Page 10 of Rough

He trailed wet kisses over my chest and growled when he encountered the fabric of my shirt. I pulled it up between us and pulled it over my head. I could see anger spike in him at having to let go of my hair even for a second. Once it was off, Salt gripped my hair harder and tighter. Fuck if it didn’t add to the sucking and licking he was doing to send me into an orgasm. That never stopped him.

I quaked and my walls pulled him in deeper and held him in tighter. Another growl from him, through the sucking of my shoulder, made his pelvis pump harder. Thunder echoed through the hall at the storm that he created. I relaxed into the tidal wave of spasms, losing count of the orgasms my bodyaccepted and then released. I wrapped my arms around his neck. He let my hair go and gripped my shoulders with both hands, pounding me so hard that the world went white as lightning struck between us. Salt’s hold was so tight that my breathing hallowed, but the act was as intimate as the deepest kiss.

Darkness surrounded me, but I knew where I was in an instant. The wind blew through the room and I stumbled to my feet to the window to reduce the chill. Leaving the window cracked, I made my way to the bathroom to assuage my bladder of its painful cry. Done with that, I stood in the mirror to wash my hands and turned on the light. Red blotches were all over my neck and shoulders. I knew some would leave temporary bruises from the injection of his willpower over me. Like a junkie in true form, shame washed over me at my behavior in the heat of the moment. And I knew I’d do it again. A figure appeared over my shoulder and I stared sin in the face.

That hum started low and worked itself into a frenzy. I turned the water off just as his body connected with mine from behind. He bent me over the sink and was back inside. All thoughts of rehabilitation left as I succumbed. The grip on the sink was more for my slipping mind while he shot me up with another dose. It’s how he kept me coming back for more. Lots of him at once until the next time that I fell prey. When we were both spent, he pulled out of me, letting his seed mark me in the dirtiest of ways, and I loved every moment. Eye contact had never ceased, so when he backed out of the bathroom to leave me to clean up what he left of his spunk, the symbolism wasn’t lost on me. When he left in the morning, I felt satisfied, but realized that I still wanted and needed more of him. But that hadto end. This thing between us had to stop. It was more than it should be and I think we both knew it.

“This was the last time,” I said out loud.

That empty feeling of doubt surfaced, and I hoped like hell that I’d keep the will to survive another withdrawal spell.

“Lord, give me strength.”

I swearhewas laughing at me because thunder rumbled and the strongest pour of rain washed over the city. Preparing myself for the side effects, I climbed into bed, getting under the blankets to find the sleep that I’d been missing.

SALT

It was funny what money could buy. By finding the right information about the judge, I secured my daughter's safe return and full legal custody. I hadn’t swayed his decision about who should retain the guardianship of my daughter. I just made him hasten the process.

Tanya had been drunk when the case worker showed up and they’d immediately taken Neriah from her. I’d also found out that the reason that they had removed her from the last daycare was because there were marks and bruises that Tanya couldn’t explain. It made sense why she was weird about me taking Neriah out of her house sometimes. I didn’t press charges like I wanted to for some of the shit that she’d pulled. Instead, I was happy that she couldn’t do any more harm from the hole that she’d crawled out of.

I’d taken about two weeks of jumping through hoops to get everything together, and now everything was settling back down. I’d planned to take Lauren out to dinner tonightand spend some real time with her. She’d been patient and understanding and though we’d only been seeing each other for a little over two months, I was feeling her. Neriah looked forward to being with her, too.

My trips out of town were to secure a new distributor since we needed more product than our current one could supply. Plus, he was also supplying our enemies, and that was bad for business. The new guy seemed like a better deal, so I’d pitched him to the Ekon brothers and we’d met with him while I was away. With that handled, I needed time to regroup and ground myself. That’s what Neriah and Lauren did to me. Helped me regain my sanity.

I picked up my cell and called Lauren to make plans for us tonight. When she answered, she sounded cold and distant. As if something had happened to her, knocking her out of being her usual self.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” I asked her.

“This thing between us was supposed to be temporary, and it’s become bigger than that. We need to slow things down.” She said almost robotically.

“Temporary? No. I was very clear that there was nothing temporary about it. I’m tired of random women throwing themselves at me, expecting me to let them into my life, and they have nothing to offer. That’s what thisthingis to me. Not sure what it is to you. But for me, I’m playing for keeps.” I stood up from my dining room table and ran my hand over my head.

“No. That’s not what I wanted. I needed something temporary. I can’t afford another relationship, not like… I’m sorry if the wires were crossed somehow. Salt, I don’t know why they would match me with someone who wanted something that I didn’t. I wouldn’t have played with your feelings that way.”

“So, are you telling me that you don’t feel this thing between us? How when we’re together everything feels right,but then when we’re apart, nothing does? Something must have happened. Talk to me.” I sighed, losing hope for the first time.

Dr. Cushions warned me about this. She explained to me that Lauren was running from her past and that she was trying to escape it by trying something temporary. In all the ways, though, Lauren and I made sense. But even when we didn’t, we still did. Dr. Cushions had even warned me about the drawbacks. That was because Lauren only wanted something casual, she could still walk away from this situation unscathed. It was a risk that I would take. I’d told her that after meeting Lauren for the first time. I knew she was the one, so why weren’t things lining up the way they needed to? Was I really about to lose her? My original request had been for something temporary, but things had changed. Dr. Cushions didn’t think it was a good idea. Maybe she was right.

“I’m not happy. None of that matters!” She yelled into the phone. “We can’t keep doing this to one another.”

“Doing what, exactly, Lauren? Hmm? Why didn’t you say so? That you were unhappy.” Confused as fuck, I gripped the chair in front of me, wanting to break it in half. This was supposed to be a conversation about dinner, not a fucking breakup.

“Escaping from our worlds into one another’s arms. You’ll meet someone else that is right for you. Maybe the same will happen for me, too.”

“Lauren–”

“Or maybe this was what we were meant to do. Enriching each other’s lives and move on.”

“Lauren–” I paced faster as my patience grew shorter.

“Salt, let’s just be done. It’s over. I’d appreciate it if you got your things, so we can move on as soon as possible.”

“Because you decided?” I roared.

“Yes. Because I decided.”

“Just like that?” I scoffed angrily.

---