The Fire Walker (The Devil's Tattoo) Read online

  "I just wanted you to see me," Jessie whispered against my lips.

  Pulling back, I ran a thumb across her cheek, brushing away her tears. "I see you." A tired sigh escaped her lips. "I can be a stubborn bastard, but I see you."

  "I'm sorry," she said, her hands pressing into my waist. "I'm sorry I left you."

  "I know."

  "It was a mistake."

  "I forgive you," I said again. "I won't pretend it didn't hurt like hell, but I forgive you. I can’t fight it anymore."

  Holding her like I'd wanted to ever since she knocked on that motel room door in Denver, I ran my fingers through her hair, savoring the feel of our bodes pressed together. The attraction between us was what I thought would destroy me, but it was what made us epic. It wasn't just her body and the things it could do to me that tipped the scales, it was her being. Her ability to overcome her fear and face it head on. The drive that she had towards her work. The way that she saw the little things and found beauty in them. I didn't know if she even realized how amazing she really was. How stupid was I to have fought it for so long?

  "I'm sorry too," I said before I chickened out again. We'd both done shit things and she'd just taken it on the chin. An apology was the least I owed her.

  "For what?"

  "Last night."

  She ran her hands under my shirt, her skin cool on mine. "It's okay."

  "It's not. It was fucking disgusting. I shouldn't have done it."

  "Forget about it." Her hands moved upwards until her thumbs grazed over my nipples.

  "I can't," I whispered, brushing my lips against hers. "I want to do it again. Right this time."

  Her eyes searched mine and I found myself committing every fleck of brown in hers to memory. Searing it in there forever. Her thumbs began to circle and I slid my hands from her face and pushed her jacket off her shoulders. It dropped to the floor with a dull thud, her eyes never leaving mine.

  "Are you sure?" she asked, running her tongue over her bottom lip.

  "I've been hard ever since you knocked on that motel room door."

  Jessie hissed through her teeth and pressed into me, her tongue darting into my mouth, betraying that she'd felt the same way. I knew she had. Taking control, she pushed me back around the bookshelf towards her bed, until the backs of my shins hit the edge of the mattress. Before she could shove me down, I circled an arm around her waist and spun her around, her back flush with my chest.

  "I love how you take control," she said as I pressed into her ass.

  "You do this thing to me," I whispered, brushing her mousey blonde hair away from her neck.

  "And what's that?" Her hands reached back, finding their way inside my jeans.

  I trailed kisses along her shoulder, nipping and sucking my way up to that tender spot below her ear. "Fire."

  Fingers dug into my skin.

  "That's why it hurt so much."

  Her body stiffened against mine, but I didn't stop.

  "And that's why it feels so fucking good." I slid a hand down the front of her jeans, my fingers instantly finding her clit. She gasped, leaning back into my chest, reaching up and tugging at my hair. "What do you want?"

  "I want your clothes off," she said, a wicked tone in her voice.

  Pulling my hand from her jeans, I grabbed the edges of her top, dragging it over her head. Her hair spilled over her shoulders in a cloud of vanilla and jasmine perfume and I breathed her in deep. My own t-shirt followed, our skin feeling like fucking heaven pressed together. Fumbling with the zipper on her jeans, I tugged them down over her ass, dragging her underwear with them.

  Kicking her feet free, she turned to face me, a hand behind her back. Her bra fell away and it was just her and she was fucking beautiful. A work of fucking art and just looking at her made me strain harder against the jeans I still wore.

  Without a word, she reached for the button, tugging me forward. The ripple of the zipper as she dragged it down across my length was too much and a moan rumbled through my chest. Her lips quirked into a wicked smile as she slid her hands down the back of my jeans, ripping them away and I sprung free.

  It was just me and her and I wanted to show her all of those things I didn't get to back in LA. I wanted to touch every inch of her, taste everything she had to give and she could take whatever the hell she wanted from me.

