Copyright 2015 © Rosesareforever
Haunted by the Past
Chapter 6
Passion Unleashed
Darkness completely covered the sky by the time David and Stephanie arrived at her apartment building in the city, a few lonely stars peeking through the clouded night. The ride had taken longer than expected due to the busy traffic, obligating them to spend over half an hour in a small space together. Surprisingly, they hadn't killed each other off, nor did they have any battle wounds except for the turmoil they felt after arguing about the most useless topics. Clearly, it was too much to ask for them to get along, even if it was for only a short period of time.
After he parked his car with ease, David stepped out of the BMW to accompany Stephanie to the front door of the apartment building, like a real gentleman – with ulterior motives. No one really expected him to behave, did they? As expected, Stephanie didn't thank him for dropping her off, simply glared in his direction. He wondered how much longer her façade would hold before the masks would start slipping off and she'd show the real Stephanie hiding underneath all those layers of complete and utter bullshit. The woman was so damn complicated, such an enigma, that even the toughest women suddenly seemed easygoing compared to her.
When she turned around to ascend the staircase and leave him on his own, David called out her name, his lips lifted in a confident smirk. "Didn't you forget something?" he half asked, half taunted. Extreme satisfaction coursed through him when she frowned, adorably confused, before her features twisted into another deadly glare. She was too easy to wind up. Had she still not learned that it only managed to amuse him when she got annoyed? Her angry glares were sexy as hell.
"What?!" she called out, halting.
Not giving her time to react or prepare for the invasion of her personal space, David crossed the remaining distance between them in two long strides and pulled her forcefully against his chest. It wasn't a move he'd prepared, but now he put his mind to it he knew exactly what to do to make her loosen up. A gasp left her surprised lips before he brought his mouth down on hers and kissed her with so much ferocity that it left them both utterly breathless. Refusing to let her block him out, he tangled his fingers in her long tendrils of hair and pushed his tongue past her plump lips.
It took Stephanie a good three seconds of resistance before she finally relaxed in his embrace and gave in to the kiss, wrapping her toned legs around his waist and knotting her fingers into his short ash-blond locks. Nothing could've prepared David for the passion that would be unleashed inside of him when she finally gave in. His entire body felt like it was lit on fire. Weeks of pent up lust and frustration seemed to make him lose his damn mind.
Pushing her against the closest wall, her core pressed snuggly against his rock hard côck, David waited until she'd come back to her senses and push him away. It didn't happen. Those hands he was sure that would push him off of her, only pulled him closer, her fingers ranking through his hair. "David," she moaned breathlessly as she wantonly rubbed herself against him, her chocolate eyes clouded with lust.
He'd wanted her to lower her walls, wanted to catch a glimpse of emotion, a spark of the constant sexual tension sizzling between them. What he hadn't expected was for her to completely light up in his arms. She didn't try to get away from him like he'd been sure she would, she didn't start cursing or calling him names. No, as usual, the woman shocked the hell out of him by becoming putty in his hands. Predicting her next move or reaction seemed to be close to impossible.
"Upstairs. Now." It was an order, one filled with a mixture of impatience and fury.
Not wanting to set her off, David followed the command, wrapped his arms tighter around her body and practically ran for the stairs. It wasn't an easy task to get her to her apartment in one piece, not when she kept sucking on the pulse point in his neck, her nails digging into his skull. She was almost as desperate for him as he was for her. The woman couldn't seem to get enough, couldn't stop touching him. It was turning David's brain into mush, not a single clear thought crossed his mind.
"Bedroom," Stephanie grunted after David successfully got them both upstairs without incident and unlocked the door with the key that had been hidden in the back pocket of her jeans. She must be in a state as bad as he was if she couldn't manage to form a decent sentence. He felt like a damn caveman, his speech lacking finesse and his movements abrupt.
David had barely managed to get them inside the privacy of Stephanie's apartment when the crazy woman pulled her shirt over her head and threw it across the room without a care where it landed. Until that moment he thought he'd been eager to get her naked, but it was clear she was even more desperate than him to get her clothes off. Her bra followed her shirt soon after and he was sure she would've tried to get rid of her pants as well had he not been holding her.
"What are you waiting for?" she demanded to know, pushing his head lower until his mouth connected with the upper side of her breast. Aiming to please the demanding woman he was holding tightly in his arms, he angled his head so his lips could attach to her erected nîpple and bit down on the pebble hard enough to make Stephanie cry out in surprise. After the assault, he licked at the sensitive spot, lavishing every inch.
