Soul Of A Man (13 page)

“Open for me.” Cara knew what he wanted. She moved her hand, sliding it down her quivering belly until she touched herself. Using her fingertips, she parted herself, feeling his cock waiting. This time, she knew not to try to touch him. She was rewarded by finally feeling him stroke within her.

Quickly, Cara braced herself, placing her hands on the rug as he bent over her, pushing every massive inch of his penis within her tight channel. He wasn’t gentle, no one could say Jericho was a gentle lover, but what he did was give her what she desperately needed. A hard, pounding that drove every inch of him inside her over and over again. Just when she thought that she could not possibly take him deeper, he pushed her thighs wider and gave her another inch. The force he was fucking her with made her slide across the rug. His hands left her hips to hold onto her shoulders, holding her still.

“Do you still love me?” his voice hissed out between his gritted teeth.

“Yes, Jericho! Yes!”

Her answer stopped him mid stroke until, with a curse, he levered himself off her.

“Jericho, please, I can’t bear anymore.”

He rolled Cara to her back then sat back on his knees, pulled her toward him until she was once again impaled on his cock, and entered her with one long, hard stroke. Tears leaked out of her eyes as he pounded within her, his fingers rubbing her clit.

Jericho watched as his cock slid in and out of her slick cunt. When he felt her muscles spasm with the beginning of her climax, he took his slickened finger and thrust quickly through her anal ring, finger fucking her ass. Cara screamed at the unbelievable pleasure he wrung from her. The climax that had begun spiraled even higher with a force that had every muscle in her body jerking. When he felt Cara’s contractions easing, Jericho allowed himself to bury himself to the hilt, taking her hips in his hands and tilting her pelvis until he could fuck her as long and hard as he needed to reach his climax. When he felt Cara trying to struggle away from him, he held her still, never missing a thrust.

“Jericho, I can’t take anymore.” Cara felt as if her cunt was on fire; tight and raw from his hard pounding. The man was a fucking machine.

“Yes, you can. I need more.” Jericho stared down into Cara’s eyes. Understanding, Cara ground her hips back against his, fucking him as hard as he wanted. The pain burning in her pussy lightened as her excitement grew at trying to make Jericho lose control. Cara heard him groaning as he tried not to come. She knew he was enjoying fucking her tight cunt.

“Give it to me, Jericho, harder.” As soon as the words left her lips, she felt Jericho thrust high within her, reaching to her womb. Cara felt her body explode in another climax that turned her world black as Jericho flooded her with his come.

His cock was still twitching when he pulled his penis from her and rose to his feet. He stood staring down at her. Cara looked up at the man who stood above her and didn’t move. She could imagine how she looked, naked and sprawled on the braided rug with his semen still on her thighs. Yet she didn’t move or cover herself and raised her chin proudly, staring back at him with all her love plain for him to see.

Pain flickered in his eyes so fleetingly that Cara would have missed it if she hadn’t known about his past.

“Damn you.”

“I love you, and no matter how hard you fuck me or how much you curse me, I’ll still love you. In fact, one I enjoy wholeheartedly, the other I can put up with.” Cara wiggled her ass on the rug and let her legs spread wider to let him know which one she had enjoyed. All modesty Cara determinedly suppressed, she had to prove to show him her love was real.

“You can’t love me. We’ve known each other, what? A total of three days? You can’t love someone you don’t know.”

“Now, that’s where your wrong, lover. I know every tiny thing about you. I have ever since Grimm touched you that day at the restaurant, just as you know me.” Cara saw the widening of his eyes and laughed mockingly at him. “You honestly can’t believe that he would show you my life without returning the favor? He showed me everything.”

“Be quiet.” Rage, hot and heavy was plain on his face.

“He showed me a beautiful, little, lost boy whose soul was so pure it was white. You glowed.”

“Stop!” Jericho yelled, trying to drown out her voice as if his life was a movie playing out in her mind.

Sadly, with tears in her eyes, Cara raised herself to a sitting position, knowing it was now or never.

