Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

~*~

~*~

"If you'd let me -" Manon tried, but Chris cut her off.

"Don't even start, Corvin. I can't allow you to run around unchecked on every case. Hanson was an exception, and I'm positive another will arrive in the future, but until then, you behave. You follow the law. Any risky plans you come up with in that fucked up head of yours must be approved by me."

When she woke that day, she didn't expect to be fucked in the ass without any preparation or lube when she walked into this meeting. Yeah, she might have taken it a bit too far, and tackling her well-armed target in the middle of a packed shopping mall was not what Chris had in mind. But it worked. He was now locked away, awaiting trial.

"Just loosen the leash a little. That's all I'm asking." She returned, accepting his words but unwilling to leave without gaining something.

Chris sighed and appraised her as he twisted his pen in his hands, "Fine. On one condition."

She huffed but inclined her head, silently urging him to get on with it.

"If it could land you in jail, I don't want to know or hear about it until after you've been successful... or when I see you in court."

Her boss wasn't a boisterous joker, but he was sly and dry with his humor, and it twinkled in his pale eyes now as she grinned in triumph.

"Thank you, there won't be another Hanson case. It wasn't supposed to go that way." She swore and meant every word but crossed her fingers under the desk because her luck was not known to stay stable.

Chris' eyes softened a shade, "Yes, I don't think I've seen you like that since your father..."

In the past, she'd shut down such comments or ignore them entirely. They'd pierce her deeply. A barbed blade snagged on the tendons and tissue in her kintsugi heart, making it bleed anew as she recalled her dad's death. But now, after helping Richy so long ago, she smiled softly. Grateful to be reminded of the man her father was. Though he had been as careless as she, she was mellowing slightly as she got older.

She was only thirty-two, but so many scars and bruises adorned her body she was a living patchwork quilt of all her past lives. Teaching self-defense classes to women in Duskwood had been her most significant challenge. It had taken weeks and months to build their confidence, and it was gratifying once she did.

Jessy was her and Jakes assistant. It worked perfectly after a few mishaps and embarrassing situations. They paid her a bit more than what she earned at Richy's because she steadfastly refused to take anything more when they offered. But they did two bonuses. A Christmas bonus and a larger one in June, just in time for Jessy's summer holiday plans. It suited the redhead's wishes to jet off somewhere sunny a few times a year, and Richy got to see things he would never have without Jessy influencing his life.

She was much better off. So was Richy. He'd sold the garage off to some developer. He now worked at a well-known garage in Colville, partly to spite his dad but mostly because he liked the work; he hated the managerial side of it all. Just being a floor mechanic, he could get away with more and still make great money. His dad's house was demolished as tourists came to have a look and vandalized it a few too many times. It wasn't what she'd hoped for, but he seemed to be doing better.

If Richy needed to chat, she chatted with him. Sharing tales of pain, betrayal, and deepest grief never seemed to get easier, but they did get shorter the longer time wore on. They'd grown close during the last year, and Jake even liked spending time with him now.

It worked beautifully, considering she and Jessy were like a pair of sniggering teenagers whenever they were together. Jake and Richy could sit and bemoan their feral partners as they sank bottles of wine and compared stories of the carnal kind. Focusing back on Chris, she smiled apologetically, but he returned her smile.

"I see honeymoon fever has already gripped you. I won't keep you back any longer. Good luck, congratulations, and I'll see you on the day." Christ said and rose, shooing her out of the office.

She paused just before walking away, turned to look him in the eye, and said, "Thank you, Chris, for everything you've done for us. See you at the wedding. I'll save you a dance." She winked and left the building as quickly as she could. Racing to the airport, weaving through traffic like someone was chasing her, she managed to make her flight on time.

She'd purchased business class as first-class seemed insane for such a short flight. Typically, she would have driven home. But there wasn't long left before the wedding and didn't want to spend one day of it driving. It was bad enough driving to the airport.

When she got to the ticket desk, the woman checking her pass told her she'd been upgraded to first class, and she assumed it had been Chris' idea of an early wedding present or that her famous name had inspired the change. She should've known it was neither of those things. Her phone buzzed, and it was a single emoji from Jake. His usual old-school style.

Jake: ;-).

Manon: Did you pay for it?

Jake: I'll never tell...

And she was giggling again. Shaking her head, she followed the flight attendant to seat number three and smiled as she saw that her window blind was open, unlike the others. She settled into the luxurious seat and thanked the beautiful woman for the champagne when she returned with a glass. Sipping it, instantly disliking it. She set it down and waited as she could get a drink during the flight. Digging through her purse, she grabbed a packet of mints and took a couple, immediately putting one in her dry mouth.

She hated take off. Didn't mind flying or landing. But taking off was her fear, and she could never stop worrying until they were up in the air. Jake knew of her fear, and it settled her a bit to realize he'd tried to make it easier for her as they taxied down the runway, and she clenched her armrests in a white-knuckled grip. 

~*~

Jake pretended he wasn't watching the clock, but he was. She was due home by 2.30 p.m. It was 2.43 p.m., and he was getting antsy. A week, she'd been gone. It was the longest they'd spent apart since getting together, and he hated every moment. He'd been rushed off his feet the first few days and hadn't had time to miss her. But at night, tossing and turning in their bed, he missed her something fierce.

Late-night video calls and phone sex had tided them over, but it wasn't the same as feeling her underneath and wrapped around him. His skin tingled with the need to be touched as he filed away the last paperwork and signed out of his work account. He decided to jump in the shower, hoping she'd join him once she arrived home and they could erase the time apart with hands, mouths, and teeth.

The bathroom filled with steam as he pulled his T-shirt off and unbuttoned his pants, kicking them and his socks off before stepping under the heavy flow of hot water. He put his back to the shower head, letting the water beat down on his tense shoulders as he rubbed at his stiff neck.

It was too quiet without her in the house, nothing but forest to keep him company, and he was tired of only seeing her through a phone screen. Usually, they traveled together and never had a chance to miss each other. But this time, she'd gone alone, and he was counting down the seconds to her return. She almost caught him by surprise, but he was listening for her.

"I come home to an empty house, and you're already naked? I should go away more often." Her musical voice reverberated off the tiles as he snorted and grinned.

"I'd prefer it if you refrained from making too many trips, Sweetheart." He called over the thrum of water, heart already racing as the slithering sound of clothes being shed reached his ears.

She cursed, struggling with something, but he couldn't see through the steamed glass. Then her phone rang, and his heart sank into his stomach.

"Oh, fuck off," she swore, voice tinged with a whine as she answered the phone, "Jessy? I just got in the door. Can this wait?"

Silence, the patter of water, was the only sound as he held his breath. Manon all but growled at whatever Jessy said, and he sighed, knowing reacquainting himself with his fiancé's body would have to be put on pause for now.

"Fine. You have an hour, then you can fuck off until tomorrow. I haven't seen Jake in a -"

Even he heard Jessys screeched, "I don't want to know! Be there soon!"

The air thickened as Manon sighed. The sorrow in it made his heart clench as he turned off the shower and stepped out. Her eyes devoured him, and he let her stare as he grabbed his towel off the vanity.

"See, the universe hates me. You look like that, I've been wet for days just thinking about coming home to you, and now Jessy wants to go over fucking flower arrangements. I kind of miss Michael Hanson. He would at least take the hint."

His cock jumped as he covered himself with a towel, mouthwatering at the thought of her walking around, slick with anticipation and missing him. It fed the beast inside him that wanted to claim her every chance he got.

"Humour her. I'll take care of you once she leaves." He said, striding to her and giving in to the need to embrace her.

She purred in his hold, all heat and spice and undiluted desire. He buried his nose in her shiny hair, huffed lungfuls of her scent, and let it settle him. She melted into him, tension fading as his hands kneaded her backside.

"Stop it," she murmured into his damp chest, wriggling, lashes tickling his skin as she blinked and said, "If you keep touching me like that, poor Jessy will see something no amount of therapy will help her forget."

He chuckled, "How do you think I feel? I haven't heard you moan my name in days."

She hissed, hips grinding on his bare thigh as he smirked.

"Jake, behave. Please. One of us has to, and it won't be me." She complained but wiggled even closer, plastered to his front, and all he could do was smile like an idiot that she was back, feisty as ever. Relenting, he slid his hands up her back and enjoyed the feel of her back where she belonged. 

"Okay, we'll pick this up once she's gone, deal?" He murmured, pulling back to look into her emerald eyes.

She pushed up on her toes, eyes heavy-lidded as she nuzzled her nose against his and drew in a deep breath, "Deal. Just a small taste..." she muttered, eyes fluttering, lips latching on to his. He groaned into the kiss as she silently told him how badly she missed him.

It was a battle to see who could get inside the fastest, and she won by a mile. Tongue teasing and playing with his, sharp teeth nibbled his bottom lip, and she tasted like freedom as he crushed her against him and backed her up to the tiled wall. Her grunt as he pinned her against the wall made him smirk, and his hands shook as he cupped her beloved face and taunted her tongue with his.

She whined and writhed, needy and hungry, it fed his ego and lust a feast, and he burned with the need to plunge his hard cock inside her soaking wet cunt. Feel her squeeze and hold him close, dripping around him as he fucked her senseless. The need to act on his impulses was almost a physical thing, and her eager responses to his famished kiss didn't help calm him down.

Her soft little moans and whimpers tasted divine, and his only goal was to pull more of them out of her, but the front door slammed, and Jessy's bright voice cut through their heavy breathing.

"I'll wait in the kitchen. Don't even think about coming down here if you aren't fully clothed."

Manon laughed and sighed as she reluctantly pulled free of Jake's sinful mouth. She was liquid between her thighs, body fizzing with the urge to be touched as she stared into Jake's blackened eyes.

"While I'm discussing boring wedding stuff, you can stay here and plan all the ways you'll make me cry your name once she's gone. I'll be so wet by then; you can do anything you want."

His lip curled in a snarl, mouth crashing to hers at her forwardness, and she grinned into it, sliding herself along his thigh to counter the ache like a lead weight in her core. It almost overwhelmed her. She thought they could manage a quick fumble and make it downstairs before Jessy realized what was happening, but she knew she wouldn't let him leave for hours once she got him inside her.

Whining, she tugged his bottom lip with her teeth and broke away, eyes hazed as she watched his darken. Neither moved, panting and sharing breath, hands clutching each other like a lifeline as the sound of the coffee machine filtered up from the kitchen. Ignoring the urge to stomp her foot like a child denied a candy bar, she gave his kiss-swollen mouth a chaste peck and pushed him away.

"I have to go now, or I never will. A few more hours won't kill us."

Famous last words, and they would haunt her for days. Jessy took up most of the night after Manon came downstairs. The florist had sent lilies instead of orchids, and Manon's stomach turned as Jessy cringed and promised she'd handle it. Any other flower would've been acceptable, but the scent of lilies would make her vomit all over the wedding cake if they were anywhere near her during the wedding. Thankfully, the florist had more than enough for her peony order and dahlias.

A rushed order of orchids was placed in a small town on the opposite side of Colville. Manon prayed to whoever was in charge of this fucked up simulation called life that they'd arrive on time. Nothing was of extreme importance, and it chafed at Manon, eating away at her nerves and straining her love for a bubbly Jessy; she reminded her of a popular character on an old 90s sitcom and her militant obsession with planning.

She just managed to shove her out the door when Jake was called into Colville to help Dan and Richy take care of last-minute suit fittings. Dan had ripped the seam on his jacket and lost a button off his waistcoat. Jake hadn't settled on what color he wanted to wear yet and had kept that from her so she wouldn't tease him.

They both knew he'd choose black, and he was just being dramatic to avoid putting it on. Though he'd worn one the day he proposed, and whenever he went to court, he despised them. Glared daggers at them whenever he opened his closet and saw them hanging up. His hand would rise to his neck, fingers curling as if to loosen an imaginary tie, and he'd grab the nearest thing and slam the door.

