Illicit (8 page)

Chapter 8

“Jazz you’re gonna be late for your first class if you don’t get a move on.” Dad yelled up the stairs early the next morning.

I had dragged myself out of bed after another night of hot sticky dreams.

Where my lover brought me to a fever pitch, before kissing my forehead and holding me close until I fell off into slumber.

“Coming dad.” I took one last look in the mirror and shrugged my shoulders before heading out of my room.

I didn’t do my usual bounce down the stairs this morning, as I wasn’t sure how I would be received.

I’d taken Anna’s advice to a point and put on some lipstick, which I had to admit made a difference.

My face looked somehow lighter, the dark red lips with the pale face, how very clichéd, but it looked pretty.

It was the short denim skirt I wasn’t too sure about though, and the way dad’s eyes widened in surprise only compounded my doubt.

“What, no good?” I looked down at myself in the short denim skirt that fell a few inches above my knees; I’d paired it with a pink twin set with flowers around the border, and my black ballet flats.

“It’s fine, it’s just so...un-you.”

“I don’t think that’s a word dad.” I headed for the door before I changed my mind and went back upstairs to change.

“Aren’t you going to have breakfast?”

“Not today dad, I’ll just have some fruit later, but I really need to go. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.”

“Stop that, you don’t have to make me breakfast everyday, I can manage. I never got to talk to you though since Friday really.”

He was right, after going fishing, he’d gone straight to work from Barney’s the next morning. I had been in bed when he finally came in last night.

“It was fine dad, nothing happened and as you can see, I’m in one piece.”

“Alright, I was just thinking that maybe it was too soon to leave you alone no matter how much you protested. Your mother would have a calf if she knew.”

Funnily enough I hadn’t told her that I was alone when we talked yesterday; an oversight, or precaution?

“Well we spoke yesterday and she was none the wiser dad so no worries, now I have to go as you said, I’m gonna be late.”

It’s a good thing he didn’t ask me why I was so late getting up, when I’d gone to bed so early.

“Okay, you have a nice day Jazz.”

He yelled after me just as the door was closing.

“Thanks you too dad.” Thank heavens he hadn’t looked too close and there were no more questions. I don’t think I could’ve withstood that look for a minute longer.

I have no idea why I was so nervous as I pulled into the school parking lot. My stomach was full of butterflies, and my palms were sweaty. I wiped them on my skirt as I hopped out of my truck and looked around.

The catcalls and whistles started right away, and I was as red as a sunburnt tourist by the time I reached the safety of the school steps.

Why did I wear this stupid thing anyway? It’s been sitting in my closet for at least a year and I’d never had any intentions on wearing it ever.

I felt way more comfortable in jeans thank you very much and I didn’t need, nor did I want this extra attention.

But I’d bought the stupid thing at the spur of the moment on one of those days when I was missing what it meant to be a teenager. I should’ve known things wouldn’t go as I saw them in my head.

I was only interested in one male person’s attention, but of course he was nowhere to be found.

I soon found myself surrounded by the usual suspects though. Michelle, her boy Cain, Ian, Mark even Sara and Jane came over to join us.

Although Jane was back to looking like she’d smelt something foul. What was her problem anyway? She really needed to lighten up.

The way I see it, it’s not my fault if she’s had an interest in Azarov, which he ignored. That was going on before I came on the scene.

It beggared belief though that he would overlook her blonde beauty, and show an interest in me.

The pale, awkward girl, that didn’t have much going for her at all. Except a crazy head of hair.

“Nice new girl, very nice.” Mark made a complete circle around me, his eyes glued to my body in the skimpy get-up like the perv that he was.

“Cut it out.” I tried to get around him to enter the building and get out of the spotlight. Not my favorite place to be, in fact, I had a serious aversion to being the center of attention.

“I’m just wondering what brought this on. This wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain someone who’s been missing for the past week now would it?” I started past him, but he reached out and grabbed my hand.

“Oh shit...”