"Feeling better?" he teased, his hands squeezing her firm buttocks. She could be damn impatient for someone who'd been standing in the way off this happening for so long. One would almost think he'd been the one denying her instead of the other way around.
"Fuck you, Thompson," she bit out, clearly in need of an orgasm before she could start playing nice.
"Oh, but I fully plan to fuck you, firecracker. Don't worry. You'll get a piece of my côck as soon as I get you out of these pants."
He could practically feel Stephanie's glare burning through his head, her chocolate eyes dark and glowing with fire. Before he could attempt to see her next move coming, she'd jumped out of his arms and ran to her bedroom. By the time his mind finally caught up and he followed her, she was already naked, her body spread across the bed like some delicious buffet. Minx. He couldn't wait to feast on her.
"You're slow, Thompson. That old age getting to you?" she taunted, twisting one of her nîpples between her numb and index finger. His côck twitched in his jeans, pushing almost painfully against the zipper restraining him.
"I'm only four years older than you," he replied as he started stripping his clothes, making sure to put on a show for her enjoyment. Two could tango. She'd met her match if she thought she could make him lose his damn mind by playing games.
"You don't say. It sure looks like you can't keep up." She was deliberately trying to get a rise out of him, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
Done with talking and ready to get to business, David pushed his pants down his legs in one swift movement, pleased with himself when he saw Stephanie's eyes widen when she noticed he'd gone commando. His manhood standing tall and proud, he quickly put a rubber over it before he jumped on the bed, his hands on either side of Stephanie. Not taking the chance of her getting away, he locked his knees around her body to keep her in place. She didn't put up a fight, didn't even try to get away. No, her eyes just turned darker, her smile confident.
Not waiting until she could change her mind, which part of him was still afraid she would do, he brought his mouth down on hers. There was no hesitating, only passion, as Stephanie tangled her fingers into his hair and thrust her tongue between his lips. She didn't waste a second, went straight in for the kill. He would've stopped if she'd told him to, would've hated putting away his côck but he still would've done it because he respected women enough to always give them the choice. Stephanie had already made that choice. He didn't need to ask her if she was sure. He could feel in her desperate movements just how sure she was, how much she needed this. Maybe even more than he did.
David wanted to take his time, wanted to savor every second of their union and rediscover every inch of her luscious skin, but it was clear the woman in his arms had other ideas. She didn't give him the time to slowly built up the moment. He'd barely gotten a taste when her hand suddenly clasped around his length and gave it a firm stroke, her thumb rubbing against the crown. David hissed, gritting his teeth to hold back the loud groan that wanted to break free.
"Fuck, woman, slow down if you don't want this to be over in a minute." It had been almost six weeks since the last time he'd had sex, which was an awful long time for a man like him. He usually had sex at least once a week, but since he'd dipped his côck into a certain pûssy he hadn't been able to think about anything other than that sweet little piece of heaven. It was strange. First time in all the years he been having sex, that he abstained. He honestly didn't know what had gotten into him.
"Afraid you'll come to soon? Poor man. Did you know there's a little blue pill that can solve all your problems?" Stephanie taunted, wiggling her eyebrows while she gave his manhood another firm stroke.
There was nothing hotter than a woman who was confident between the sheets, combine that with the woman being Stephanie Hoffman and his cock was dripping with pleasure. She didn't have to do anything but glare at him and his manhood rose to attention. It should be illegal to have that kind of effect on someone.
"When I come, you're coming with me," he told her resolutely, pushing one hand between her spread legs and cupping her heat. Stephanie moaned, her eyes glossed over. Yeah, David thought, she needs this just as much as he did. It was a discovery that made him want to smirk in complacence.
"We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" Stephanie mumbled between gasps as he masterfully stroked his fingers through her wetness, making sure to give her little bundle of nerves extra attention with every stroke. He knew just which buttons to press to make her feel weak in the knees. With a little luck he'd have her wriggling in pleasure and begging for release in seconds.
Her moans increased, her voice sounding more shrill and higher with every sound that left her pouty lips. David wished he could catch every facial expression, every movement she made on camera, afraid that he might not be able to brand everything in his memory. She was so damn beautiful, so sinful and hot. He didn't think he'd ever wanted a woman more than he wanted her. She took his breath away.