It made her giggle like a schoolgirl with her first crush each time she caught him at it. He was gone for a day and returned so late that she was already out the door and on her way to see Lilly and Hannah as he parked his car. She was gathered up, a knee shoved between her thighs, and kissed so soundly that she swayed on her feet when he let her go and nearly collapsed as he growled in her ear. 

"Hurry back to me. I'm tired of only seeing your ass as you walk away. It's a perfect view, but I'd rather be buried inside you."

He left her staring after him as he marched into the house. The dark shadows under his eyes told her he was as frustrated as her as she got in her car and drove away. She was snappish and dull-eyed as Lilly and Hannah commandeered a table in the rainbow cafe. They went over the plans for the party at night and the rehearsal dinner. Her mind was back home with Jake as the two women argued over place settings and favors. She nodded and agreed when needed, shaking her head and offering solutions when she didn't like their ideas. 

"Jake has requested they dance twice. Once her way, and once his way." Lilly said firmly, head shaking as Hannah's eyes landed on Manon, who'd only tuned in at hearing Jake's name and 'dance' in the same sentence.

"I'm sorry, but what?" She asked brows furrowed as Hannah smiled softly. 

"Jake wants to dance with you more than once. He's chosen two songs for you. One for you and one for him." Lilly explained with a smirk, mischief dancing in her light eyes as Manon arched a haughty brow.

"Care to tell me which songs?" 

Hannah chuckled in a low and smoky tone as she said, "No, he wants it to be a surprise." 

Manon grinned and cocked her head, "I see. And this doesn't include the song and dance I dragged him to dancing lessons for?" 

Both women just grinned, smiles stuck like glue as she sighed and shrugged, unable to stop the little smirk from taking up residence on her face.

"Oh! Remember we sent the headcount to the caterers? They've quoted, are you ready?" Lilly asked with a tone so severe Manon went still as she tried to sense the threat. 

"How much?" She queried, annoyed at how seriously everyone took weddings. It was an industry, she'd learned, and it cost a fucking fortune. Money was not an issue, but she loathed spending it on something that felt as simple as two people in love, swapping vows and rings, and then sharing a life. The number, though steep, wasn't as high as they made it seem. She signed off on it with her and Jake's joint credit card.

Leaving a hefty tip for the person who handled her request, Manon hurried the two sisters up, and they soon settled the wedding brunch, rehearsal dinner, and reception after the ceremony. Dan would visit them at the cabin another day to go over the ceremony since he was the one officiating it. 

Neither Manon nor Jake were religious people. Preferring to put their faith and trust in what they could see and feel as real, and in each other. Dan offered to marry them as a joke the night they got engaged, and they'd accepted. It felt right, and Dan was taking his new job very seriously.

Manon caught him with a bible one day, and it wasn't one designed for children with big, colorful pictures; it was all text. She hoped he wouldn't crack too many brazen jokes. Still, her cheeky side wanted him to go all out and scandalize everyone in attendance with his dirty gallows humor.

After all, a wedding without some drama would be a dull affair, and she wanted it to be something she never forgot a single second of. Tuning back in as Lilly and Hannah got up to leave, Manon grinned and hugged them both.

"Thank you, ladies. I love you. Go home and relax. We can sort the rest out another day." She said as they stepped back and gathered their things, saying goodbye once they left the cafe.

The sun was setting as she returned to her car and began the drive home. The whole way there, she was planning her attack. She wore a light dress, no underwear, as she took it off in the cafe bathroom to make it easier, and she didn't care where he was or what he was doing; he would fuck her the second she walked inside, or she would implode.

Life never goes as planned, and she wanted to murder someone when it flipped on her again. She burst into the cabin, mouth opening to yell for Jake, but he was in the kitchen, scowling at Cleo as she offered him samples of cake to taste. This time, Manon did stomp her foot like a kid having a tantrum. She growled silently at the sky as Cleo turned and smiled much too brightly for a woman very close to death as she and her damned cake trampled over Manon's plans for a night of very little rest. 

"Right on time! I guess you didn't get my message. I changed my mind and thought I'd get your opinions before baking the real thing." Cleo explained, holding a plate with a slice of perfectly iced chocolate cake out to Manon.

She took it, forcing a smile and ignoring Jake's burning gaze as she sat beside him, thighs brushing and skin sparking electricity as they did. Her body fizzed and twitched with the need to be fucked, seeing no way to make it happen, she forked up a massive bite of the cake and stuffed it into her mouth. Anything to stop the torrent of filthy demands from escaping her throat.

From the corner of her eye, Jake was smirking at her despite the apparent tension in him, and her distress would only feed it; she knew that. Still, it only made her burn hotter as Cleo waffled on about the benefits of replacing the liquid used in chocolate cake batter with coffee to enhance the flavor. The cake was lovely, with the right amount of sweetness and anything but dry. But it wasn't what Manon wanted in her mouth at that moment, and she side-eyed Jake as he shifted in his chair and cleared his throat.

"Cleo, we told you to choose what you wanted. We're happy as long as there's no fruit or nuts in it." He said, trying to get her to leave, but Cleo wasn't deterred as Manon muttered under her breath so only Jake would hear.

"I don't typically mind nuts when I'm hungry enough."

Jake just about choked on his tongue at her childish joke. His gaze flew to her and narrowed. He leaned in, breath ghosting her neck as he whispered.

"Behave. I've been half hard for days, and my balls are fucking navy at this point."

She cackled, stuffing more cake into her mouth as she crossed her legs so tight her muscles burned. Cleo didn't acknowledge their moment of shared delusion, too used to them by now to bother with it, and she kept handing them more cake.

Pulling it out of her ass, it felt to Manon after a few hours, and she felt sick to her stomach with all the sugar. They finally settled on the chocolate one loaded with salted caramel and opted to have a smaller version made with Angel cake for those who didn't like chocolate. Manon helped Cleo pack everything away as Jake ran upstairs under the guise of showering. 

She slammed and locked the door the moment Cleo's car was out of sight and raced upstairs, unzipping her dress as she flung herself through the bedroom door and skidded to a stop at the sight of Jake perched shirtless on their bed, phone at his ear as he grimaced apologetically.

Ready to flay the skin from whoever was on the other side, she silently asked him who it was, and his answer soaked her desire with ice water. Fucking Chris. Of course. Her life was just a shitshow of interruptions and thwarted orgasms.

She wanted to scream. Hit something or break something. She wasn't entirely sane any longer, and Jake's thin mouth and fidgeting hands told her he wasn't either. The urge to cry hit her like a slap, and she stormed through to the bathroom to soak it away in a scalding bath as Jake settled in for a long talk.

~*~

Four days passed by in the blink of an eye. Her lusty mind couldn't be tamed as she went through her workout, taking her frustration out on the gym's cracked and peeling punching bag. Blood coursed through her veins, and sweat doused her face and neck as her muscles ached and burned. Every crack of her padded knuckles on the bag ricocheted through her as her mind taunted her with images so decadent and powerful her hands shook.

Jake had to work nonstop after Chris' call. An issue with a case popped up, and it had to be tied up fast so they could enjoy their time off. He'd shown no sign of being done as she left for the gym that night, needing to get her body moving to ignore the frustration biting at her neck.

Her ponytail swung like a silver whip as she imagined Chris' face on the bag, attacking with a flurry of furious punches as she grunted through her clenched teeth. She wanted to exhaust herself and drain her energy so she could sleep without being interrupted by dirty dreams and thoughts of sexual frustration.

The shoulder Hanson wounded felt as if someone had stabbed her with a hot poker by the time she dropped her battered fists and panted for breath. The gym was empty except for her and a few employees, and she waved to them as she stalked back to the locker room. 

It was almost midnight when she dragged herself out to her car, hair wet in its braid after her lukewarm locker room shower, and tossed her bag into the trunk. She was soon flying down the road, music blasting and windows down to let the cool night air ease her overheated skin.

Lust was a physical weight in her core and had been for days, but she would at least be able to sleep and was struggling to keep her eyes open as she pulled up to their house.

The cabin was dark, the clock had ticked well after midnight, and she knew he would be passed out, but she refused to allow her disappointment to sink its teeth in as she let herself inside and set the alarms.

Her stomach growled and complained, reminding her she hadn't eaten anything since that morning, and her touch-starved heart trembled as she walked into the kitchen and saw the covered plate and note Jake had left.

Wake me when you get home. I made dinner. Please eat before coming to bed. J.

Of course, he'd ensure she looked after herself, and she wondered if she would ever feel she deserved him. Hoped she never did, as she never wanted to take him for granted.

It was a simple meal; he wasn't known for culinary genius, but he was good at what he could cook. Pasta and a red sauce, spicy Italian sausage and peppers, the herbs, garlic, and tangy sauce tickled her nose as she heated it in the microwave, and she was salivating by the time it dinged. She read her emails as she ate, sipping a glass of red wine and wishing she could steal Jake away for a few days to satisfy the darker hunger in her.

She took her time washing and drying her dirty dishes. Jake had tidied the kitchen and mopped the floor before retiring, and she smiled at the thought as she hauled her knackered body up the stairs and into her room.

He snored softly, flat on his back in bed as she peeled her leggings and hoody off, dropping them to the floor with a muted thud as she padded to the bathroom. Slathering on moisturizer after brushing her teeth, Manon sighed at her harried reflection and prayed for a break in the wedding chaos before her temper snapped.

It simmered under her skin, a writhing flame that demanded an outlet, but she shoved it down as she rinsed her toothbrush and left the bathroom, turning off the light on her way out. Jake's arm hung over her side, and as she crawled under the covers to lay her head on his naked chest, his arm automatically hooked around her to hold her there.

Smiling, breathing in his warm skin, and letting her heavy eyelids close, he made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a purr. His thudding heart soothed her tattered edges as she counted the beats and let her breathing slow.

Thoughts of waking him up in the best way taunted her dozing mind; he needed to rest after working so hard, and she just wanted to be with him while he did it. Her throat was thick as she swallowed and whispered words he couldn't hear.

"I miss you. I miss you so much I can't think around it..."

~*~  

She came awake with an awareness that he'd been up for a while. It was still dark. Shadows shifted on the wall thanks to a crack in the curtain staining the walls with silver moonlight. Jake's fingers dripped down her spine, trailing back up to do it again, over and over.

Her dream slowly fizzled out. Something bright, golden, and beautiful, she only saw colors and shapes. Blinking her eyes clear, he drew patterns into her bare back, sometimes a star or his initial, and his heart thumped heavily under her ear. One arm was folded under her head, and the other draped his waist, fingers on the edge of the V muscle on his honed body.

Her head still felt fuzzy, but he was in a world of his own, staring blindly at the ceiling, and his mouth wasn't smiling the way she was used to.

She watched him, memorizing him and writing sonnets in her head for him. She loved him like no one had ever loved before, intensely and possessively, grasping hold of him and keeping him safe inside her body whenever she could. It was a craving, a bone-deep insistence to love and be loved in return.

They could survive well enough on their own. She liked her independence, but she wanted to share it with him more and needed him more than she could ever explain.

They were a perfect match in every way. Both knew who and what they were and gave their all to protect the love they found in a hopeless, blood-soaked place. Every part of her ached to be held, skin charged to be touched as she sighed and wriggled closer.

Clearing her throat, she whispered gently to not frighten him, "Jake, love? Are you okay?"

He still jolted a little, just enough to shake her head, and there were no ghosts in his eyes despite his brooding.

"Yeah. I'm going over the dances in my head." He admitted with a sheepish grin as his ocean eyes glittered.

She gave a fond snort, "You're doing fine. You only made one mistake last time. Even I made more. Remember my promise?"

Manon couldn't contain her smirk, though it hung slightly crooked. She hiked her knee up his thigh and dragged her hand up his torso, the muscle jumping under the caress. His eyes darkened to violet as his voice went low.