  I'd tried so hard not to be tempted, to fall again, but there was nothing I could've done to stop it. Her and I? It was only a matter of time. And I was done trying to fight it. She loved me. She mightn’t be ready to say it out loud, but I knew it. I couldn’t walk away from that, not when I felt the same.

  Picking her up, she wrapped her legs around my waist and I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth, then her tongue as I let myself go. Collapsing back onto the bed, she was on top, grinding against my length, lips grazing against my jaw. I was getting harder and hotter at the thought of what was coming next. Jessie pulled away, sitting upright and my hands trailed up her stomach and cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples between my thumb and forefinger. She let out a gasp and pressed harder against me, sending a shudder through our bodies.

  There was no way I was going to last like this, not if I wanted to come inside her. Before she could grind her clit into me again, I grasped her around the waist and flipped her on her back, settling in between her legs. I slid a finger between her folds, my palm circling against her clit and her hips rolled against me. Slipping a finger inside her, I didn't think I would ever get over how wet she was. I made her wet. The thought sent bolts of electricity straight through me.

  "In the side drawer," she gasped as I stroked her again, sliding a second finger in the first.

  "Not yet," I said, circling my fingers inside, my palm mirroring the movement. "I want to feel every part of you first."

  "God, Dee," she moaned as I moved my fingers in and out, picking up speed.

  Her fingers circled into my hair as I kissed her stomach, then the insides of her thighs and finally my tongue replaced my palm and fucking hell she tasted like heaven and she was mine.

  My other hand circled around her leg, keeping her in place as she tried to writhe against me, hands pushing me further into her. I felt her muscles start to tense as her orgasm built and I had every intention of bringing it crashing down on her, then building it back up again with me inside her.

  When she came, it was hard, her muscles spasming around my fingers, her thighs tightening. The way she said my name as her body succumbed was enough to drive a man mad, but it was probably too late for that. I was already bat shit crazy for her. Crawling back up her body, she drew my face to hers, tasting and kissing herself off me and it was the hottest thing I'd ever experienced. Her tongue soothing the cut on my lip, her taste, her smell. Before she could calm down too much, I reached into the side drawer and pulled out a condom, sliding it over my length and positioned myself at her swollen and wet opening.

  I pressed into her slowly, stretching, filling, as she angled her hips up to meet mine. Legs wrapped around my waist and a gasp escaped her lips as I dragged my teeth against the soft curve of her neck.

  "I'm never letting you go," she whispered, tightening her legs.

  "Neither am I," I said through heavy breaths. "I'll never be done with you."

  I poured everything I'd felt over the past week into her. Not the pain and rejection - that was obliterated by the overwhelming need I'd been fighting. The need to feel her skin against mine, to feel her around me, to feel her hands and tongue all over my body and my need to make her feel it, too.

  There was this thing about her that made me uncontrollable. Every time I thrusted into her, I rubbed against her clit, her desperate cries muffled against my neck and in my mouth as I kissed her again and again. This was nowhere near last night's revenge fuck. It eclipsed everything else - even that night back in LA. I made love to her this time, and it was hard, fast and unbearable.

  There would be time to savor her later, now I just needed to chase t
his thing inside me and sate it. The sensation of her moving up and down my length overwhelmed everything else and whatever we'd been arguing about for the last week didn't mean shit anymore. Her hands clawed into my back, teeth grazing my skin, legs wrapped round my waist. She was as hungry for me as I was for her and the mere thought fed the beast inside.

  I wasn't ready for it to end, I wanted to loose myself inside her over and over, but I felt my orgasm building as she tightened, her fingernails clawing deeper into my back.

  "I'm coming," she gasped, eyes meeting mine. "Don't stop. Please, don't stop."

  "Never." I thrusted harder, bracing a hand against the wall over her head as her body began to climax underneath me. Grunting with each stroke, she tightened around me for the second time and I started to come, but I couldn't stop. I didn't slow the pace as we came together, long, unbearable and shattering.