"Your cock. Now." Her demand was not unexpected. He could feel himself teetering on the edge of losing control too. There was just too much fervor and intensity between them to go slow. No matter how hard he tried to push the brakes, it seemed like there was no stopping them.
Unable to refuse her, David didn't' protest when Stephanie spread her legs wider so he could settle more comfortably between them and guided his length to her opening. One surge of his hips was all it took before he was balls-deep inside of her. Stephanie's back arched, her lips parted in a small 'o' and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. It was a sight to behold.
He only had a short moment to enjoy the view before she reopened her eyes and urged him to start moving with a quick thrust of her hips. He had to give it to her, she certainly could keep up with his pace, something only few women have ever done. Maybe she could even best him. Her stamina was that impressive.
"Move, old man," she hissed, still trying to rile him up by calling him old. Like that would ever work. Deliberately misinterpreting her request, he started to roll his hips and move at the slowest pace he could possibly muster without losing patience. Every time he pushed forward he could feel her try to arch her back to take him deeper, but he held her down, a hand firmly resting on top of her stomach as he grinned confidently. Her angry glare intensified, the fire behind her eyes burning so hot it could probably melt steel.
"I'm getting you back for this," she assured him, kneading her breasts in order to relieve some of the tension in her body. He could only watch, mesmerized as she rolled her nipple between her thumb and index finger as she had done earlier. Her breasts were even more sensitive than he'd first anticipated. Knowledge he'd be sure to use to his advantage in the future.
"Say 'please' and maybe I'll take pity on you." They both knew she wouldn't beg. She'd made sure to clear that up the first time he got her in his bed. She wouldn't submit, not if she could help it. It made the challenge even sweeter. One day she'd let go of that guard, let him have all of her. He just would have to work for it.
"Never going to happen," she insisted, biting her bottom lip to keep from crying out when he intentionally rubbed his public bone against her clit. She was close, he could feel it, her walls were clamping tightly around his cock, almost squeezing him painfully. It wouldn't take much to get her off, some extra attention to her bundle of nerves or a few deep and hard surges.
David was still trying to decide which option to choose which she suddenly dug her nails into his butt cheeks and made him loose focus. If there was one thing he loved even more than a woman who knew how to move during sex, it was one that shed her claws. It was strangely satisfying to see a woman's marks on his skin the next morning when he eyed himself in the mirror.
No longer in control of his body, David jostled forward, impaling her on his steely length. Their breath mingling, he sped up his movements, the sole sound in the room their loud moans and flesh slapping against flesh. A thin layer of sweat coated David's skin as he dropped his head against Stephanie's and started to move at a frantic pace, his patience long gone. He couldn't get enough of her, couldn't get close enough.
With a loud cry they both reached their peek almost simultaneously, David only a nanosecond behind. The sound that left his throat resembled a roar, the noise carrying through the entire building, loud enough to wake the neighbors. He'd had many orgasms in his life, didn't have to do all that much to make it happen, but he'd never come that long and hard. He felt like he'd been shot to the moon and back.
Trying to focus on Stephanie, he noticed she too was breathing heavily, her eyes still firmly shut as she came down from her high. He gazed down at her with affection, the warm feeling in the pit of his stomach surprising him. Sex was sex. He'd never had any trouble keeping his emotions out of the equation. After what happened with his first lover, he didn't think he'd ever be able to feel anything remotely positive for a woman again.
He'd been wrong. Denying it was no longer possible. He liked Stephanie, truly liked her. He respected her as a person, enjoyed her company and the sex between them was phenomenal. For the first time in his life he considered a fling that would last longer than a week. It'd take a whole lot more than that to get her out of his system.
Neither of them wanted a relationship, which was absolutely perfect. He wouldn't have to fear her falling in love with him or trying to make him want more. She was a worse commitment-phobe than him. The best part was that he wouldn't have to listen to continuous yapping or try to seem interested in what she had to say. Stephanie wasn't like most women. She didn't annoy him half as much. He'd never had any trouble staying focused on what she was saying, even found her interesting.
Now if only he could convince her what a great idea it was to become friends-with-benefits. She'd already broken more than one rule for him. It would take some coaxing, but he was fairly certain he could manage to force her to make an exception for him. It would only lead to mutual pleasure for the both of them.
Lost in thought, David didn't realize Stephanie had completely frozen underneath him, her fingers turning white as she clasped the sheets tightly in her hands. It wasn't until he heard her whimper that he was catapulted back into reality and noticed the horror written all over her face. Worried, he slipped from between her legs, his cock softening as he withdrew.
