When We Touch

“You’re so beautiful, Ember.” His clammy hands are on the backs of my thighs now, moving up and over my ass. “Let me eat your tuna. I’ll eat it so good, you’ll beg me for more. I’ll make you so wet—”

“Get off me!” I throw all my weight at him and scream, punching my fists against him until he grabs them both in one hand.

I scream louder, trying to jerk my hands away. Just then a banging noise starts on the door. Bucky jumps and looks over his shoulder. His grip loosens, and I jerk my hands, slipping out of his grasp and away from him.

“Get your fucking hands off her now!” Jackson’s voice is loud and raging, and Bucky makes an audible gasp. “Ember, unlock this door!”

I try to run to him, but Bucky catches me around the waist. “You get away from there, Jack Lockwood!” he shouts back. “You leave us alone. Emberly wants to be with me!”

“I do not!” I shout, furious about this whole idiotic turn of events. “Jackson! Help!”

I watch him look around the door, hesitating only a moment before disappearing. Where’s he going?

Bucky’s face is in my hair, and my eyes fly around my workstation. “That’s right. Get rid of that Jack Lockwood. He hurt you. I would never hurt you, Emberly.” He runs his tongue up the side of my neck, and I flinch, seeing what I need. “I’ll keep you coming. You’ll come so hard, you’ll be screaming my name—”

My fist closes over my heavy rolling pin, and I’m about to whack Bucky into next month when his voice turns into a gagging noise and his grip on me goes slack. Spinning around, I see Jackson has him by the throat and is dragging him to the door. My rolling pin hits the table with a clatter as Bucky’s boots kick against the floor, making loud, scuffling sounds. Catching my breath, I take a few steps in their direction, not sure what’s about to happen.

“Let me go!” Bucky’s cry is garbled from Jackson’s fist around his neck.

Jackson pauses to unlock the door then continues dragging him outside. I creep forward a few more steps just in time to see Jackson throw Bucky off the porch onto the dusty street. Bucky lands flat on his back with a loud Oof! But Jackson isn’t done. He hops off the porch right onto Bucky’s chest and starts punching.

“No means no, asshole!” Jackson’s fists fly, but I can’t see Bucky on the ground from where I stand.

I hear grunts mixed with spitting mixed with wet coughing and shrieks. “Stop! Jack, stop!” Bucky cries.

I rush out the door, into the dim night where Jackson is beating the shit out of him.

“Jackson! Wait!” Reaching forward, my hands spin in the air as I try to catch his flying fists.

He pauses and looks up at me, blue eyes throwing fire and jaw clenched. “Don’t kill him. Then you’ll be in trouble!”

He’s breathing hard, but he stops beating Bucky. Pushing off the ground, he steps back, shoulders hunched. His shoulders rise and fall quickly, and his hands are clenched into fists. His expression is so wild, I’m afraid he’s going to start kicking. I’ve never seen murder in someone’s eyes until this moment.

Bucky is whining from the ground. “Oooo… I think you broke my face.”

“Don’t you ever touch my girl again.” Jackson’s voice is hoarse.

My insides flash at his words, and I carefully reach for him again. “Jackson? Come inside. I’ll call Chad. The deputy sheriff.”

He blinks those blue eyes up at me, and they change from fury to concern. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I nod, reaching for him. “He didn’t hurt me. Come inside. Chad’ll take him to jail.”

He stands for a moment longer, looking down at the moaning heap of potential date-rapist garbage on the ground. His leg twitches, and I know he wants to kick him.

“Come on now,” I say gently.

The muscle in his jaw moves, and he hesitates a beat longer before stepping back and moving in my direction. I already have my phone out, and I’m dialing Chad’s cell number.

“Ember? You okay?” Chad sounds worried. He gave me his number once he found out I lived alone above the store—even though I told him I don’t have any money in the register and nobody comes into town anyway.

“We’ve had a bit of excitement…” I glance up at Jackson, and he’s watching me with so much intensity, it makes my stomach flutter. “I was with Bucky Pepper, and well… he sort of got a little handsy.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“No—I’m okay. Jackson was here, and he kind of, ahh, he kind of beat him up a little bit.” Gross exaggeration.

“I’m sure he did. I’m surprised he didn’t kill him.”