  When I felt the last of my strength leaving me, I thrusted one last time, burying deep, our eyes meeting. It was exactly like that first day in the recording studio. Our eyes met, then BAM. Instant connection. This time, it was more than that. I saw love in the way she gazed up at me, our orgasms slowly fading. It was the thing I'd been looking for and I felt like a fucking fool for trying to fight it.

  I was so hers for fucking eternity.

  Rolling half off her, I slid out, but still couldn't move. She twisted her head to the side, pressing her lips to mine, kissing me deep and slow. It was like we'd invaded each other’s souls and lodged ourselves there.

  "I never knew it could feel like that," she whispered in my ear, her teeth tugging against the lobe.

  "I think you broke me," I said, catching her mouth with mine again. Some fucking afterglow.

  "I hope not," she said, shifting against me. "I want to do that again before the night is over."

  With a moan, I cupped her breast, flexing against her, beginning to feel hard again. "Fucked to death," I whispered, pinching a hard nipple.

  "What a way to die," she breathed, sliding her hands over my ass.

  Sunlight streamed through the crack in the curtains right across my face. Stirring, I went to turn over and pull the covers over my head, but my legs were tangled and I couldn't move.

  Dee shifted against me, the muscles in his arms flexing as he tightened his grip on my waist. Smiling, I traced the outlines of his tattoos. The rose over his wrist, the spider web behind it, the old-fashioned microphone. I'd wanted to lay this way with him for a long time, just us together. Happy.

  Twisting around to face him, his eyes cracked open slightly and his lips quirked into a lopsided grin. I couldn't help but trace the line of his jaw, fingers rasping against stubble.

  "Hey," he murmured, his voice husky from sleep. "You look thoroughly fucked."

  My cheeks started to burn.

  "You're cute when you blush."

  "Shut up," I said, running a hand through his mussed up hair.

  Without warning, he pressed forward and caught my mouth with his, plunging his tongue right in. I didn't know if there was an end to his passion, but I didn't want to know. I was going to take it all. He trailed a hand down my waist and pulled my leg around him, opening me up and I felt how hard he was against my stomach.

  "Well, good morning," I smiled against his lips.

  "Fuck, Jessie," he growled, rolling me on my back.

  "If you want," I smiled up at him, biting my lower lip.

  I gasped as his fingers ran over my opening. "You always this wet?" he asked, rubbing circles around my clit.

  "Only for you," I whispered and his eyes darkened and the brooding, dominant man who I was falling in love with came to the surface. The way he took control and was unashamed and his desire was the biggest turn on. I'd never been so wet for so long in my entire life.

  He pulled a condom off the side table and before I knew it he was sliding inside, filling me. As our pelvises came together, a moan escaped his lips, rumbling against the curve of my shoulder. He pulled out and pressed into me again and this time it was slow and purposeful. Tender and raw all at the same time. It wasn't like last night, when we'd came together over and over, hard and fast and unbearable. But, it was no less enjoyable.

  "Dee," I muttered between thrusts. "Never stop."

  "I don't think I can," he replied, sucking a nipple into his mouth.

  The added pressure of his tongue against my sensitive breasts and the feeling of his length stroking against me was too much to handle and I began to tighten, another shattering orgasm ripping through me. It was enough to pull Dee with me and he grunted my name, his own release mirroring mine. Together, as it should be.

  As the last shudders rippled through us, his eyes met mine, a thumb stroking my cheek. Tightening my legs around his waist he let his weight fall on me with a contented sigh.

  "I can't wait to show you around New York," I said as we lay there, entwined with each other.

  "I want to see everything."

  "We've got time."

  "I hope so. I'm still in you," he chuckled and pressed into my clit, sending another wave of desire into all the right places.

  "You can be in me as much as you want."

  "I like the sound of that," he said, lifting off me.

  He went down to the bathroom and a moment later he came back, sliding into bed with me again. He let his hands wander, feeling every inch of my body.

  "Do you have anything to do today?" he asked as his thumb grazed over my already hard nipples. I could've totally gone for round five right then.