"Oh, I remember. Something about sucking the soul from my body? You're evil. A menace. I don't know why I put up with you." He turned toward her, sliding a thigh between hers, and a hand went around the back of her neck, the other around her waist.

Her lusty self wanted to revel in his dominance, be manhandled and fucked until she couldn't walk straight. But a bigger, louder voice cried out in distress and shied away from it, a pitiful whimper falling from her mouth as he watched her too carefully.

She missed him, as silly as it was, she missed him despite him being with her. Everything in her screamed to be treated like something fragile. Trying to let none of it show, she met his steadfast gaze.

"I don't want to be a menace tonight. I want - I need - you. I miss you..." his face fell, the sinful smirk clearing at the thread of distress in her voice. Fuck. That wasn't what she meant to say. She should've kept quiet. She needed soft Jake tonight, and he'd misread the signals due to how tired they were.

Her heart quivered, and her love for him bloomed wild as he immediately reacted to her mood. Exhaustion clung to her bones as his eyes gentled and understanding crossed his face. Her cheeks heated, but she refused to look away as he eyed her carefully.

Jake wanted to punch himself square in the jaw. He read the twinkle in her eye as her usual game and responded that way out of habit. But her smile had all the substance of finespun webbing. The pinkness in her cheeks told him she wasn't sure of herself and needed him to take it away.

His throat thickened at the trust shining like cracks of gold in her wicked eyes. She needed a tender hand to soothe the stress fracturing her smile, to feel loved, not conquered, and he could only oblige when he wanted the same.

He thought he'd already reached the limit to how much he could love someone and be loved back; they'd reached those heights many moons ago, but he was thrown to a new high as her open gaze never faltered, and she let him see the sensitive part of her that she kept hidden. His heart swelled and warmed. Unable to find words to articulate his emotions, he put them into action.

"I know, I'm here. Do you trust me?" He asked and relaxed internally as she immediately nodded. The silver sheen in her eyes pricked at his heart as he replied.

"Good. Relax, Manon. Let me take care of you."

He dug his fingers into her waist, tugging her flush against him, skin to skin; she melted into him, all softness and secret strength. They'd barely seen or looked at each other recently, and he missed her too. It had been too long since he'd been inside her, lost in her body while she trembled in his arms.

They needed it to thrive, an endless hunger they shared and fed whenever they could. This was the longest they'd ever gone without giving in to it. And it showed in the hard line of her gritted jaw and the tremor in his fingers as he ghosted them over her supple skin. He let go of her waist, cupping her face and tilting her head back to search her eyes for the consent he needed.

She nodded a little after her gaze softened, and he internally cursed, "Thank fuck," He kissed her. Soft and slow, barely a brush of his lips against hers, and his blood shimmered as she returned it just as tenderly. He needed her just as much.

Plump and sweet, kissing her was like coming home and being set free. She shuddered as he swept his tongue inside to play with hers, her nails cutting into his shoulders as her heart pounded, felt in his chest she was pressed so close.

His hands roamed over her scarred back, massaging gently and smiling into the kiss as he brushed her tongue with his, smoothing over her skin and kneading away the tension in her muscles.

It wasn't often that she wanted it slowed down and to be handled like something precious; he remembered each time vividly. It was so unusual, and he loved that she had no fear of asking him for exactly what she needed. And he was happy to give it to her, to see her smile. He had to give it to her to settle the pacing beast in his chest that missed her just as intensely.

Sliding his hand down her side, over her hip, and down her thigh, he cupped the back of her knee and lazily dragged it up his thigh to hook around his hip. His knee parted her legs, hard cock glancing off her abdomen as she wriggled to slide along his thigh and sighed into his mouth.

He rubbed her skin in slow circles, feeling her melt under his care as he stole the breath from her lungs and smiled at the contented noises she was making. She was slick against his thigh, reactive, and always ready for him. He worked a hand between them and awkwardly dragged a finger up the seam of her. Liquid and scalding hot, she whimpered and sank her teeth into his lip, pulling back to whisper something that shattered and healed him all at once.

"Inside me, don't move at first. I need to feel you."

He nodded, ducking his head to latch onto her lips, kissing her deeply and gathering her essence on his fingers, slicking his cock with her wetness as she panted softly. Graceful as he could, he lined up with her, urging her to cant her hips to make it easier to slide into the hilt.

Hot, wet, and so tight he had to hold his breath, he pushed past her tense muscles and glided through her depths until he bottomed out. The urge to thrust into her and rattle her was almost a mindless instinct, but opening his eyes and seeing the love in hers, he went very still as her inner walls spasmed around him.

Her little sigh made his blood sing as she clung to his shoulders and kissed him until his head swam. He was so deep inside her he couldn't tell where he ended, and she began, cunt hugging his cock tight, tiny shifts of her hips the only friction offered to him.

He pulled back, swiping loose hair away from her face as she stared into his eyes, chest flamed pink and eyes the color of a midnight forest as he strained to hold back, every instinct screamed at him to fuck her. But she needed him to follow her lead. Could see in her eyes how desperately she needed to be a part of him for a little while. She should've known by now that she owned him, body and soul; he couldn't be himself if he hadn't found her. 

"Better, hmm?" He murmured after a while, cock jumping inside her as she hiked her leg up to his waist.

She nodded, eyelids fluttering as he moved his hand around her hip to knead her plump ass. He could see the tension draining from her with every second he spent locked inside her wet heat. The lines of stress around her eyes faded, her smile no longer dangled precariously, and the shadows he'd spied dancing in her gaze were soon banished.

Her warm hands smoothed over his skin and untied the knots in his neck, and his pleased groan made her hum and sigh. The feel of her wrapped so tight around his length drove him to distraction, hard enough to drive nails as her inner muscles tensed and relaxed, letting her memorize his face as her eyes held his in sway.

He expected to feel awkward after a while, but it only felt natural. His muscles strained with the effort of holding back, and her nails scraping over his shoulder didn't help.

"What do you need from me? Tell me, and I'll give it to you, Sweetheart." He whispered, kissing her soundly and groaning as she flexed her inner muscles, taut then loose, both giving breathless little moans as he pulled back to hear her answer.

"You. Take it slow. Tease me with it and hold me close." She husked, and his eyes stung at the raw vulnerability in her voice.

He loved this side of her just as much as he loved the wicked, often infuriating, and sometimes terrifying parts of her. She loved harder than she showed, and he felt it viscerally as he gathered her in his arms and slowly, so incredibly slowly, began to move.

He sobbed at the drag of her walls as he slid back, hand gripping her hip to thrust back in, a languorous glide that made her breath hitch as she stared into his eyes. It was lazy, intense, and utterly breathtaking. Her tight clasp held his cock close, his shifting hips and grinding movements opening her up, and she soon dripped around him.

Life was chaotic, ever-changing, and completely indecipherable, but everything was simple when they were alone like this. Body to body, moving in tandem to remind each other what they were doing it all for.

Manon cried out softly, clinging to his shoulders as he devastated her. Every tiny movement of his cock inside her felt like he was fucking her hard, and her soul sang as it soaked him in.

Oh, how she'd missed him. Sleeping beside him hadn't been enough. The stolen kisses and heated looks they'd shared throughout the week had only heightened her body's craving to have him buried deep in her slippery cunt. Life had gotten in the way, but the world went still as she arched, and he nipped and sucked at her hammering pulse, lifting his head to watch her face when she sobbed his name.

His sapphire eyes peered into hers, words of devotion flashing like signs behind the lust, darkening them to navy. She cupped his jaw with a trembling hand, drawing him down for a kiss so stirring her toes curled and her hips jerked, tasting how much he loved her on his tongue as it danced with hers.

She was being pushed onto her back, his body blanketing hers and cock grinding so deep she tossed her head back and let out a low moan as he smiled into her neck. Her legs wrapped around his trim waist, keeping him from leaving her body as he circled his hips and caught her clit with every gentle thrust.

A sensation like a thousand tiny creatures crawled under her skin, making her legs twitch as she dragged her nails up his back and dug them into his broad shoulders. He mouthed at her neck, leaving a trail of teasing, nipping bites, and sucking at the pulse hammering in her throat.

Needing a bit more, she dug her heels into the small of his back and angled her hips, encouraging him to up the pace a little.

He took the hint, slipping almost all the way out of her before pushing back in with a groan, arms quaking either side of her head as he held back for her. Her heart doubled in size as she saw the devotion in his crystal gaze and knew her silly pining wasn't unrequited.

"I want to come with you." She muttered, and he sobbed like a child as he nodded, making her smile in satisfaction.

His thrusts quickened, mouth capturing hers as her cunt gripped him and drenched them in her wetness. Circling and grinding deep, he panted through his nose as he undid her and pulled her apart at the seams.

His lazy tongue in her mouth matched the stroke of his hard cock inside her, and she rolled her hips to help him along as heat and pressure quickly built within her. She'd been on edge for days, frustration almost a physical thing whenever he kissed or touched her during these long days.

She whined low in her throat as he nipped at her lips and licked at her tongue with his, the drag of his cock and groin catching her clit and making her heart race. Tension swirled in her core, flame licking out and up her torso as he let her breathe and began a slow drawl of worshipping words.

"I love you, Sweetheart. Let go. You're safe. I've got you."

Closing her eyes against the stinging tears, she nodded and clung to his neck, body writhing as sweat prickled over her skin.

He talked to her through it all. Praising her, how beautiful she was, how tight and good her cunt felt, and how he couldn't wait to marry her. His cock twitched inside her as she fluttered, a high-pitched sound coming free of her chest as she pulled him impossibly deeper.

The strain of holding back was evident in his face and neck, muscle and bone jumping under smooth skin, and she'd never felt closer to him.

"I can't last much longer. I need you to touch yourself. I want to feel your pretty cunt draining me dry."

Whimpering, she pried a hand from around his neck, worming it between their sweat-slicked bodies, slipping through her soaked and split folds to find her swollen clit. He grunted as her fingers ghosted his cock where they were joined, making her smile as she swirled that bundle of nerves.

Sparks flew through her as her cunt clenched down, his ragged moan making her whine as he thrust slowly but deeply. Spiraling and shaking, she circled her clit as Jake moved within her taut clasp and held eye contact through it all.

The tension inside her reached critical levels, throaty cries tearing from her that he smothered with his mouth as his hips sped up. She rocked in time with him, feverish fingers flicking her clit as he sobbed into her open mouth.

His cock pulsed just as the pressure demanded an outlet. Another swipe of her soaked fingers over her nub was all it took, and he thrust once, twice, three times, buried so deeply inside her that she felt every twitch of his orgasm as she shattered.

Their moans blended together until they kissed, both quivering and breathless, as release erased the distance between them. Her entire body shook with it, heart pounding as it rippled out in delicious waves of heat. Her mind was gloriously blank as she shuddered and keened, utterly destroyed by him and hoping they never went so long without this again.

Aftershocks jumped under her skin, Jake's heavy weight as he collapsed on top of her, the only thing keeping her tethered to reality as she ran her hands down his back and shared breath with him. He made to roll off and pull free of her, but she tightened her legs around his waist and shook her head. He leaned back, searching her face and arching a brow.

"Don't move. Not yet. Just hold me and stay inside me until I fall asleep." She rasped, smirking slowly as his eyes flamed and he made a helpless sound.

He nodded, though, gaze understanding as he shifted them so he could wrap her in his arms, and they lay on their sides, his softening cock still locked inside her saturated cunt. The wicked thrill of it all made her purr and smile into his chest as she listened to his heartbeat.

His hands kept moving, stroking over any bare skin he could reach as his breath ruffled her hair. She wanted to stay like that forever. Do nothing but fuck, love, and laugh with each other for the rest of time. Her love for him was out of control as her eyes grew heavy and her breathing slowed to a crawl.

Sleep lured her in before long, and neither felt the need to fill the peaceful silence with meaningless chatter. Much was said in gentle touches as the frustration and stress of the past week finally evaporated, and they were all the better for it.