"What's wrong?" he asked, confused, trying to cup her cheek. She pulled back from his touch as if repelled. His eyes widened.
"We made a mistake. I made a mistake. This shouldn't have happened."
Her words made David's blood boil, but he didn't show the slightest reaction to her outburst. It was expected she would say this. The woman had tried her utmost best to stay away from him for weeks. It was no surprise that she regretted giving in to her lust for him. What had he expected? That one mind-blowing orgasm would suddenly make her putty in his hands?
"No, what just happened between us was not a mistake. It was inevitable. We both knew it would happen and it will again. This things between us, whatever it is, it's too strong to ignore."
"There's no 'thing' between us, Thompson. My hormones are simply messing with me. I was horny and you were there. That's it," she protested.
David raised an eyebrow. "So I scratched your itch and now it's over?"
"Exactly!"
"So that means you no longer want me, right?" he asked, inching closer until he was right in her face, his hands cupping her cheeks.
Stephanie's eyes grew wide as saucers. "Don't," she bit out angrily, aware she'd just lost their argument.
Sighing, David let go of her and scrambled of the bed, making sure to take care of the condom. "I can see you're not ready to talk about this like rational adults so I'll leave you to it, but this isn't over, firecracker. I understand that this shit scares you. It's taken me by surprise too, but denying it won't do either of us any good."
Hurrying out of the bed, Stephanie threw her wardrobe open and quickly put on the first shirt she could get her hands on. He didn't know why she bothered. He'd seen every inch of her, touched her in the most intimate places. Her body had no secrets from him, not anymore.
"You need to get going," she told him, her back turned towards him. Now she couldn't look him in the face either? He wouldn't have that.
It took him three strides to reach her, three strides in which he'd made up his mind. He was going to fight her, every step of the way if he had to, and make her change her mind about them. She needed this as much as he did. There was no denying it, not after what had just occurred between them.
Startled, Stephanie opened her mouth to ask him a question when he turned her around, but before she could utter the slightest sound he had her pulled in his arms, his mouth pressed firmly against hers. It didn't take all that long to make her succumb. His attack had surprised her, but she quickly caught on and opened her lips under his. Their tongues tangled, their teeth nipped and their hands explored as they kissed each other with fervor.
Their movements were swift and desperate as if they both hadn't had sex for years instead of mere minutes ago. It made David feel like a smug bastard for being right. Stephanie would put up a fight, but he could handle her. It would take time and patience, but the end result would be sweet.
As he pulled back from the kiss, David was grinning in satisfaction. "Now if that wasn't proof of the sizzling tension between us I don't know what is."
Stephanie kept her lips firmly shut, refusing to admit defeat. He could live with that. They both knew who had won and it wasn't her. "I'll see you soon," he winked. "Oh...and thanks for the cookies. They tasted delicious." Her body locked at his words, her eyes widening as the flames behind them grew higher.
David left her apartment feeling better than he had in a long time.
***
One curse after the other left Stephanie's mouth as she stared at the closed door where David had left through only minutes before, anger and self-hatred boiling inside of her. She made a mistake, a big one, probably the biggest she ever made. Sleeping with him that first time and falling asleep in his arms had been a vital error on her part, but it had been solvable. This? This was wrong on so many levels that she couldn't even start to decipher how bad it truly was.
Tonight she hadn't just crossed one line, but she'd thrown her entire rulebook out of the window. Not only had she had sex with the same man for the second time in a row, but it had also happened in her own damn apartment. That wasn't even the worst. She'd known full well what she was doing, had been aware of the rules she was breaking and had still decided to go along and forget about her precious rules. David might have seduced her, but she had been the one making the decision.
One word and he would have stopped. If she'd only just said 'no', none of this would've happened, but she hadn't done that. She probably still wouldn't do it if she could turn back the time and that was bad. No, bad didn't come close to describing how awful it was. David was making her break every wall she'd carefully perfected for years. It had to stop. It needed to stop before she lost her mind.
She wouldn't turn into her mother, refused to get addicted, even if it was to a man. She didn't want to need someone to make her happy. Stephanie was an independent woman. She didn't need anyone but herself. Her greatest fear was needing something or someone to keep her going. At a young age she'd learned that it was better to be alone. Everything was better than being dependent.