“Then one day that monster entered your life and your soul began to die. She tortured you in every way imaginable. She pretended to home school you, so you were given no reprieve from the vicious bitch. She wanted to keep you dumb and subservient, but she couldn’t break your spirit, could she, Jericho? When her and that spineless husband left the house, they locked you in a cage made for animals so you could not escape.” Jericho stood still, her words bringing back memories he swore never to revisit. His muscled body began to shake and he broke out in a cold sweat.

“Her abuse was degrading and sick.” Cara moved closer to him, her hand gently rising to rest on his muscular thigh. “I know why you have never allowed another woman since to touch you or put her mouth on your penis, but you grew older and stronger. She could no longer hold you down or turn your body against you, so she brought another young boy home to abuse. She thought she had broken you, that you would stand back and watch, but she underestimated you, didn’t she, my warrior? Your fury broke loose and you took her neck in your hands and strangled her.”

Tears slid down her cheeks at the soul she saw ravaged before her. She still heard the screams of the small child that Jericho had saved from the demented woman. She leaned against his thigh and laid her cheek against him. “The husband knew you were going to kill him and managed to call the police before you nearly beat him to death. When they arrived, he lied, said that it was you who had tried to harm the boy and when the woman had tried to stop you, you killed her. They believed him, the boy was in shock and unable tell what had happened. You didn’t even try to defend yourself.”

“They wouldn’t have believed me, I could tell by their eyes. By that point, I no longer cared what happened to me.” Jericho’s emotionless voice drew her eyes upwards to him, letting him know he no longer shared those painful memories alone.

“But you cared later, didn’t you? When they put you in prison with men twice your age and you had to fight just to survive those nights. You spent months in that prison before the boy was well enough to tell everyone the truth and gain your release. They tried to place you in another home, but you ran. You ran to this mountain and found your home.”

“The Indian council gave me this land and made the government declare me an emancipated minor. They even helped me get my GED and help me find my job in construction.” Jericho tried to move away from her, relieved she would finally shut up and leave him in peace, but she refused to release his leg. Jericho looked down at her to find that tears were still pouring from her eyes.

“Don’t cry for me.” He couldn’t help how harsh he sounded. He damn sure did not want her pity.

“I’m not crying for you, I am crying for a child that no longer exists. Destroyed by a woman whose magnitude of evil I have rarely seen and, Jericho, I have lived a long time.” Lifting a trembling hand she brushed the tears away until they glistened on her fingertips. “They show the anger I feel for a woman I consider less than human who owes me a debt that will never be repaid. That bitch stole something that was mine.”

Jericho didn’t want to know, but couldn’t help asking. “What did she take?”

“Your heart.”

Cara raised herself onto her knees and slid her hand up his body slowly. Her touch was feather light, loving, as she delicately touched his penis for the barest instant before moving to the dense black hair at its base. Her hand sought and traced each of his abs before raising herself to place a tiny kiss on each of his hips. She worshiped with each gentle touch and kiss. Cara’s hands finally reached the area of his body she searched for. Her palm curved over his chest as if she was indeed able to hold his heart in her hand. She felt the steady rhythm of it beating beneath the bronzed flesh.

Jericho tried, he really did, but he looked down in surprise as his hand reached out and his thumb smoothed away her remaining tears. “And that matters so much to you, why?”

The horror of his childhood prevented him from becoming emotionally involved with anyone. The only way he had survived the violence was to bury his feelings until they no longer existed, yet her tears were proving to be a balm to the scars that remained and her next words made him wish for the impossible.

Softly, she whispered, “Because you would have loved me.”

His voice thickened as he asked, “Are you so sure about that?”

Cara nodded and a glimmer of a smile found her trembling lips. “Yes, I’m very loveable.”

“I can see that.”

Jericho looked down at the brave woman who had bared her soul to him. He did the only thing he was capable of doing in that moment. He reached down and picked her up into his arms.

“What are you doing?”

“Carrying you to bed.”

              Chapter Eleven

“You made this mess, you get to clean it up.” Jericho and Cara stared at the disaster in the kitchen.

“All right.” Cara wasn’t going to argue. She had enjoyed the afternoon of loving that the mess had brought about.