~*~

Chapter Text

~*~

~*~

Three months before the wedding...

"Wait a second. Let's rewind a minute. You got Jake to agree to dance lessons?! How the hell did you pull that off?"

Manon snorted at Steve's incredulous tone, and her mind jumped back to the night she asked Jake to take the class with her. It had taken a lot, a lot of convincing. Her knees were bruised for a week, her jaw ached for days, and Jake wore a dazed expression for a good twenty-four hours.

She suspected he hadn't truly realized what he agreed to until she was telling him what to wear and what time they were leaving earlier that day. Still, he said yes, he might have been cumming down her throat while he said it, but consent was consent, in her mind.

"Well, you see, I'm pretty mouthy, so it was actually -"

Steve interrupted, gagging down the line as he spat, "Mani, I love you, but if you finish that sentence, I'll have to go boil my head in bleach."

She laughed, shoving down a filthy stream of words that would make steam pour from his ears. She relented and said, "Fine, calm down. When will you all get here?"

She could hear Natalya cooing to little Elodie somewhere in the background, and she grinned, remembering the tot's cheeky hazel eyes and sunshine smile as Steve replied.

"A week before the wedding, we should arrive just before noon. I'll call when we're almost there. What time does Jake's torture start?"

Chuckling, Manon said, "Soon! He keeps finding things to do around the house, and I think he's hoping I'll forget about it. He'd have to wash the cars naked to make me forget - don't tell him that, he will do it," She giggled, checking behind her to make sure Jake wasn't listening and already stripping off.

"Right. That's my cue to go before you tell me something that'll haunt me forever. See you soon, Mani. Love you."

"See you, love you too." She smiled, hanging up as Jake's thudding steps approached her.

Turning, he wore casual clothing as she suggested, and her smile widened as he immediately enveloped her in a tight hug, kissing the top of her head as he said, "You look far too happy about this."

Pulling back to meet his eye, she searched his face for actual anxiety and fear; if he genuinely didn't want to do it, she wouldn't force him. All she found was a twinkle of devilment amongst the sapphire and some nerves in the lines of his smile.

"You'll be fine. If you truly hate it after the lesson, we won't go again. Promise?" She held her pinky up for him to shake, a childish gesture, but he smirked, hooked his pinky around hers, and shook.

"Promise. I suppose we better get going, or we'll be late." He murmured, lifting her chin with his index finger to kiss her softly.

It was never just a quick peck on the lips. She always got lost in him. He kissed her until she was ready to call the whole thing off and spend the night in bed. Still, she knew that was his intention and reluctantly parted from his lips, catching his smirk before he wiped it away.

Narrowing her eyes on him, she unwrapped his arms from her body and backed away, fingers in the sign of a cross, held out to ward him off as he stepped closer.

"I'm not that easy, Jake." She sniffed, holding back a feral grin.

"You are for me..." He fired back, eyes alight with amusement as she pretended to huff and glare at him.

"You are just a cocky, arrogant, beautiful bastard, and you will pay for that later," She swore, giggling and smacking his hand away as he arched a thick brow.

"I've been called worse," He chuckled, throwing another hand out to snatch hold of her as she backed up toward the front door, grabbing her car keys off the counter as she made it into the hallway.

"Come on, love. If you come with me, I'll do that thing you like after," She waggled her brows, dropping her gaze to his crotch as he stilled and considered her offer.

He pondered for an entire minute before clipping, "Fine. Let's go."

He was buckled in the passenger side, ready to go before she managed to lock up the house, and she wished every decision was as easy as these. She blasted loud, drum-heavy rap music the whole drive into Colville, racing there like the devil herself was chasing after them, and Jake clutched at the oh-shit handle.

Just like old times, she thought, grinning as the city appeared on the horizon, and she turned the music down as they exited the freeway.

Jake eyed the tiny human tornado by his side with suspicion, mischief flashing like warning signs on every curve of her body. She practically vibrated excitedly, clutching his hand and bouncing on her toes as they waited to be called in for their private lesson. Moving in time with the music sneaking through the cracks in the doors, he surmised music must be her blood type with how it made her come alive and let go.

It calmed his nerves as visions of him tripping her or himself flickered in his mind. The thumping song soon went quiet, and his heart kicked up as a group class spilled out of the brightly lit dance studio. Sweat-soaked, panting, and laughing, the dancers seemed to have enjoyed themselves as they exited the building, and Jake let Manon lead him as the instructor beckoned them in.

Lacquered wooden tiles, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and spotlights overhead were the stage of his newest challenge, and he swallowed down his nerves as the door snicked and their male instructor smiled warmly at them. Old sweat, rubber-soled shoes, and a melody of different perfumes created a unique and vivid fragrance in the spacious room.

He tried not to watch himself in the mirror, unsure how to act or compose his expression when he was so far out of his comfort zone. 

"The song you chose is just darling, Manon! I kept it simple as you requested, and as it's slow, it should not take more than a few weeks to master it." The amber-eyed man said, and Jake looked to Manon as she smiled back.

"Good, thank you, Kieran. This is Jake."

Jake smiled as Kieran held his hand out for him to shake. He let go of Manon to shake it and immediately entwined their fingers once the man resumed his teacher stance, hands clasped behind his back in the mirror as he faced them.

They listened as Kieran ran through what their first lesson entailed. Jake focused like he would be interrogated on it, while Manon seemed eager to get on with it. Another instructor was called in, a woman this time, and their song began to play as Kieran and Sasha performed the slow dance he would soon be attempting with his two left feet.

It looked simple enough. Still, when the final words faded away and Sasha left again, his heart lodged in his throat as he and Manon were told to follow Kieran in a quick warm-up. He felt like a prized idiot as he robotically shook his limbs out, gyrated his hips, and stretched his body.

Manon was in her element, utterly shameless as she flung herself about and laughed, the sound like church bells as his own mouth curled in answer. She grabbed his hands, swinging their joined arms, and spreading them out like wings, coming so close he could scent the mint she was sucking as she giggled, and sprang away as he stopped frowning and started to loosen up.

He wasn't smiling yet, but he didn't feel like he was being set up for a hidden camera show any longer. After a few minutes, Kieran ended the warm-up, eyes on Jake as he straightened.

"You look as if I asked you to murder someone's dog, Jake. It's a dance. You're not landing a plane. You need to feel it."

Manon's small hand slid into his, squeezing three times in silent declaration, and his eyes flew to her. It had been a long time since either of them used their secret code. Something on his pained face must've caught her attention, and he calmed slightly at her gesture, remembering her promise that if he hated it, they would quit.

For her, he focused as Kieran directed them into the correct stance and put their hands and arms in the proper places on each other's bodies. Manon would be close the entire dance, only a few spins during the chorus and end notes, and he relaxed further as her little hand flexed in his, her other on his shoulder.

She smiled up at him as his fingers on her waist rubbed her skin. Kieran pushed them closer and stood back.

They were marionetted through the first verse, Kieran guiding their movements, over and over until Jake's head swam. He loosened up a little more when he didn't trip, and he silently repeated the steps until they were the only things in his head.

Their instructor counted them along, time slipping by like ice melting in summer, and he only stepped on Manon's toes twice when Kieran started the song to see if they could follow his instructions while it played.

"I get undertones of sadness when I think about the moments that I never got to spend with you.."

"Keep your feet close, but not touching. Think of it like there's a cord around you both. It tightens as you get close and loosens as you spin her out, wrapping her back into you as you sweep her around the floor." Kieran said firmly, restarting the song for the third time as Manon moved too fast, and he was too slow to wheel her back in. 

"'Cause the moon don't pick sides, and the sun won't resign until you're by my side..."

Kieran's counting clashed with Jake's internal timekeeping: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, repeated until he couldn't hear the song anymore. Manon seemed determined to use the lesson as a way to rile him, rubbing against him as he drew her in and holding eye contact as his hands slid up her back.

She dipped back, hair trailing over the floor as his hands nearly lost their grip, and he jerked her back up, laughing breathlessly as she pressed in so close he felt her thumping heartbeat in his chest. He knew she was trying to distract him from stressing he was ruining everything, and he appreciated her dirty one-track mind more than he could ever explain.

Kieran chuckled, righted their form, and made them go again, shouting corrections whenever their hands or feet slipped.

"Hold her like she's the most precious thing in this world; release her, knowing she's coming right back, and she's yours forever!"

"He's not a stripper pole, Manon! This is romantic, airy, and sweet, not Dirty Dancing – though you should try that one day!"

"Hands! They should glide, not jump!"

"Watch his feet...watch her feet! And watch your own damn feet while you're at it!"

"Don't let your arms flop. Keep the frame strong but not stiff. Look in each other eye's; he's all that matters, and so is she. This is about you two, not anyone watching you."

Two hours passed by in a blur of mistakes and corrections. His nerves vanished as Manon grinned up at him like he'd hung the moon and stars for her.

That smile was worth all the stress, and he couldn't help but return it.

They went over that small section so many times that Jake worried he'd remember it on his deathbed and would dream of himself in this studio for the foreseeable as Kieran called an end to the lesson.

"That wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good, either. The foundations are there, though. I'll see you next week. Keep practicing at home. I'll know if you don't." The man winked as they said their farewells and left the building.

~*~

Manon couldn't make her smile fall as she drove them away from the studio and deeper into Colville. Traffic had thinned while they'd been locked in that studio, dancing for what felt like their lives as Kieran judged their every move. They'd picked the song together, wanting to find something that encapsulated how they felt about each other, it had taken weeks to settle and she was shocked it wasn't a Taylor song when they finally did.

Still, she loved it and the memories it held for them. Jake's confused voice cut through her dreamy thoughts of pretty songs and extraordinary dancing.

"I thought we were going home?"

"We will. Just not tonight. I thought you'd need a drink after going through that for me, so I booked us a night in a fancy hotel with an overpriced bar so we could drink. I can thank you properly for doing the lesson." She turned and winked at him, his soft smile making her heart flutter as she traversed the city streets at a snail's pace.

"You didn't have to, but thank you," He smirked, eyes aglow and simmering slow as she smiled and spied the hotel ahead.

She made sure the lessons were on Fridays so they could spend some time together afterward and escape the constant parade of their kindhearted friends for a night. Manon loved them all dearly, but she was torn in all directions as the wedding drew near, and she almost missed the days when someone was out for her blood.

At least then she could either arrest or kill them, but their sweet friends meant well, and she loved them for it, but she was tired of sharing Jake with them all. Manon parked behind the hotel, unbuckling her belt, and reaching for her door, but Jake was already opening it and holding out his hand. She took it and let him haul her out.

Tugged into his firm body, she made to step back and grab the bag she packed from the truck, but Jake's hands slid around her and held her captive, claiming her mouth as she looked up. His supple lips pried hers apart, tongue sliding in and owning hers, pushing her against the car to pin her between him and the metal slowly warming to her body behind her.

It was sheer bliss, a sweet undoing as her hands curled into the hair at his nape, and he dragged her hips to grind into the hard length hidden under his pants. He kissed her until she was panting, heart, beating like a drum, and heat flashed through her so strongly she whined as he broke away, breathing hard himself and watching her flustered face with a sly eye.

"Thank you for not laughing every time I messed up," He murmured, leaning in to drag his lips across hers and stepping away so suddenly she nearly slid to the ground.

Her heart twisted, knowing how strongly messing up affected him. Screwing up meant his death if he had messed up while on the run and she knew it still ate at him, an instinct he hadn't fully shaken off despite saying goodbye to the past that once made him an outcast.

Her voice was delicate as she replied, "Jake, love, I would never laugh at you for trying your best. I fucked it up as well. If anyone does laugh at you, tell me, and I'll make sure their last words are an apology as they bleed out over your feet," She swore with a vehemence that made him chuckle darkly and grab hold of her.