Michelle made that harried statement five seconds before I found my hand being snatched from Mark’s, who had been pushed into the wall behind us.

Thorn. I thought his name and heat infused me from head to toe.

He opened the doors with a loud bang and dragged me through them before I could enjoy the sensation.

This seemed to be the only way he knew of to get me from point A to point B. he had a firm grip on my arm as he pulled me along behind him.

I didn’t even try to free myself from him as he dragged me out of sight of the others, who were probably watching this all unfold.

I found myself pushed up against the wall, and then his fingers were there, wiping the blood red lipstick off my lips, none too gently I might add.

I was steadily looking into his face, so I saw the displeasure written there. Again he didn’t say a word to me afterward, just turned and walked away.

“It was just some stupid lipstick geez.” I ran my fingers over my abused lips as my heart beat me to death and my limbs felt weak.

He turned at the end of the hall and glared back at me; no way, there’s no way he could’ve heard that. I’d mumbled it way under my breath.

I took a deep gulp of air as he gave me one of those head to toe once overs, which ended with his eyes looking into mine again.

Even from this distance I could feel the impact. Oh yeah, I’d come to Havenhurst to die all right, but maybe not in the way I’d first thought.

I pressed myself firmly back against the wall as he made his way back to me. I noticed that no one had dared follow us inside, and wondered not for the first time, what kind of power this guy held over everyone here.

My knees started to shake, as he got closer; the tremble in my belly was fear mixed with some unknown emotion. Something I’d only felt in my dreams.

He reached me in a few strides and just stood looking down at me for the longest time without saying a word.

“Behave.”

He turned and walked away again; behave? That’s it? He leaves for days and then returns only to wipe some lipstick from my lips and tell me to behave? I wish someone would tell me what the heck was going on.

In the meantime I was fighting my traitorous body and its needs. It was all I could do not to touch myself right there in the hallway of the local high school.

Just what in the hell has happened to me in this place anyway? My body as once again on fire, and the need was strong enough to make me whimper softly in my throat as I fixed myself.

His annoying sister came around the corner just then, took one look at my lipstick-smeared mouth and shook her head.

“You are so screwed.”

Well crap, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the pixie meant by that.

***

I didn’t see him again for the rest of the day, and the school was abuzz with this morning’s theatrics.

I spent more time hiding out in the bathroom to avoid knowing looks and leers from some of the guys, than I did in class. At lunch I hid out on a bench outside and ate my sandwich alone.

Was he mad at me now? He’d looked so formidable, and why did that make my heart race and other parts of me tingle?

I never thought myself to be one of those girls into the dominant type. It was like mom had said. I was more the bookworm, nerdy kind of guy type.

With him, I didn’t feel like I had a choice. It was as though whatever will be, had already been decided. Had I not met him in my dreams, I’m sure I would still feel this longing for him.

Then again, I got the feeling that what I wanted wouldn’t have mattered, that in this equation, it was all about Mr. Azarov’s needs.

He was calling the shots so far, though I wasn’t sure just how long I could put up with things the way they are.

There was just something so...overpowering about the way he did things. Unlike anyone else I’d ever met. It was almost addicting in a way, each encounter left me wanting more.

I could still feel the pressure of his hands as he’d pushed me and held me against the wall.

I ran my finger gently across my lips where his hand had been. This is nuts, something has to give soon, or I’m gonna lose what little mind I have left. And these feelings he’d awakened in me weren’t helping either.

The marks he’d left on my body the night before ached and throbbed, but not in a real painful way. More like a prelude of something to come.

He now consumed my every thought. Whatever, whoever he is, he had now firmly entrenched himself into my psyche. I felt at one with him, which is strange, because I don’t even know him.

After lunch I drifted through the rest of my classes, my mind barely hanging onto anything that was being said.

I spent more time gazing out of the window than actually paying attention. There was something I was missing, and it had to do with this place. Did it also involve him? How could it not?

