole body was soaking. He worked me hard and I was grateful I needed to know how to protect myself, especially with my plans to confront Markus. “Brilliant Melody, you’re doing amazing. Go shower.”

I gulped at the water his pregnant wife handed me coming into the studio. She was stunning five months pregnant and glowing. “Thank you Colleen,” I breathed and returned her bright smile.

The hot water eased my muscles. I made quick work of it drying off and throwing on some clean sweats. Blake had text to say he was coming to pick me up and spend the night. I would have to sneak out in the morning before he wakes.

CLIVE CATCHES MY EYE AS I pump gas into my truck. He’s with Jacob, trying to chat up the attendant who seems more interested in the celeb mag she’s leaning into, diverting her eyes from the two morons. I’m off to Club Nine tonight and this run in will be an inconvenience. I would usually appreciate bumping into Clive and letting him go a few rounds with his fists but the part of my brain that hates to lose tells me I’ve already let him get away with too much.