"You're a vicious little thing," He muttered, voice low and deep as he kissed her smirking mouth.

"Only for you, come on, we have a room inside with a huge bed, let's go make it ours," She teased, shimmying in his hold as he groaned and his hands at her hips fell away, she pranced off on weak knees to grab the bag from the trunk. It only contained a change of clothes for the bar and some toiletries; they would be checking out by lunch the next day, and she saw no point in bringing anything more when they could buy it in the city.

Jake held the hotel door open for her and took the bag as she passed, her eyes rolling playfully as he played the gentleman and not the cocky lover who destroyed and remade her every time he got his hands on her. There were many facets to Jacob Allwood, and she adored every single one of them.

A bored young man checked them in, slid their room key across the desk, and hurried them away so he could get back to reading the comic Manon spied hiding under his guestbook. Jake took her hand as she took the key, and they were guided to the elevator by a man in a fancy uniform.

The hotel was where the wealthy came to play, and she had a sneaking suspicion they would get more than they bargained for tonight. Jake wouldn't let her go and kept her close as he eyed the cameras in the elevator with a keen eye. He pushed the button for their floor, gaze skipping over anything electronic, but she was lost in thoughts of nakedness and alcohol-infused sex.

She was impatient, skin tingling, and sensitive as they came to a stop. The doors opened, and she led Jake out at a march and quickly found their door. Hovering the key over the pad on the door until it clicked, Manon grinned as she shoved it open, and they walked inside.

Jake made sure it was locked before following her, finding her staring at the massive bed and plush furnishings. Everything reeked of money, from the furniture to the flooring, and even the view of the city looked like a paid advertisement for Colville as she blinked out at the darkening city.

Jake's reflection in the window approached her, arms enveloping her from behind as he kissed her neck and sighed happily.

"I couldn't live here, but it's nice for a night," She whispered, the hushed quiet making her speak softly as Jake rested his chin on her shoulder.

"It's good for getting lost in and remaining hidden, but I hated living amongst so many people. Packed in like sardines, forced to pay a higher cost for the privilege." Jake bemoaned, and her throat thickened. Her lusty mood forgotten at the reminder of how he had to survive to make it to her side and learn to live.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think – we can go home if you -" She tried, twisting in his hold to search his face, but he interrupted, head shaking as she faced him and saw nothing but quiet joy in his lapis eyes.

"No, Manon. There is a difference this time. I'm not alone, afraid, and starving. I'm with you, and I haven't been afraid since." He said so sincerely her silly woman's heart wobbled in its bone cage.

"Let's replace some of those memories with something good," She nodded at him decisively, smiling as she went on, "Get changed, and you can chill while I throw my hair up and get dressed."

He let her go, and she strode to the bed where he dumped their bag and slid the zipper open, taking their clothes out and handing Jake his as she took hers into the bathroom along with her makeup bag. His eyes dilated as he eyed the black shirt and dark jeans she picked out; she knew he wouldn't want anything too fancy or restrictive.

They were there for fun, not work.

She practically floated as she swiped on some kiss-proof red lipstick, touched up her eyeliner, and lightly powdered any shiny spots caused by dancing and hot lights. Her crown of braids, loose and messy, she wanted Jake's hands up in the pearly strands before night's end, hid the fact she spent the last few hours sweating. She put her dress on last.

The pale fabric shimmered like sunlight on snow as she slithered into it, thin straps showing off her scars, and the open back revealed some of the markings on her back.

Any self-consciousness she might've felt slipped away as she left the bathroom and caught Jake on his phone, his gaze drawn to her like she were the sun as he took her in, and the heat in it removed the chill from her pebbled skin as she slid her feet into her heels. He made to touch her as she stood before him, but she danced back.

"Not yet. I want to disgust everyone downstairs. Save it for then," She laughed as he scowled, licking his plump bottom lip as he fiddled with his phone and shoved it in his back pocket as he rose.

"You are a wicked, wicked woman, Manon. You'll pay for that." His threat sounded more like a promise to Manon, and delicious anticipation filtered through her bloodstream. Needing him never seemed to go away, and as they took the elevator downstairs, her heart thudded under her sparkly dress.

The parting of the doors revealed the opulent hotel lobby. Jake helped her out first and took another look at the cameras before she tugged him across the gleaming marble floors and into the low-lit bar. It was just a bar, yet everyone else put on their best impressions of upstanding citizens.

Men in suits finer than any jewelry savored short glasses of top-shelf liquor, women wearing five-figure cocktail gowns demurely sipped crystal glasses of golden bubbly liquid, and even the bartender wore a shirt, tie, and vest.

They stood out, but neither cared as they snagged a table way off in a shaded corner with plush leather sofas as chairs. She sat down, cold leather on her bare thighs stealing a hiss from her as Jake left to get them drinks.

He came back with a dry martini for her, with three olives and some bourbon for him, as well as a few shots of something bright blue that he split between them.

"Shots? What exactly do you plan to do to me?" She snickered, clinking her tiny shot-glass against his and tossing it back, the cold burn causing her face to twist, and her body shivered as Jake chuckled beside her.

"You'll see." He said simply, washing the taste of the shot away with a mouthful of his bourbon.

Conversations continued around them, voices competing with the woman playing piano and singing somewhere ahead of them. They sat, engrossed in each other, barely noticing as their drinks were replenished whenever they ran dry. Date nights were a priority for them, heaven-spun times of pure pleasure and delight, nights they could appreciate their love had become part of the reality they wove together.

They acted like lovesick teenagers, hands touching, his branding her thigh and hers snaking anywhere she could reach as alcohol warmed them through and heightened the desire so prevalent between them. Chaste kisses turned into bruising ones, locked in an opaque bubble in that dark corner as everyone else pretended they weren't judging them.

Manon didn't care; she would never see these people again, and they suffered, fought, and bled to be there that night. She wouldn't waste a second worrying about some haughty looks.

Jake's caution fell away as he sank his drinks, getting real handsy as she wriggled and giggled as he tickled her inner thighs with teasing touches. Two hours passed, the night in full swing as Jake rose to let her out, and she hurried to the ladies' room, ignoring the curious eyes of a redhead touching up her nude lipstick in the fancy vanity mirrors.

She quickly relieved herself, washing and drying her hands as a group of older women burst through the door. She slipped out after them, making a beeline for Jake, who was typing on his phone and grinning, setting it face up on the table as she appeared at his side.

Once she was seated again, she asked, "Everything okay?" She was worried that one of their friends was bothering him because she had turned her phone off.

"Perfect. Steve finished the last of the paperwork, is all," Jake hedged, not meeting her eye. Still, she didn't get a chance to question him as fresh drinks were brought over, and he resumed feeling her up and whispering dirty things in her ear.

If his goal was to rile her, taunt her until she dropped to her knees and begged, he was a master at work. Fingers touched any bare skin she had on display, lovingly stroking over her scars and his liquor-stained lips, tasting the skin of her neck as she encouraged him, offering more of her throat for his hungry mouth to mark. Her flimsy underwear was soon damp, and heat spiraled through her.

A sumptuous weightlessness seeped into her bones, twitching and ready to mount him as she brushed her hand over the front of his jeans to draw a groan from him. It was a test of endurance, she realized, to see who would be the first to call off their farce of a date and skip to the part where he was fucking her against some wall or on the floor, too crazed to make it to their bed.

Jake left to go to the bathroom when he finished his bourbon, and she downed the last of her martini, skipping on tottery heels to stand beside the gent's toilet door and wait for him to come out.

As he strode out, eyes searching for her over at their table until she fell into step with him and wound her arm through his, pressing into his side as he jumped and met her eye, head shaking as she directed them out of the bar. He slipped his arm free of hers, slinging it over her shoulder as he pulled out his phone and led her to the elevator.

The well-dressed operator hit the button to close the door, and she looked at Jake's screen to see... nothing she understood as they ascended, and he put it away again after tapping a few times.

She opened her mouth to ask what was so interesting, but his free arm shot out, palm punching the emergency stop and counting under his breath, "3,2,1.”

The lights went out, she gripped the railing as they came to a juddering stop, and the emergency battery-powered lights came on and bathed them in a red glow. Her heart raced, blood coursing through her veins so fast she was dizzy, and she could feel it in her ears, a thread of nerve-straining anticipation making her hands shake.

He turned to her, smirking as he backed her into the mirrored corner.

His knee shoved her legs apart, hands braced on the railing on either side of her hips as he lowered his mouth to whisper on to her parted lips, "We have 10 minutes before they figure out what I've done. I want to hear you scream before the lights come back on. That sound good to you?"

He ran his nose down her bared neck, inhaling her skin and tickling her with his long lashes before he lifted his head to hear her answer.

"The cameras?" She asked in a strangled voice, not truly caring as he smiled like a wolf.

"Don't worry about it. They're gone, and I cut their access to the intercom to give us time. I didn't hear a yes, Sweetheart."

Her slickness became a torrent of need at the dark confidence in his voice, body trembling as he stared into her and saw all her filthy thoughts play out live in her gaze. Knowing he planned this since their arrival, Manon shuddered as liquid heat pooled thick and fast between her legs. How in the world did she ever get so lucky?

She was cornered, completely at his mercy, and she was wholly at peace with it, rejoiced in it. 

"You are – I don't even know. Yes -" Everything she planned to say disappeared as his mouth crushed to hers, and he lifted her onto the railing, standing between her parted legs as he plundered her mouth.

The last thing she saw before closing her eyes was her legs locking around his waist in the mirror and her hand wrapping around the back of his neck; scarlet light sneaking through her closed lids made it all the more exciting as her heart galloped.

Fast and brutal, he wasted no time with foreplay or teasing, fingers tracing the shape of her wet folds through the lace covering her, and growled into her mouth at what he found waiting for him. His hand fell away, tongue playing with hers as he unzipped his jeans, and her blood fizzed, whimpering into his mouth as she imagined him palming his lovely cock.

A fire built so hot inside her that sweat beaded her skin, and her essence flooded her underwear, tensions so thick between them she could have reached out and touched it.

Trading her whines for his groans, he possessed her mouth, his hand weaving through her braids and tongue flicking hers; she was panting and frantic before long. His fingers shoved her underwear aside, dipping in her folds, testing her readiness before he replaced his hand with the fat crown of his cock and taunted her with it.

She pulled his hair, snarling into their ravenous kiss, and clung to him as he lifted her away from the railing and shoved her against the mirrored wall again. Awkward at first, he lined up with her, sliding in inch by glorious inch, so tight it hurt them both at first as her inner walls contracted.

She trembled in his arms as he swallowed down her feral noises, smirking as his beard scraped her skin, and she rolled her hips to ease the pressure, making her feel out of control as he slowly worked her open.

Slow, shallow drags of his thick cock made her soften, essence sliding from her as the pain turned to pleasure so exquisite she couldn't breathe through it. Idly aware of time running away, she moved with him as his thrusts became deep, intense plunges inside her soaked cunt, and he wouldn't let her stop the kiss, wanting to taste every moan she made, she thought.

His strength always thrilled her, lifting her effortlessly and fucking her higher up the wall as she opened her eyes to watch in the mirrors as he made her body disintegrate. Her hands raked up his back as he snapped into her, wet and taut, dripping and shaking as flame licked through her and pleasure replaced the blood in her veins.

The alcohol made everything feel incredible, so riled and ready she knew it wouldn't take much for her to fall.

He broke away from her lips, plunging his cock so deep she keened and clutched his shoulders as her legs were boneless, and she didn't trust they'd keep her upright as he ground into her, her warbling moan making his ruby light-tinged eyes glitter.

"You're close, Manon. I've barely fucked you yet," he smirked, snapping his hips and looking her in the eye as she writhed. Doing it again when she cried out.

Her voice had all the substance of smoke as she whispered, "In my mind, you've been fucking me all night."

