Fast Burn (Burned Duet 1)

I sped up, wanting this over and done with, and I soon realized the more I touched him, the less he fondled me. He was too entranced to put all of his efforts into me, and slowly his hand left my neck. It felt like a chain had been freed from me the moment he relaxed back in his seat, and I swallowed, telling myself I could do this. If I had to sacrifice doing things to him so he wouldn’t do what he wanted to do to me, then I was okay with it. I’d rather touch something than be touched.

“Lean back,” I whispered, and he did as I said, causing his hand to slip out of my underwear and jeans. I put all my effort into rubbing his cock, doing it the way he liked it. My arm burned from the constant movement, and I gritted my teeth, not letting myself slow down. Because if I did, it’d take longer to get out of here, and all I wanted right then was to be alone.

“I’m gonna blow my load,” he gritted out, and his eyes sprang open. The blue orbs were darker than usual as he lifted his hand and placed his palm on my face. This time he was gentler, his fingers rubbing back and forth, and I sighed, knowing the Knox buried deep down had finally come to the surface. It had taken me this long to realize this was all he needed to bring out the Knox I knew and loved and not the Knox he’d become over the last couple of years.

“Fuck!” he shouted, and turned in his seat, blowing his load all over my T-shirt. The warm stickiness seeped through the thin material, and even though I cringed and hated how it felt, at least he wasn’t touching me. At least that part was well and truly over.

And as he leaned back in his seat and turned the engine on, I breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been satisfied for now, but I wasn’t sure how much longer I could take it. Time was running out.

I just didn’t know what would happen when the timer went off.

* * *

ASHER

“I swear to god, Asher, I nearly throat punched her right then and there.” Belle’s narrowed gaze focused on me, a storm brewing in her blue eyes as she told me her story. “Who the hell bleaches a dog’s fur because you want it to be fashionable?”

I opened my mouth, but she spoke before I could get a word in. “She looked at me like I was talking Chinese when I told her she can’t do that to a dog. What did she expect to happen? Now the dog is bald, has a skin infection, and she doesn’t want it anymore.”

“What a bitch,” I finally managed to get out.

“Right?” Belle spun around, her arms flailing in the air. “So, I took the dog and told the skinny bitch to get off of my property.” Belle laughed, her head flying back and revealing the faded scar on her neck. It had been fourteen years since she’d gotten it, and I knew she was conscious of it, even after all the time which had passed. It wasn’t like you could hide it unless it was winter and you were wearing a scarf, but I didn’t think she wanted to conceal it. She wasn’t ashamed of it. It was her battle scar, and I knew all too well about those.

“So, where is the dog now, then?”

Belle opened a cabinet in the kitchen and passed me a bag of chips, then a jar of salsa. “Sleeping in the living room.”

I snorted and shook my head. “Should have known you wouldn’t leave it at the shelter.”

“What?” Belle asked, her eyes wide and an innocent expression on her face. “She has no fur, Asher. She can’t sleep there.”

“Right.” I dragged the word out and dunked a chip into the salsa. “Because it’s not like you got everything state of the art when you bought the shelter.” I raised a brow, my lip quirking on the side. “But, I believe you.”

“You should,” she huffed out and sat across from me at the dining table. “Because it’s the truth.”

“So, you’re gonna adopt it out once the fur is back, then?”

“Hell to the no.” Belle chuckled and rolled her eyes as if I should have known better. “She’s mine for the taking.”

“And Ford?”

“What about him?” She shrugged and put a chip in her mouth. “It’s been a couple of years since Lottie passed away. The house is too quiet without a pet. And Leo is practically a man now.” She sighed and folded her arms on the table. “You know he moved up another grade? He’s a senior now. He’s gonna graduate at fifteen. How is that even possible?”

“Well, we know it wasn’t your genes that made him that smart—”

“What the heck is that!” a voice shouted, and it was followed by a yip and then footsteps. “Mom! What is this?” I turned to see Leo standing in the doorway of the kitchen with what looked like a bald rat at his feet.

“It’s our new dog,” Belle told him simply.

“What? Why?” Leo scrunched his nose up and looked at me as if I could better explain it, but all I could do was grin as the dog nibbled at the bottom of his jeans, trying to get his attention.

“Some stupid bimbo—I mean, unsmart person—brought it into the shelter today after trying to bleach her fur. And I couldn’t leave her there. So…” She raised her hands in the air. “Surprise!”

Leo stared at Belle for several seconds, and when the dog yipped at him again, he bent down and held his hand out to it. The naked dog sniffed him, licked him, and seconds later, Leo picked her up and was holding her like a baby against his chest. “I like her.” His lips spread into a wide grin. “What breed is she?”

“No idea,” Belle said, crunching on another chip. “I think she’s a mix. Probably a terrier. The vet said she won’t grow much more than this.”