Jericho smiled at the happy woman. He could feel himself lowering his guard toward her and thought to break the moment, but couldn’t bear to see the happiness leave her face just yet. He knew he was not able to give her the love she wanted returned, however that was something she would have to find out for herself.

“Come on, I’ll help.” They set out to clean the kitchen when they heard a knock at the front door.

“Stay here.”

“I’m coming with you,” Cara said. When she saw Jericho was about to argue, she interrupted, “The shooter from yesterday isn’t stupid enough to come knocking on the door.”

Jericho shrugged, knowing from the look in her eye she had no intention of listening to him.

Cara followed closely on Jericho’s heels as he went toward the door. They were within several inches when a familiar voice rang out.

“Jericho, it’s me, Billy.”

Cara looked at Jericho in surprise as he opened the door. A smiling Billy stared back at the both of them.

“I’m glad to see you’re okay, Cara.” Cara took a step back, unable to alert Jericho without Billy knowing. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Jericho took a step back, letting him enter before closing the door behind him. Cara felt panic rising in her throat. Billy was different. The color of his soul was murky, not black, but a blend of grays and mauves. Also, his mother’s ghost was no longer with him.

Billy walked into the living room, staring at Cara while Jericho followed him. Cara tried to catch Jericho’s eye, but he wasn’t looking at her, instead he was looking at Billy with a frown on his face.

“What are you doing here?” Jericho asked.

“Why, I’m here to take Cara off your hands since I dumped her on you. I finally managed to slip away from that small town hick sheriff.” Billy gave them an insincere smile.

Jericho stiffened. “You should have called first. You’ve wasted a trip out here. Cara will be staying with me.” Jericho pulled Cara close to his side, leaving his arm around her waist, staking his claim before the younger man.

Billy shrugged. “I was afraid of that. She is beautiful and hard to resist, even for a hardass like you.”

Jericho didn’t smile. “I’m glad you understand.”

Billy’s laughter was as fake as the smile plastered on his lips. Cara could only hope that Jericho could see that something was off with Billy.

“Well, since I came all this way for nothing, how about offering me a cup of coffee before I head on the long trip home.”

“Of course.” Jericho motioned for Billy to head for the kitchen.

“What in the fuck happened in here?” Billy looked at the disaster area with eggs and juice on the slippery floor.

“We had a little bit of an accident,” Cara murmured with a blush.

“I can see that. It looks like a tornado hit the room.”

“One did,” Jericho said wryly. “Cara, why don’t you make the coffee while I try to clean a place for us to sit down?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Cara looked in dread as Billy pulled a handgun from his jacket pocket. Looking out of the corner of her eye, Cara could see that Jericho did not seem to be shocked at this turn of events. Billy pointed the gun towards her, placing his finger on the trigger.

Again, out of the corner of her eye, Cara saw a doorway open and Grimm enter the room. His stern visage gave no clue as to who he was here for. She knew he would be unable to help. He had been dispatched to collect a soul. Which one, was as yet unknown to everyone except Grimm.

Cara felt her throat tighten in fear. For the first time, she could truly feel the fear that those she had came to escort feel. Even knowing what awaited her, it was still terrifying. Would there be pain? Would it be quick? She also knew that she didn’t want to leave Jericho. She had just found him and did not want to leave him. Sudden terror filled her heart with the sudden realization that he meant to kill Jericho also.

“Billy, why would you want to harm Cara when you went to so much trouble to keep her safe?” Jericho was hoping to distract the man until he had an opening to grab the gun. He had also seen Grimm’s sudden entrance into the room.

“I think I can answer that question. He’s had a spell placed on him. Whoever has done this is powerful enough to remove his mother’s protection.”

“I do not need any protection. My master has punished me for failing yesterday, but he will see I will not fail again. I will be rewarded for your death.”

Sadly, Cara shook her head. “No, Billy, you must understand. Once you have taken a life, there is no going back. You don’t want to do this. I know your soul is filled with a kindness and gentleness I have rarely seen. You can fight the spell placed on you. Try, Billy, please. I would not want to see your soul destroyed because of another’s malice.”