His smile was nothing short of salacious as he hefted her up and impaled her on his rigid cock, and he was buried so deeply in her weeping cunt she tossed her head back and screamed. It seemed to please him, repeating the move to utterly destroy her, and make her babble words that made very little sense. 

"I need you to hang on tight; we don't have long," he muttered, his voice heavy with gluttony and pride. He waited for her jerky nod to kiss her again.

Every rough thrust provoked her desire, inflaming her inside and flooding her greedy cunt with essence, inner walls gripping him like she was afraid he'd slip away. Resplendent and gorgeous, his cock taunted her slick flesh as his mouth assaulted hers, it was more like fighting than fucking, and her blood was molten in her veins.

Pressure and heat twined through her, coiling so tightly she whimpered as his tongue chased hers, and all she saw was crimson light despite shutting her eyes. It was impossible to watch him claiming her; it made her feel unhinged, and she would crawl through the fires of hell just to feel him make her body his own. Nails cut into his shoulders as he rattled her, cock splitting her in half as she squeezed her thighs around his hips, and the tension inside her drew too tight.

Arousal pulsed in her core, cunt fluttering around his length, cock hitting all the right places as he stretched her, and she rolled her hips to take him deeper. His merciless rhythm was erratic and savage as he felt how close she was, her hand falling between them to find her clit and give the pressure within her somewhere to go.

Slippery fingers traced that bundle of nerves, hips rocking in time with his cock as he filled her again and again. Blood rushed to her cunt, cheeks, and chest flaming as she circled her clit, and the fire in her abdomen spread out and under her skin.

She lost all composure as she ignited. Like he struck a match, she went up like kindling, back arching as it overwhelmed her, and Jake smiled into their kiss as her cunt clenched around his cock.

Quivering and stealing his air, she came hard and fast, her orgasm so strong even he shook with it as he followed her into bliss. Slamming into her until he was spent, she howled as the seal on her mouth broke, and he bit down on her furious pulse and tattooed her name into the fragile skin with his tongue to soothe the hurt.

Her inner walls flickered in time with her pounding heart as stars wheeled across her vision and danced across her sweat-prickled skin. Delirium and drink made her clumsy and her mind devoid of anything but how good she felt.

They stayed like that until Jake breathed something in her ear that had her preening and them scrambling to right themselves and hide what they had been up to.

"Thirty seconds to spare. Good girl, well done."

And he was correct. The lights came on exactly when he said they would, a voice came over the speaker to tell them the fault was now fixed and they could press the button for their floor again, and the elevator slowly climbed to their room.

She doubted she could walk, holding onto Jake and the railing as they came to a stop and the doors opened. He took one smug look at her and her thighs that she clamped together and swept her up in his arms, carrying her to their room and making her cry his name many, many times before the sun came up.

~*~

Chapter Text

~*~

~*~

Ten months before the wedding

Manon woke abruptly, panic clawing up her neck and heart bouncing off her ribs as Jake’s pained shout echoed in her sleep-dulled ears. Her gaze flew to him. His eyes moved rapidly under his eyelids, mouth working and clenching shut, hands fisted in the sheets as sweat slid down his face—or maybe tears.

A whimper left her at the thought as he writhed and moaned. She shook out of her panic and swiped the wetness away from his stubbled face. Her quivering hands fluttered over him as his breathing became erratic. She shook his shoulder. You weren’t supposed to wake a dreaming person; it could make them remember the dream more vividly, but she was unnerved.

He had more than a few sleepless nights while virtually gunning for everyone after him every day. His only other case was a cold one they’d agreed to take on together.

Well-versed in the demons of dark dreams, Manon was helpless as Jake struggled and whined low in his throat, animalistic and heartwrenching. It tore something deep inside her as his legs thrashed and his jaw ticked. His teeth gritted so hard, their grinding made her worry he’d snap them, and her hands trembled as she smoothed them over his cold, sweat-damp face.

Soothing words tripped off her tongue, going rigid when he went still and held his breath. A too long moment, her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she cooed at him, telling him he was safe and loved, he was free and could leave this terror whenever he wanted.

It fell on deaf ears; he was locked inside it, and she felt useless as he jolted and let out a sound so pitiful tears stung the back of her eyes.

“Manon...” he whimpered, so much anguish and agony in that one word, her throat thickened, and she got up on her knees to hover over him.

Laying a hand over his frothing heart, she muttered, “I’m right here. Come on, love. I’m here. Come find me.”

A too-loud gasping breath, his hands pulled and twisted the sheets, muscles straining, and she stupidly worried he’d tear them in half if he didn’t wake soon. She finally understood how horrific watching her battle her past in her sleep must’ve been for him, and she hated it.

This wasn’t a foe she could fight for him. Brute force and reckless acts wouldn’t help him, and she didn’t know what to do. She touched him, smoothing shaking fingers over the taut skin of his chest and desperately trying to bring him back to her without scaring him. His breath came in hitched gulps, stuttering and unnatural as his body bowed, and he bared his teeth at the ceiling.

It slowly sunk in as he whimpered her name again. He wasn’t scared for himself; something was happening to her in his dream, and he couldn’t bear it. 

“I’m here. Come here, love. You’re safe, and I am, too. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She pleaded, heart bleeding as a tear slipped free of his screwed eyes.

No, she couldn’t watch it anymore. He was in pain, and it killed her. She wanted to wash it away and make sure he only knew peace. She mounted him; his knuckles turned white as he clawed at the sheets, and his whimpering sound was like nails on a chalkboard.

He barely reacted as she settled her weight atop his flinching body; she needed to wake him and end his torment. Straddling him, she slammed her palms down on his hard chest, yelling his name and imploring him to wake.

“Jake! Wake up, it’s not real! Please!”

Jake heard her fierce and unyielding yelling as he glanced around his tiny dark prison for a crack of light or something that would tell him how to get out. She was out there, and he could do nothing, strapped and bound to a metal chair, blood rolling down his filthy face from the wound in his temple.

The sleekit voices of his captors filtered through the dank air he could barely breathe in. His legs jumped and quaked, a sensation of something pressing down on his chest cut off his air, and his whole body shook again, harder this time. Rocking in time with the motion, Jake’s stomach roiled, and the buttery, iron-rich tang of blood at the back of his throat made his stomach fill with bile.

Manon’s curt tone cut through his panicking, fighting against his bonds. He snarled, biting down on his cheek too hard and spitting a mouthful of blood on the wet floor, and it bled like a bitch as he struggled to get free. Her sardonic laugh lifted the hair on the back of his neck, going very still as her measured steps came to a stop outside his cage, and she taunted the men holding him captive.

Half in the nightmare, back inside that shipping container, beaten and broken, while Manon was outside, surrounded by his enemies, utterly alone. And his heart fucking sprinted in his chest as her smart-ass mouth opened, and she gifted her soon-to-be killers with a witches curse.

“Ah, I see. Thanks for the lesson, boys. I hope you get exactly what you deserve.”

No. He couldn’t take it.

He started screaming.

Voice tearing from him like an unearthly howl, and he thrashed violently, knocking himself and the chair over, landing with a grunting thud in a puddle of freezing, stinking, standing water.

His scream echoed off the metal walls, bouncing back at him and mocking him as he lay there like discarded rubbish. Manon’s taunting laugh cut off, her silence more terrifying than anything he’d lived through. 

It was wrong.

His world was her, her voice the only thing he ever wanted to hear, her fierce refusal to let anything break her couldn’t be snuffed out so easily, and a world without her wasn’t one he could endure.

He was nothing if not stubborn, and he couldn’t succumb to despair now. He compelled his breathing to calm, feeling the rope binding his hands, slick with his blood as his wrists burned and rubbed raw, rope biting into his torn skin. A light appeared on the horizon, a mere pinprick, but he focused on it.

It was like swimming through molasses; the hands of darkness gripped him tight, slowing his escape, and he feared they’d drag him down forever if he let them.

A gunshot cracked through the shadows, Manon’s cry of pain so real his head emptied, and everything inside him went cold, ice water replacing his blood as his mind flickered between reality and nightmares. A muffled thud and someone slapping his face, anger ignited so fast the shadows had no chance as it lit him up and he raced for the shimmering surface that would take him out of this horrid place.

As a dark bedroom appeared in his vision, he swam for it and didn’t stop, didn’t allow the demons running around beneath his feet a chance to drag him back down.

Manon angrily swiped tears of powerlessness away as Jake spasmed and groaned, an edge to the fear now, her stomach a mess of acid and anxiety as his eyelids shivered and his mouth flattened, lips going white.

He went still, muscles trembling as he strained. His breathing stopped, hers hitched, and hopelessness washed over her as she leaned in close, trying a more gentle route as shaking and slapping him wasn’t working.

She brushed her lips over his, pressing in hard when his mouth parted, and he sucked in a breath. A relieved noise, a cross between a whine and a chuckle, slipped from her as she tried it again and tentatively pried his lips apart. 

Suddenly, he grabbed her and reared up.

She was flat on her back, hands pinned above her head as his wild eyes stared through her, and she panted heavily as his weight bore her into the mattress.

The dream still held him prisoner, his grip on her wrists tightening so much she winced as her bones groaned and bitched their complaints. Her heart rattled violently in her chest as no recognition shone in those magnificent eyes. Just horror and desperation, she didn’t struggle and lay unmoving as sleep slowly cleared from his gaze and the whites of his eyes glinted brightly. 

She said, keeping her voice soft and slow, “Jake, it’s me, love. You’re safe.

The painful hold he had on her wrists slackened, recognition finally flared in his gaze, and he shuddered so ferociously her entire body shook with it.

He released her, slumping back on his haunches as she eyed him, and her fingers tingled to touch him, but he scrubbed roughly at his face with a hand, silver sheened his royal blue gaze as he dropped it and he picked at his nails, wouldn’t meet her eye as his ragged voice threatened to break her heart.

“I’m so sorry, Manon. I am so sorry… did I hurt you?” he breathed, voice weak and pitiful, face drained of all color as she forced herself to smile reassuringly.

“Enough of that. I’m fine. Do you want to talk about it?”

Remorse limned every line of his body, eyes so hollow she wanted to sob as they locked on her, and the desolation in them near floored her as he shook his head and rolled off her.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his back to her, shoulders curling in as he dropped his head in his hands and heaved a sigh so full of sorrow she wished she had someone to fight to make it go away. Scrambling to sit up, she did the only thing she could think to do.

Plastering herself to his back, she slid her hands over his tense shoulders to settle on his chilled chest and gave him the heat of her body. Sluggish and gentle, she caressed him, touching any skin she could reach and holding her breath as he shook and leaned into it. 

His voice cracked, a lump in her throat as she listened, “No, I can’t talk about it, Manon. It’ll make it real, and I can’t – I can’t -” She thought his neck would break as he shook his head, breath bursting in and out of him, and she felt everything as if it were happening to her.

“Shh, love, okay. We won’t talk about it.” Her fingers tapped his skin, her chin on his shoulder as she hunted for something to comfort him.

He looked like a ghost, and it frightened her. He was so close to locking away the last of his demons, and they were fighting back in a Hail Mary attempt to keep him trapped with them.

She knew it well, had gone through it for years, and he had witnessed it more than once. Coming to a decision, she pressed a kiss into his bristled jaw and hurried off the bed, retrieving her old silk robe off the floor and slipping it on as she padded to the door.

His voice stopped her, hand on the doorknob as she turned back to him, the war in his eyes driving a barbed blade into her heart.

“Where are you going?”

Her heart clenched, voice tight as she replied, “I’m going to get you something warm to drink, and then we’ll watch stupid movies in bed until the sun comes up.”

He was partial to old nineties action movies with terrible acting and cringeworthy dialogue. She would happily watch nothing else for the rest of their lives if it made the hollowness in his expression go away.

She saw the words in his eyes from where she stood; he didn’t want to be alone.

“You can come with me, and we’ll camp in the living room?” She offered, smiling gently as he immediately nodded and clumsily rose to his feet.

