Hidden Barriers (24 page)

My eyes narrow as his head retreats from my breasts and moves lower until his chocolate-covered lips begin placing kisses on my inner thighs, and his mouth finds my throbbing wetness. I hear him moaning in pleasure as he runs his tongue along my folds. He looks up at my face. “I’m pretty sure you taste better than any cake I’ve ever had.”

My head slams back onto the pillow as his tongue continues to make quick, torturous motions. He’s driving me crazy. Never have I ever had a guy go down on me, but Josh’s tongue is probably the closest thing to heaven that I can imagine. His tongue makes swift circles around my clit as his fingers slide inside me. “Come for me, Sam. I need to taste all of you.”

“Oh. My. God!” I scream as I pull his head so his mouth is flush against my core. My hips begin to rise as I feel the tightening within my core. Josh sucks a little harder as his fingers move rapidly within me, and I finally feel the release I have been climbing toward. My core throbs around Josh’s fingers before he pulls them out and licks the juices from my entrance.

A chuckle releases from his mouth that’s still wrapped around the fingers he just had inside me. “Yep, you definitely taste better than cake,” he says after pulling his fingers from his mouth with a popping sound. I playfully kick him in the stomach, and he grabs my ankle, pulling me closer. “I believe we need to get into the shower.”

“
We?
”

“Yeah, well, I kind of have an issue going on down below, and it’s not going to get resolved unless one of us miraculously produces a condom right now,” he says as he adjusts his pants to accommodate his erection. Laughing, I jump off the bed and start heading for the door toward the bathroom. Stopping midway, I turn to see Josh staring at my ass. “What’s so funny?” he questions.

“Oh, nothing.” I shrug my shoulders, still gazing at him over my shoulder. “Just the fact that I’ve been on the pill for years. I guess we
could
do something to resolve your problem,” I imply as I move for the door. Josh is quick off the bed and at my back in an instant. Twisting me around, I wrap my legs around him as he quickly carries me toward the shower.

Once he shuts the bathroom door with his foot, he lowers me and immediately sheds his clothes. I eye him in amazement at the pace in which he undresses. I turn to the shower and twist on the warm water. I feel Josh’s hardened body at my backside moments later.

He pulls the band from my messy ponytail, and my hair falls against my back. I tilt my head to the side and feel his warm breath behind my ear. Josh moves to my ear as he whispers, “Sam, are you sure about this? I can wait, really.”

I hesitate my response as I think about his random hookups in the past, and most recently, the redhead who caused more harm than good. Without looking at him, I ask the question for my own sanity. “Josh, I need to know you were safe with all those other women. I mean, you did wear a condom with them, right?”

Josh turns me in his arms, resting his hands just above the small of my back. I feel his fingers softly stroke my skin. Regret seems to spread across his face as seconds pass without an answer. I slowly start to bow my head to avoid looking him in the eyes as he tells me he hasn’t. “Sam, look at me,” Josh demands. “Do you really think I’d be that careless? Okay, there might have been one night back in high school when I just wanted to see what it felt like for a second, but other than that, it’s been wrapped up ever since.”

I cock my head to the side and raise an eyebrow, wondering if he’s really being honest. “Honest?” I ask.

“Dead serious,” he assures.

I have no reason to believe he’s lying. Continuing what we’d already started, I pull his lips to mine and feverishly begin kissing him. My desire for him races through my body. Steam from the shower floats all around us as I run my hands down his chest to his core. I steadily reach down with one hand and wrap it around his erection. Josh rolls his head back at the sensation of my touch. His dick throbs in my hand as I begin slowly stroking his length.

“Fuck, Sam.”

I look up into his eyes, and I know our connection is real, but I need to feel it completely. “Josh, I need to feel you inside me, please,” I plead. Lifting me up under my ass, he places me onto the sink countertop, never saying a word as we continue to stare into each other’s eyes. Then, Josh positions himself at my entrance and slowly pushes in.

The feeling is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. I wrap my legs tightly around Josh’s waist, pulling him further inside me as one of his palms slams onto the wall behind my head. His other hand rests on my back, pulling us as close as possible. My arms wrap around his neck for support as he begins to move within me.

“Josh,” I moan as every muscle in my body stiffens in pleasure. His own groans mix with mine as I feel his dick throb inside me.

“Jesus, Sam, you feel incredible wrapped around my bare cock.” He continues to rock within me until I feel him tense and pull back slightly. “Where do you want me to come?”

Without any hesitation, I look him in the eyes and say, “Come inside me, Josh. Please, make me come.”

His hips thrust even harder and faster to the point I can feel my core tingle and throb, and I know I’m just as close as him. The minute Josh stills inside me, my own release crashes through me, and I watch as his eyes squeeze shut. “Shit, Sam. Oh my God, baby.”

