Fantasy in Lingerie (Lingerie 6)

All three halted before they came near me, unanimously scared of me. They glanced at each other then slowly stepped back, not turning their backs on me.

“That’s right. Get the hell out of here.”

They ran back to the car, jumped in, and peeled out. They sped down the street like they were being chased by the police. I could hear the engine working hard even when they were out of sight. “Pussies…” I picked up my clutch before I turned to keep walking and slammed right into a brick wall.

I bounced back, almost losing my balance.

He grabbed me by the elbow and righted me, jerking me back until I slammed into his chest again.

Bones.

He looked down into my face, more pissed than I’d ever seen him. He grabbed me by the neck and squeezed, cutting off my air supply slightly just to make his point. His fingers shook because he wanted to squeeze me harder, but he found the strength to resist.

Now, it all made sense.

The men weren’t running from me.

They were running from him.

“You’re better than this.” He squeezed me a little harder, the vein in his forehead throbbing. The cords in his neck were thicker than they’d ever been before. He was in a black hoodie with jeans, most of his ink covered, with the exception of a few lines popping out of his neckline and sleeves. “You’re too fucking smart for this bullshit. What the fuck are you thinking?”

“I’m not thinking…” I’m too drunk and depressed. I’m stuck with a man I hate, waiting around for him to finally butcher me. I’m too pathetic to retaliate because I’ve become so damn attached to him. “I can’t even go out to a bar and pick up a guy because I don’t want anyone but you. I can’t even kill you if I had the opportunity because I don’t want to. So I’m fucking stuck in this torture. Maybe I don’t care about walking home in the dark because there’s nothing to care about. Whether I survive tonight or not, I’m dead anyway.” I pushed his hand off my neck then shoved him hard in the chest, but instead of moving him, I shoved myself backward and toward the concrete.

He caught me and lifted me into his arms. He carried me down the sidewalk in the direction of my apartment, which was just a few blocks away. My heels were left behind, and my clutch was stuffed in his waistband.

I hated him for rescuing me, but the second his powerful arms were around me, I wanted him again. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his skin, clinging to his warmth. I was suddenly cold now that the anger had passed, now that the adrenaline wasn’t pumping in my veins.

He must have known I was cold before he set me on my feet. He pulled his sweater over his head and then yanked it down over my body.

The warm cotton immediately surrounded me, keeping me warm and enveloped in his smell. It reached my knees, and the sleeves were far too long for my short arms. It was like a blanket instead of a piece of clothing.

He lifted me into his arms again and carried me the rest of the way.

“How did you know where I was…?”

“Your tracker.”

“Were you watching me this whole time?”

“I’m always watching you, baby. Anytime I’m not with you, I know exactly where you are.”

It made me feel safe, but it also made me feel powerless.

“I’m disappointed in you.”

“I’m disappointed in myself…”

“The woman I know wouldn’t give up. She wouldn’t put herself in a dangerous situation like that. She wouldn’t be so fucking stupid.”

I rested my face against his chest and closed my eyes, not wanting to listen to his anger anymore. “Stop…”

“I’m never going to stop, baby. I’m fucking pissed at you right now.”

“It’s not like you care about me anyway…”

He said nothing to that and carried me the rest of the way home. He pulled a key out of his pocket and let us inside.

I’d never given him a key. “Where did you get that?”

“The landlord.”

“Why would he give you a key?”

“Because he wanted to live.” He locked the door behind him then carried me to bed. He lay me on the sheets then pulled off the sweatshirt and unzipped the back of my dress before he yanked it off my body. It smelled like booze, cigarettes, and cheap perfume. He grabbed my thong and yanked that off too.

I lay there, drunk and somber.

He undressed next then got into bed with me. He spooned me from behind and wrapped his arm around my waist. His face pressed into the back of my neck, and his breaths fell across my skin. Despite how hard he was, he didn’t make a move to fuck me.