Little Things (Second Chances 1)

He gestures toward the shelves, “Then pick however many you want.”

I squeal and throw my arms around him, hugging him gratefully as he chuckles under his breath. Releasing him, I make my way into the wonderland of books. It’s been five years since I read a book and oh how I’ve missed it. I head straight for the romance section and find the best-sellers shelf.

I spend at least an hour going through every book, refreshing my memory about my favorite authors and discovering new ones. I read the blurbs of every book that piques my interest and revel in the amazing book covers that catch my eye.

I look toward the front of the store to find Duke sitting in a lounge chair, reading a magazine. I siphon through so many choices as it’s hard to choose. They are all so good.

As I hold five books, Duke sneaks up behind me, “Are those your final decisions?”

I huff, “I don’t know. It’s hard to choose.”

“I told you to pick whichever ones you wanted.”

“But isn’t five books a little too much?”

“For you, it’s never too much. Now let’s go checkout before you put them all back, because I know you will.”

“I wouldn’t have done that…I would have only put three back.”

Minutes later, we checkout and head to the local pub to grab a quick bite to eat. As we wait for our meal, I take out one of my newly purchased paperbacks and admire it.

“So, is she one of your favorite authors?”

“Who? Abbi Glines? Oh yes, I love her. She’s so talented. The first book I read of hers was While It Lasts and I fell in love with her writing. She opens this whole other world that I can get lost in. When I was in high school, I would read so many books, not only for the experience, but to escape from the shit that I went through.”

“So, are you saying that you need an escape now?”

I frown, “No…I mean…yes, well a little bit of both, I guess.”

He smirks, “It’s okay. I understand that you need an outlet.”

I place my hand on his, “Duke, I really appreciate what you’ve done for me. I don’t want you thinking that I don’t care. Because, I do…I do care.”

Raya

The night sky reflects off the water and into my room. The sounds of the waves crash along the shore. The insects buzz as the evening breeze blows along the bushes and trees. His fingers touch my lower thigh and he caresses it gently, running his hand up and down, slowly massaging it. His hand moves to my other leg now, massaging and gently rubbing. My achy muscles rejoice in the relaxation that he provides. The feel of his strong hands on me absolutely radiates through my skin.

He bends to lay a kiss on my thigh and trails upward toward my stomach and chest. I breathe wildly as his trails of kisses ignite sparks. He moves his head closer and begins to lightly suck on my neck. I squirm a little and lean my head in to inhale his musky scent. Instantly, I realize this is not Duke. Dread and fear sink into my gut as my eyes shoot open to stare dead on into the dark eyes that belong to Derrick.

My heart drops and I open my mouth to yell for help, but he smothers me with his hands. I thrash underneath him but he’s too heavy and too strong. I scream and wail, trying to cry out for help, but the noises are muffled. He twists around and pulls out a roll of duct tape, applying a layer over my mouth. Tears rush down my face as I look into the eyes of the monster on top of me.

He grabs hold of my shirt and rips it apart, exposing my breasts. I cry out as his rough hands glide over my left breast while his mouth lands on my right. He licks and sucks on my nipple and I continue to try and kick him off, but it’s no use. His agitation seeps through and he bites my nipple hard. I scream out in pain and try to push him off, but he grabs hold of my wrist and twists it to the point that I feel it literally snap. Excruciating pain vibrates from my wrist and travels through my body

.

He bends his head, stops just above my lips, and kisses me right over the duct tape. “Angel, I’ve missed you,” His hands travel south and I punch him in the face, only to fuel his fire. He growls and takes a small rope, tying my wrists to the bed posts. As he slips off my pajama shorts and rips off my panties, my chest rises and falls rapidly as the panic and horror begins to settle in. He hovers over me and spreads my legs apart but I immediately close them. He slaps me across the face and spreads them open again, positioning himself for entry.

He stares down at me with eyes full of darkness and lust and slams into me., “You know you want this.” The burning pain spreads through me as he rocks inside of me. His moans of pleasure sicken me to the point of nearly vomiting. I feel my insides tear and stretch apart as his roughness and greed take over me. I continue to try to free my hands and kick him off of me.

At that moment, I hear someone whisper my name and my body is shaken wildly. My name is repeated over and over again. The distant voice begs me to open my eyes and wake up. Confusion and fear takes over my mind as I try to focus on my surroundings. I hear the voice again but it’s much clearer now. Duke? The voice grows louder telling me to open my eyes.

My eyes shoot open and all I see is Duke sitting over me, hands grabbing onto my shoulders. I glance around to see if Derrick is still there and reach up to my mouth and feel the duct tape is gone. My chest continues to rise and fall as the panic and fear fills me.

Duke rests his hand on me, “You were dreaming. You’re okay now.”

I blink rapidly, fully waking myself up. “No. He…he was here. I know he was.”

“No one’s here, Raya, just me.”