She watched as he hunted for his boxers, shoving them on as she turned away. Now wasn’t the time to admire him. He didn’t bother grabbing a shirt as he ran a hand through his wild hair. She moved to open the door as he approached, but she was seized, hauled into him, and held so tightly she worried she would shatter as his hands roamed over her, and she had the curious notion he was searching for a wound or injury.

His fear hadn’t been for him.

She knew it for certain now. Clinging to him, she let him feel and closed her eyes against the searing emotion demanding an outlet as he loosed a relieved sound and three airy words were spoken into her hair.

“I love you.”

“I’m safe. It wasn’t real. I love you, too. I always will,” she replied, her voice laden with melancholia. She listened to his erratic heart beating wildly under her ear as he held her.

She studied his face when he loosened his hold; the shadows clinging to the edges of his sapphire eyes flashed and danced. She hated it. He didn’t deserve to suffer losing everything he loved over and over again, whether in dreams or real life. He’d lost enough, and she wanted to conquer the darkness in him as she took his hand to lead him downstairs.

He followed like a puppy, limbs heavy and thumping as they hurried downstairs. She reached the kitchen doorway, eyes locked on the coffee machine and the heavenly nectar it could give them, but he called her name.

“Manon?”

She turned, her brows rising in silent question, and waited as he swallowed hard. His jaw could cut glass as he said, “I need you to sit with me for a while. It’s all going round in my head, and I can’t stand it.”

Her hummingbird heart lost its wings as she nodded, hurting for him as she followed him into the living room. He didn’t let her go as he lay down on his side on the massive sofa, leaving room for her as he pulled her down.

She went to put her back to him, expecting his usual spooning so he could feel all of her, but he shook his head and urged her to face him, staring right into the soul of her as she settled down.

They were tangled together, legs and arms like bindings around each other, skin and silk sticking as his hands smoothed over her back.

How long they lay like that, nothing but the wind and trees shivering outside to witness as Jake pieced himself back together and needed her warmth to do it; she didn’t bother to check as he stared into her like she was the only thing keeping him afloat.

The silence grew too loud, and she had to fill it, take his mind off whatever he saw, and vanquish the cloak of despair hanging over him. 

“When I was a little girl, I used to have these dreams. They weren’t terrifying, but they were for me. I would come home from school, and Dad greeted me like normal, setting dinner on the table as I did my homework. But a woman was there. I didn’t really know her, but I knew her from photos. My mother.” She whispered, unsure why she was telling him about an old nightmare when he was still living one, but he was intently focused on her, his breathing slowing as he did.

She kept going, anything to stop him from thinking he’d lost her, “She would sit beside me, and Dad acted completely normal like this was an everyday thing. But even in my dreams, I knew it was wrong. I knew she was dead and shouldn’t be there. I questioned her, demanding to know who she really was while Dad tried to pretend all was well. My mother never blinked or answered, and I remember getting so angry I’d wake up crying. Confused and terrified because no one would acknowledge she wasn’t supposed to be there. When I eventually told my dad about them, he looked so heartbroken I regretted ever mentioning it. They stopped as I grew up, and it wasn’t until I lost my dad that I understood them.” She paused, mind whirring as she willingly went back to those horrific first weeks after her dad’s death.

“I don’t need to know if you can’t speak it, Sweetheart,” he muttered, eyes softening a shade, and she smiled softly, shaking her head as she got the rest of it out of her.

“They say spirits haunt the places they lived because of unfinished business. I don’t know if you believe in that, but I do, and my dreams weren’t my mom visiting me because she never knew me. It was my own guilt. I felt guilty that I never knew her and that I was here, but she wasn’t. I saw my dad’s grief every day and how he never loved again. He only had me. And then I lost him, and he haunted my dreams. You know how that goes, but my mom… I was always told I was so much like her. It was a guilt I didn’t know I carried. I don’t know what you saw, but I know it was about me. If you’re feeling remorseful about staying with me or something equally foolish, stop it. You deserve to be happy, Jake. To be free to live how you want and do what you want. I don’t give a fuck what you do to get there. As long as I’m by your side when you do it, I don’t care. I knew what I was signing up for when we got together. Nothing will take me from you now. I think I’ve proved that.” She winked, watching as his eyes dilated and dipped to her mouth.

He didn’t speak for so long that she worried he’d gone into some form of stasis, but he blinked, licked his lips, and said, “If you got hurt because of me -“

“No. We’re not doing this again. If I get hurt, it will be because of my actions- not yours. Don’t make me thump you,” she snapped, forcing a smirk at the end to soften her words as his mouth tried to curl at the corners.

His hands slid up her back, knee between her thighs pushing hers apart as he tugged her against him and sighed, “I’m sorry. I look at you, and you’re everything, everything to me. The thought of losing you or you being hurt to get to me… Manon, I’d rather be beaten bloody daily than imagine that. You’ve bled enough. I can’t stand the thought of you giving more for me.”

Now she was angry, eyes narrowing and voice hardening as she dug her hand in his hair and pulled it hard enough he hissed, “I’ll give whatever I want for you. It’s my choice. But it won’t happen. They’re locked away, awaiting trial, and they can’t get to us anymore. It’s almost over. In a few more weeks, you’ll be free forever. Don’t worry about tomorrow when you have enough to handle now.”

The fingers on her hip cut in, his thigh rubbing between her legs, and she bit back a shiver as his eyes turned dark, and he murmured, “No matter what I say, you have an answer… I’ve been free since the day you dropped into my life, Sweetheart.”

The nickname made her blood race.

She ignored it the first time as the hopeless look on his face froze it before it could take root. The life had returned to his singular eyes, bright and electric as they latched on to hers, red smoke hazing the vibrant blue.

Still, she tried not to let it show, ignoring the ever-smoldering embers low in her belly as she spoke.

“If that’s true, stop beating yourself up for things we settled months ago.”

His half smile widened to a wicked grin, gaze trained on her mouth, and she had the sudden urge to plead for mercy as he rolled them, settling on top of her. Mouth an inch from hers, her nose invaded by his alluring scent, and her hands already shaking as they clung to his neck.

“You are a bossy little thing. Cheeky. Always right. And I love you for it.” He chuckled, brushing his lips over hers as she held herself still.

“Good. Prove it,” she challenged. The fire was instantly back in his eyes; it lit the flames of her desire as he licked at the seam of her lips, and she opened to let him in, sighing into his mouth as his tongue played lazily with hers.

The weight of his body, the scalding heat pouring from him, and his insistent mouth played her expertly as she went pliant under him. As always, she lost herself in his kiss. Sublime heat and delicious, maddening tension built so fast she couldn’t breathe, but this wasn’t about her.

She couldn’t be selfish and had to ensure he knew she was safe and loved him. Working her hand between them, slipping inside his boxers, she wrapped it around his rapidly hardening cock. She smiled into the kiss as he groaned, hips jerking into her hand.

Sex had been the last thing on her mind when they came downstairs. Still, he clearly needed to feel something other than fright. She was willing to give him her body if it would banish those sadistic shadows still lurking in his lovely eyes.

She stroked him the way he liked, loose then firm, twisting her wrist as she reached the head of him and swiping her thumb over the drop of moisture already waiting for her at the tip.

He came back to life under her influence, mouth crushing hers, and he tasted like home as she enjoyed the heavy, silken feel of his cock in her palm. She was happy to get him off in her hand, ignoring the desire slowly burning in her core if it would help him find real rest and relief. But Jake was never happy unless she was a writhing mess as well.

His kiss turned voracious, her every nerve electrified as his hand slid along her thigh, hooking around her knee to yank it up to his waist. Fingers slipped and skidded over her hip, around her back, and down the curve of her ass, blunt nails cutting into her skin.

He taunted her folds with phantom touches, delving between the cleft of her ass to dabble in the wetness gathering amongst her folds and spreading it around, smirking against her mouth as she shivered and sighed.

Her hand stilled, position too awkward to stroke his cock as he gradually rolled them, her on top as he grabbed handfuls of her ass and silently urged her to spread her thighs wider.

She wanted to look after him, erase the nightmare with her touch, and care for him like he did for her. Still, it was almost impossible to withdraw from his sinful mouth and talented fingers, tracing the shape of her and making more mess between her legs as she murmured and purred.

Sparks, bright and fiery, shot through her veins as he scraped his nails over her ass and jerked his hips, hard cock trapped between them and slipping through her slick folds in an unbearable tease.

As he menaced her tongue with his, she managed to steal back some control, breaking the seal over her mouth and backing away when he chased her lips, smirking as he narrowed his eyes at her.

Dragging her nails down his heaving chest, she cocked her head and said, “You’re always looking after me. Let me take care of you now.”

Jake fought the desire to snatch hold of her and have her twisted under him, breathless and sobbing, utterly out of control as he fucked her. But he saw the need to comfort him in her vivid gaze, a softness she rarely showed, and he found himself nodding as she leaned back in to kiss him so tenderly his throat suddenly went dry.

She started slow, kissing him until he was painfully hard and gripping her hips to keep from burying his cock inside her wet heat, slick against his lower abdomen as she mouthed at his jaw. Laying a path of sucking bites, she worked down his neck, sharp teeth nipping his pounding pulse before dragging her lips over his chest and down his torso, stomach tensing and relaxing as she followed the trail of dark hair to his rigid cock.

Settled between his legs, his heart kicked up as her little warm hand wrapped around his cock and stroked. Her long hair tickled his thighs as she lowered her head and licked a stripe up the solid length of him with the flat of her tongue.

He groaned, rough and ragged, as she did it again, her lips parted as she met his eye and took the crown of his cock into her hot mouth, watching his reactions as he curled his hands into the blankets on the couch. Her hand and lips worked together, cock engulfed in wet heat as she hollowed her cheeks to suck him down, and her hand slid up to meet her mouth.

Her other hand pinned his hip as she worked. She hummed as he hit the back of her throat, his heart stalling and restarting so fast he near blacked out as she relaxed to take more of him, and a feral sound tore free of his chest as she swallowed around him.

Her other hand moved from his hip, cupping and holding his stones close as he sobbed. She played with his restraint as she sucked his cock into her clever mouth, his instinct to own her body was almost impossible to control as she reveled in holding all the power. Heat and electricity twined down his spine, fizzing and burning as he trembled under her care and ran his fingers through her loose hair, moaning as her throat constricted and relaxed around his length.

She made little noises of pleasure as she worked, driving him insane as she delighted in undoing him, and he didn’t have to look to know she was touching herself; her quivering form told him she was.

The thought stole a growl from his chest, long deep drags of her taut lips along his cock and swirling tongue making his body bow as she moaned around him.

“Manon, I need to feel you.” He gritted out as she took him so deep in her throat his eyes crossed, and his vision went dark for a second. She released him with a vulgar popping sound and arched a brow.

“You already are,” she teased, fluttering her tongue against his glistening cock as her other hand moved languorously between her thighs.

Her eyes were heavy-lidded, green irises almost swallowed by black as she teased him and herself. She was the most beautiful when like this, he thought.

Unburdened, pleasure the only goal and love the only ending, he let out a helpless cry as she almost took him into her mouth whole and sucked. Gently teasing teeth, hand, and mouth, moving in tandem to make him sputter and buck his hips into her face, earning a pleased muted moan from her.

Frantic and panting, he could do nothing as she held his gaze, eyes watering and breath harsh as she worked him and herself over, her body undulating in time with her next slippery slide down on his cock. He couldn’t take it; he needed to be the one to get her off first.

Manon’s busy fingers circled her clit as she hollowed her cheeks and tightened her lips around his cock, swallowing him down as he squirmed under her attention. She was so wet, turned on to dangerous levels as her empty cunt complained and clenched, an intolerable ache in her core as her skin pebbled, breath sawing from her as she chased her orgasm.