Something pulled at me as I recalled the counselor’s words that first day. I’d forgotten all about that and the fact that I had wanted to ask dad about it.

Just thinking about it now made me feel odd, kind of jumpy and cold. Outside the window I could see that dark cloud again and for some reason I felt as thought it was watching me.

Really cracking up here Jazz, clouds don’t have eyes. I felt a chill go down my spine though as I looked back at this one and the feeling of being watched intensified.

I didn’t see him for the rest of the day, but I felt him there with me. It wasn’t the same, not by a long shot and I was determined that that too will have to change, soon.

Chapter 9

For two days he followed me home from school; there were no words exchanged between us; just looks, and the usual brush of something soft against my neck, when I even so much as whispered his name.

The nights were torture, my dreams seemed to be taking on a life of their own, and I found myself growing closer and closer to him in my dreams as the nights wore on.

It was there that he owned me completely, there where he weaved his spell in the dark recesses of my dreams.

He hadn’t said a word about the beach outing outside of that first dream, and I didn’t bring it up, suffice it to say I knew it was not to be repeated.

All of this, and yet we’d yet to have a conversation. It’s by far the weirdest experience of my life, and I’ve done plenty weird.

Last night’s dream though, had been the worst, or the best depending on how you look at it. He’d come to me, touched me as if I would break, but still he wouldn’t kiss me, even though I yearned for it.

He touched me deeper than all the other times before, his hands roaming all over my body as he took me places I’d never dreamed of.

He sucked and bit me in the way that I knew would leave those little passion marks, only this time instead of my neck, they were all over my breasts and my tummy.

One was dangerously close to my secret places. And that one caused my body to release its essence, which was embarrassing because I’m sure he saw it pouring out of me.

“Please Thorn...” I tried once more to bring his mouth to mine after my body had cooled down a little, but he pulled away again.

“When I kiss you for the first time Milaya moya, I want you fully awake to enjoy.”

“But how can you be here, how can you be so real in my dream? This is a dream isn’t it?

“Soon you’ll understand, for now just sleep, I’m here.” He licked the flesh of my neck and pulled me tighter into his hard chest.

Then he did that thing he does to my neck that makes me lose consciousness once.

***

In the morning, I awoke feeling, well rested, refreshed and...confused? I could still smell him.

It was as if his scent had permeated my skin somehow. The smell made me light headed and tingly, especially between my thighs and my nipples.

I was almost afraid to wash because I didn’t want it to go away. In the end I gave in and took a shower and washed my hair, but was pleasantly surprised to find that his scent was still there.

“You look flushed Jazz you sure you feeling okay? You’re not coming down with something are you?”

Dad looked at me with a worried frown as I sat at the breakfast table. I ducked my head quickly so he couldn’t read anything on my face.

I’m sure it was all written there for the world to see. Not to mention the fact that I had a new little gift from last night hidden beneath my ear.

It wasn’t as easy to find that one, but some compulsion had led me to run my fingers over the spot and I knew it was there, because of the way my body reacted when the tip of my finger grazed it.

“I’m fine dad, I think I made my shower a little too hot this morning that’s all.”

He seemed happy enough with that answer and changed the subject to school and how I was fitting in.

I tried to relax as I sat there, but the whole time I kept expecting him to say ‘what’s that smell’? He never said a word about it though, and I was soon out the door, sweaty palms, racing heart and all.

I caught a few glimpses of him that day, but there was no contact. It left me feeling empty and sad. Why was he toying with me?

How could he leave me in such a state of confusion and go about his business as if he hadn’t disrupted my very existence?

Even his sister seemed to be keeping her distance, and I even missed her weird little interludes. Somehow they made me feel closer to him.

I was getting just a little ticked off by end of day Wednesday. I’m not usually the most assertive being on the planet, but somehow I felt like I needed to take a stand.

He was toying with me somehow and I didn’t like it one bit. I refuse to be a pushover any longer. With that thought set firmly in my mind I decided I was going to put him and everything to do with him out of my mind.