We both calm our breathing as Josh leans in to give me one of the most loving kisses I’ve ever had. He rests his forehead on mine, as we stay connected. Reaching up to push my hair behind one ear, he searches my eyes before he says the words I’ve only ever thought I could be feeling about him.

“I love you, Sam. God, do I love you.”

My hand caresses his warm cheek as the steam continues to encircle us. My heart melts at his sincere confession, and I know he owns all of me, without a doubt. A single tear trickles down my cheek as I confess my own feelings aloud.

“I love you too, Josh. So much.”

Nothing else is said after that. Josh continues to kiss me fervently on the countertop before grabbing my ass to lift me with my legs still wrapped tightly around his waist. He carries me to the shower, and from there, we continue to wash and kiss each other with such tender passion, neither of us is aware of our surroundings. For now, it’s only us.

Two weeks have passed since that call came in.

Two weeks ago, Sam and I confessed our love to each other and spent an incredible day together.

It’s been two weeks since I’ve actually seen my girlfriend smile and mean it.

Two weeks.

The minute her cell phone rang, she knew
he
was released from jail. Her father’s name appeared on the screen as she listened to him explain all that happened at the parole hearing. She stood there in her kitchen after we spent an amazing day playing arcades at the beach and had lunch at a small seafood restaurant along the coast. We had laughed as if we didn’t have a care in the world, as though that phone call would never happen. But, it did.

The minute her father said the words, her face paled, and the phone dropped from her hands and landed on the counter. Sam walked away without a word and up the stairs to her room until I heard her door shut. I could hear her father saying something over the phone that was still connected.

I grabbed the phone and listened to him tell me what happened. I apologized for this being the way we had to be introduced and wished it were under better circumstances. I knew Sam’s parents didn’t travel to visit her much, but that didn’t mean they weren’t close. They knew all about me and had even received the 411 from Drew after he visited.

In the last couple of weeks, Drew and I had actually become rather close, considering Sam was no longer answering her phone, not even for me. The C-Naughtie house became like a safe haven for her. She wouldn’t leave unless it was for derby practice or to quickly swing by Vines. Nothing I said would comfort her or let her believe she was safe from any harm.

I tried everything. I swapped shifts at work to spend nights with her while the derby girls spent much of the days with her. Cara stopped by after her shifts at Vines to help bring her back to life, but not even that worked.

I’m sitting here with Nick at the townhouse waiting to hear from Drew. He’s supposed to stay with Sam the next few days while I work my regular shift on the road. As harsh as it may sound, I’m actually looking forward to going to work. I love Sam, but I’m at a loss as to how to help her.

She talks to me, but there is nothing beyond those words. Not even candy has broken through her wall.

Sexually and mentally frustrated, I slam my empty beer bottle onto the coffee table before letting out an irritated growl. I run my hands over my face, thinking this has to get better. Something has to give.

Nick mutes the television and tosses the remote onto the sofa cushion. “Is there anything you want to talk about?” he asks as he stretches out his arms along the back of the sofa. My lack of response prompts him to continue, “Listen, I know I never had any place to ask, but I know something is up, and it involves Sam. So, maybe you could clue me in as to why shortly after I’m looking into a restraining order, Sam is nowhere to be found, and you’ve become a complete asshole.”

I storm to my feet as my temper fumes inside me. “Don’t even go there, Nick. I swear to fuckin’ God, don’t go there.” I sneer and point at him. Grabbing my empty beer bottle, I head toward the kitchen. Nick stops me halfway there when his forearm backs me up against the wall. Rage courses through my body as I push him back. He’s bigger than me, but I have more muscle strength. I push him away enough to continue walking to the kitchen, but he’s on my heels.

“Josh, you have to talk to someone. You have kept this festering inside you for months now. What’s the big secret, and who is Kurt Stone to Sam? You know I can dig more into this at the PD, but I want to hear it from your mouth.”

My cell phone chimes from my pocket. I pull it out to see a text from Drew.

Just got to the house. You weren’t lying about Sam. I’ll see what I can do to help. Thanks for calling, man.

I am about to shoot him a quick response when my phone chimes again
.
I see Courtney’s name appear on the screen.

Hey, we need to have a meeting about the “trip.” Can you come over now? I made your favorite for dinner. No one else is home.

I send Courtney a quick text telling her I’ll be over shortly. Anything to get out of this house and away from all the daily stresses of my life. After grabbing my wallet and keys from the table, I pull my zip-up hoodie from the front coat hook. Nick stands in the doorway with his arms folded, looking aggravated by my recent behavior. I don’t really blame him. Everything going on with Sam has put me in a bad mood. I’m hoping now that Courtney will finally be my voice of reason in all of this. She’s my last resort, but my strongest asset.

She managed to get Sam to listen once. Perhaps she can get her out of her funk this time around, too.