Watching Jade fall in love with Sedric, she'd seen how much it had broken down her friend when he'd betrayed her all those years ago. It had made it beyond clear to her that love was an addiction just as bad as heroine. Jade had been a shell of herself for years. Sedric and she had gotten back together, but what if they ever ended up breaking apart again? Her friend wouldn't survive.
Stephanie couldn't imagine exposing herself like that. It was a risk too big to take. Safe. She'd do everything to stay safe and that meant keeping men at bay. One mistake and it could tear her apart. There was a reason she'd come up with her rules and she wasn't going to forget about them, not even for David.
The ringing of her cell phone startled Stephanie. Looking around, she noticed it was lying on the floor in her bedroom where she'd thrown it earlier when she'd gotten rid of her clothes. "Hello?" she answered without looking at the caller-ID.
"Steph?" Jade called out. "I was worried. It's been three hours since you left my place and you hadn't yet texted me to tell me you were home. I was afraid something had happened." Shit. In her drama she'd completely forgotten about her best friend. Normally, she always let Jade know when she arrived home. The woman was entirely too protective of her.
"I'm fine. I simply forgot to text you. I've been home a while." Long enough to turn her life upside down.
"Good. I thought that might've happened after you left with David. I could hear the two of you bickering from inside the house. It's a surprise you didn't kill each other on the way home."
"Believe me, we came close to murdering each other." David undoubtedly would call it foreplay. It hadn't gone unnoticed how much he enjoyed getting a rise out of her. Sadly, she couldn't seem to keep her temper in control when he was around. Somehow she always ended up glaring at him.
"I still don't get why you hate him so much. At first I thought it was simply because you were protective of me and he'd treated me badly when Sedric and I just started seeing each other again. But that's not it, is it? I don't even think you really hate him. You just pretend you do. The two of you constantly fight, but I noticed it's not real. You play games and taunt each other. You actually like him, don't you? That's why you constantly try to badmouth him."
Biting her bottom lip, Stephanie withheld a groan. Tonight was so not the right time to talk about David. Refusing to talk would only make it worse though. She knew Jade well. The woman would take her silence as an agreement. "I don't like David. We argue because we simply never agree on anything. He's an arrogant ass that believes he's the best in everything he does and is certain he's always right. We rub each other the wrong way."
"There's more...I can feel it. Call it female intuition. You never act this way with other men."
"You're looking for something that isn't there, Jayjay. I think all this romance in your life is messing with your common sense." Stephanie had to refrain from protesting even more. It would only make it easier for Jade to see through her lies.
"You know you can always talk to me, right?" Jade said, suddenly serious.
"Where's this coming from?" Stephanie was honestly confused.
"We both know you have demons, Steph. I've never pushed you to tell me about them and I never will. I just want to make sure you know that I'm always here to listen when you need someone to talk to. It's clear relationships scare you. You've never hid it from me. Just come to me when you need help, alright?"
It was a touchy subject, one they usually avoided. Jade knew that Stephanie hid a lot of things from her, mainly stuff that happened in the past, but she'd never called her out on it. It was why their friendship worked so well. Jade didn't expect Stephanie to lower her walls just because they were friends. "If I ever need to talk, you'll be the first person I come to. You know that. I'm a closed book. The stories I carry inside of me will probably always stay hidden."
"We all need to share our burden from time to time. I've always worried about you. It's not healthy how closed off you are. You try to take on the world on your own while it's not necessary. There are people who'd gladly help you."
"I rather depend on myself."
"You mean you only trust yourself."
"I trust you," Stephanie argued.
"On a certain level. You don't trust me completely. It'll never change how I feel about you, but I do wish you'd let me help you sometimes. I care about you."
"I appreciate that, Jayjay, more than you'll ever know, but I don't think I'll ever be able to let someone completely in. Too much has happened. I carry too many scars to ever trust someone that thoroughly."
"Stop by my place when you have the time. We'll have this conversation in person."
"I rather not have it at all."
Jade laughed. "I can imagine."
"You should feel special. You're the only person I talk to this often. Just don't expect me to change, okay? I don't like disappointing you."
"I love you, too, Steph. I'll see you soon. Call me when you need me."
"I will."
Jade was an easy person to love, a safe person to love. The woman didn't have any expectations and was happy with whatever Stephanie wanted to offer her. She had a heart of gold. It would be so much easier if she could confide in her and talk about the confusing mess swirling around in her mind, but she couldn't. Something held her back. The same thing that always held her back, the fear of needing someone, of depending on them.
Thank you for reading! Please vote and comment! I'd love to know what you think about the story.