  "I have to go to Couch and see my boss," I said with a sigh. "I need to get some shifts lined up now I'm back."

  "I'm never letting you go."

  "Well, you have to let me go so I can go into work," I laughed, my heart swelling. "I've been away too long already and there's bills to be paid."

  "I'll pay them for you."

  "Dee, don't be stupid." There was no way I was taking his money.

  "I have money," he said like it was nothing. "You have bills. When they combine, magic happens."

  I didn't want to say anything to upset him, he obviously wanted to help, but it'd been a day since we'd begun to work stuff out. He was still in that glowy stage and so was I.

  "I like working at the cafe," I said, truthfully. "I have friends there, so it's not so bad."

  "If it makes you happy." He kissed the corner of my mouth. "What are they like?"

  "Who? The guys at Couch?" I asked. When he nodded, I said, "They're great. Ed's the best boss. Total opposite of Georgie. I think you'll like him. Ana's pretty ballsy and a heap of fun to work with. She's the kind of person who makes a shitty shift go fast. Des is nice, too. He works the coffee machine like a boss."

  I looked up when Dee didn't say anything and he was watching me with a strange smile on his face.

  "What?" I asked. Too much?

  "Nothing, it's just…"

  "Just what?"

  "I'm glad it's working out."

  "Me, too."

  We lay there a while, just looking at each other like lovesick teenagers, every now and then sneaking kisses from each other. This was everything I'd ever wanted. I felt like I'd found my missing piece and we fit together perfectly. I wasn't letting Dee out of my sight ever again. I knew I had to explain the reason why I'd run out on him like I did. I mean, I'd told him I was terrified of the feelings that were inside me and that was the honest truth, but I had to tell him the whole sordid story of my first year in New York. After all, it was the catalyst for all of the things that had torn us apart.

  But, not now. Not while we were naked in bed together. I'd explain to him tonight over dinner.

  "What's the story with you and Zoe?" I asked instead. Those two were an enigma. Any regular woman would be jealous of their relationship, but I had more than enough faith in Dee.

  "Zoe and I have known each other a long time," he said. "The first day of high school we found each other. We were both outcasts who didn't belong anywhere. We were so similar it
just worked, you know? Like yin and fucking yang. She's my best friend, my sister, and my band mate. She's my family. Through thick and thin. We've hardly gone a day without speaking to one another and I can't remember the last time we had a full blown argument."

  When Zoe had come to see me at Couch, about a week ago now, I'd been terrified of her. The way she cared for Dee was like nothing I'd ever seen in a friendship before. At least, not one that I'd ever had. "Did you ever go out?"

  He shook his head. "I've never had romantic feelings for her, it was never like that."

  "Two lost souls swimmin' in a fish bowl," I murmured. I got it.

  "You like Pink Floyd, too?" he asked, an eyebrow quirking.

  "I like a lot of things, but I like you more.” I let my fingers brush against the cut over his eye.

  "Keep going," he laughed, digging his fingers into my ass.

  "Oh, I could go all day and night, Romeo, but I do have to get up and go into work."

  "Your sense of professionalism is really annoying right now."

  "Just because you're on holiday," I laughed, untangling myself from his grasp.

  "I said I'd pay your bills."

  "And I said, I can pay them myself." I leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

  He went to grab me again, but I slid out of his reach and walked across the apartment into the bathroom. When I came back, showered with a towel wrapped around me, Dee still hadn't moved from the bed.

  "Are you getting up anytime soon?" I asked.

  "Like you said," he winked, "I'm on holidays."

  With a groan I began to get dressed, conscious of his eyes on me as I slid into a pair of lacy panties and matching bra. He let out a groan when I pulled on a pair of black jeans and a shirt.

  "Can I come meet your friends?" he asked as I put on a pair of boots.

  "Sure."

  "Awesome."

  "Well, Couch is just around the corner and down two blocks, so if you want to meet me there, I'll be hanging out for a little while."