His lovely cock jumped in her mouth, tongue tapping and licking as she loosed her lips to breathe, a strangled moan trapped in her throat. She managed a few more swipes, release hovering so close her body tensed in preparation, and sucked him back in her mouth, hoping she could take him with her.

The thrumming tension in him told her he was very close to the edge, her smile full of smug pride as he squirmed and sobbed.

It wasn’t to last.

He yanked her off him in a movement so fast and effortless she squealed in utter bewilderment. She couldn’t track his movements, only knew he made them as she threw her head back and yelled out in pain and pleasure as she was brought down hard on his cock.

The world span and blurred as her body absorbed the sudden invasion, voice silenced by the overpowering sensation of being filled completely, and a chill like a many-legged insect skittered down her spine. Trapped and impaled by his powerful hands framing her hips, her fingers and toes twitching and curling at the shock of it.

His feral grin and eyes of smoky darkness watched her struggle, utterly entranced, and the hunger in them bottomless. She fell forward as if hit in the head, short huffs of air leaving her as she whined and tried to breathe through the feeling of her cunt being abruptly stretched. 

“Your face when I take you, I’ve needed to see it since I woke.” He muttered, holding himself still to let her adjust despite the restraint she could see falling apart with every second she pulsed around his cock.

“This was supposed to be about you,” she managed, bending to nip at his lips with a snap of teeth and crying out as his hands lifted her off him in a slow, tight glide of resisting walls, bringing her back down with a grunt.

He chuckled, “It still is. I need to see you come first, Sweetheart.”

She gave a dark laugh, skin too small for her bones, as she said, “You are cruel, evil, and - oh, fuck!”

He never gave her a chance to finish the thought, both moaning as he lifted her again and let gravity do the rest as she slithered back down.

It didn’t seem to matter where they were or why they did this; he always found a way to take the reins and make her shatter. It wasn’t fair how simple it was for him, but it was everything she needed and she could see now that he needed it more.

Still, she found the means to take back control, rolling her hips to stir his cock inside her, cunt slackening and softening as she moved, her thwarted orgasm now terribly close again.

He observed her every reaction closely, eyes darker than a midnight sky and lips puffed and wet from her kisses as she reared backward in an elegant arch.

“I love your filthy mouth,” he growled as she planted her hands on his marble chest and clawed at his skin, “but not as much as I love your pretty cunt.”

She twitched and preened, thrilled by his bold words as she moved relentlessly, speechless and overwhelmed. Like she was every time they were together.

He felt too good, utterly perfect, buried inside her. Made to fit her, she fancifully thought as he helped her move over him. She fell forward again, unable to stay away from his smirking lips. She darted her tongue inside to play with as she rocked and rolled her hips. 

Heat and nerves sparkled over her skin, stomach tensing as she bottomed out, and he was knocked so deep it forced the breath from her as her cunt fluttered around his cock. Whining into his mouth, hand scrabbling down her body to find her clit and send herself flying as his cock jumped inside her.

He was holding back for her. She saw it when she opened her eyes, and his were already open, flame devouring the violet-blue as he met her next slide down with a jab of his hips. There were so many things in his gaze, awe, relief, and sheer delight at watching her come apart at the seams for him. 

“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” he whispered reverently as she let him breathe and redoubled her efforts. Her release sparked its warning, and her essence soaked them both.

Her sob wasn’t entirely one of pleasure as she met his eye and saw the worship in his gaze, glued on her writhing form as her cunt swallowed his cock again and again. Fingers swirling her swollen clit, soaked in her own essence, as she and Jake moved together to send her over the edge.

His tense jaw and quivering hands on her hips held her captive as she erratically bounced over him. Tension so sharp it threatened to slice her in half as her fingers worked that bundle of nerves, and his cock hit that sweet spot inside her that made her keen too loudly.

His eyes held no shadows as she slammed hers shut against the onslaught of sensation he was pulling from her; only a glinting pride shone in that magnificent gaze, lighting her up inside as she gave herself over to the orgasm plucking at the delicate threads of her sanity.

It broke over her in a storm of tingles and shocks, her release a smothered sigh as he pulled her down to his lips to taste her moan, a shuddering breath into his lungs as he held her down and came inside her. Everything intensified by how close he held her, as if afraid she’d slip away in a wisp of smoke and never return.

A rippling growl under her flickering heart, his cock buried so completely she felt every surge of his come as he flooded her depths and her inner walls grasped him in a taut fluttering clasp. She was whining in his hold, body utterly weightless but leaden at the same time, bliss and fatigue settling in as he slowly softened inside her saturated cunt.

When she gathered the strength to break free of his mouth, she hid her face in his neck as she mumbled nonsense into his musky skin.

His hands smoothed down and up her back, prolonging her euphoria and the aftershocks of her release, the wicked feel of him inside her still convulsing cunt driving her to distraction. It was a long time before she calmed, and he found the strength to rearrange them.

Her disgruntled moan as he left her body, making him smirk at her as he settled them in a spooning position. Sticky and exhausted, she barely reacted as he pulled a blanket over them and moved her hair away from her neck to kiss her there. Neither spoke again as sleep lured them in, and the sky outside the cabin window began to lighten from coal to gunmetal. Both smiled as they fell into a dreamless sleep.

Three months later...

Manon bit her nails to the quick, pacing and fretting; her heart was on the other side of the courtroom’s great oak doors.

She’d given her testimony days before; they’d hacked her phone in a last desperate attempt to get to Jake not long before they got engaged, and Jake had been a helion on their tails ever since. So many sleepless nights, sooty thumbprint shadows under his eyes, working every hour under the sun to ensure his pursuers couldn’t weasel out of the charges he stacked against them and trying to plan a wedding at the same time….

It was a lot to worry over and it was all coming to fruition in that courtroom, and she was stuck outside as the verdicts were read. Jake looked beautifully intense when she saw him off that morning, but she could detect his sorrow and stress. His hell might be over, but it still cost him more than he ever wanted to pay. His mother was still gone.

He still hurt for the life he had to lose to get where he was now.

Anxiety was an electrical storm in her brain, painful and terrifying as her heels echoed off the tiled floor, and she paced a tread in it, eyes not settling on anything as she worried. Sighing as the ticking clock on the wall mocked her, her nerves were stretched too far, and she felt as if someone had injected her with extra adrenaline as the clanging of the Judge’s gavel snuck through to the hallway she was in.

It was beyond belief that people were marrying somewhere in the courthouse. At the same time, her love’s future and fate was decided in another room. It didn’t make sense in her garbled mind. Their own wedding plans had slowed to a trickle of late, too tired and buried in work to worry about it as their friends handled it all without them.

Jake hadn’t wanted to marry until his past was set right, and he didn’t have to fear anything happening to her; she agreed despite her wish to start their lives as soon as they could. That morning, she could see the weight already lifting from him, his goodbye kiss one of promise and hope as she waved him off.

She had begged Chris to let her sit in on the proceedings, but she was refused; it wasn’t her case. He wouldn’t let her in out of fear she’d have an outburst if things went against Jake. The thought made her snarl silently as she halted her silly pacing and slumped into the uncomfortable wooden chair, resting her head against the wall and staring at the ceiling.

She imagined Jake’s beautiful face lighting up with a genuine smile as he was finally set free.

Jake glared at the man responsible for ordering his capture and death. Weak, wasting away to bones after months in holding cell as sweat tracked down his wrinkled temple and his usually perfectly coiffed grey hair resembled an abused toilet brush as his pale blue eyes avoided Jake’s.

He stewed as he watched the pathetic specimen whispering to his slimeball lawyer, Steve’s comforting presence beside him the only thing stopping him from opening his mouth and turning the air blue with curses as the former Senator sagged in his seat. The Judge was reading out his charges, felony after felony rapped out, each one making the Senator flinch as Jake smiled slowly and barely listened as lawyers and Judge spoke up.

Steve leaned in, voice little more than a breeze in his ear.

“He’s done. He won’t last a year in prison.”

Jake nodded, never taking his eyes off the insipid old man. His son had already been sentenced. He would never see freedom again, and Jake took great joy from it despite his conflicting emotions about everything else.

It was a bittersweet ending. He did everything he set out to do, ending the threat to Manon and himself, ensuring his mother’s death wasn’t in vain, and he was overjoyed by it.

But part of him still bled and wept for all it had cost him. His mind was with the human hurricane, probably sharpening her claws and scratching at the court doors as she was barred from being with him. The mental image of her feral, dramatic ass snapping at anyone who dared approach her eased his nerves as he tuned back in as the Judge banged his gavel and cleared his throat.

He didn’t dare breathe as he waited for the word to seal his fate or set him free. Everything sounded like it was happening underwater. Only one word got through the furious roar of his blood.

“The court finds the defendant guilty of all charges.”

His entire body froze in place, disbelief radiating through him as his former tormentor turned beetroot and hollered at his lawyer for getting him jailed for the rest of his miserable life.

Jake didn’t know how to feel; a maelstrom of emotions pelted him, and he couldn’t pick one out. The person he wanted by his side when this moment came wasn’t with him, and he itched to go to her and tell her they could marry whenever they wanted now. His eyes stung as he pictured her wobbly smile and flushed face; nothing but happiness in her expression.

He was brought back to reality by Steve, who clapped him on the shoulder, grinning wide as he grabbed him in a bear hug and laughed in his ear, “You won’t feel the relief until tomorrow, but congratulations, man. It’s over.”

It’s over...

His laugh was a tremulous thing as he returned Steve’s hug, both settling back down as the Judge called the room to order and went through the minutia of the sentences and boring things Jake had no interest in now he was solely focused on Manon’s reaction once she knew. It didn’t take as long as it felt to him, but when they were permitted to leave, he bolted from the room, and Steve rolled his eyes as he followed.

The doors opened as he approached, and there she was, frazzled, impatient, and a vision of stunning relief as her feline eyes zoned in on him.

She didn’t care that she almost knocked someone over as she took a running leap for him. He only just managed to catch her as she flew into him, limbs wrapping around him like a present as he chuckled into her hair.

“You’re smiling. That means it went your way,” she said, her voice high and cracking, as her legs tightened around his waist.

He stroked her back and met Steve’s eye, nodding as the man wished them well and left them to it. They’d see him later anyway. People milled around them as they left the court, but he only saw her as she peeled away from his neck to meet his watery eye.

“It did. It’s over, Manon. We’re free.” He breathed, scalding emotion burning his throat as it constricted and made his voice tremble.

Her joy fed into his, blinding and all-consuming as the world faded, and he gave into the need to kiss her, uncaring for where they were.

His burdens floated away at the brush of her tongue. Sweet relief and her silent oath promising him a joyous life were all he could taste. All he ever would taste now the threat was neutralized.

As the chains of his past fell away from his skin and clattered to the floor, never to be worn again, his world shrunk to the woman in his arms.

The future opened like a late summer flower, blooming petals splaying wide as it returned to full, screaming color. No more darkness. No shadows or daggers in the dark, only this.

Her.

Them.

Nothing he ever achieved compared to the love Manon gave him, and she asked for nothing in return except for him. He fought it all for her, for their life together.

And when he set her on her feet, reluctantly ending their ravenous kiss, he took her hand in his and walked outside into the daylight, any remnants of his fear obliterated by the light of the sun and the three squeezes he gave Manon’s hand as they went to his car.

They were on their way home in minutes, hope and giddiness making them act like teenagers as they giggled and chatted. Her smile never slipped, and his ached on his face, but he wouldn’t let it fall as she rattled off all the things they could now do.

All he wanted was to spend it with her, and as the forest enveloped them on all sides, he’d never felt so content as she squeezed his thigh, and he followed the winding road home.

Two weeks before the wedding...

They hadn't long finished dinner, sitting out back watching the sunset as the women sipped red wine and the men chose either beer and bourbon as they discussed the wedding. Manon was happily in Jake's lap, tipsy and warmed through as her stomach fluttered with wild butterflies as she thought of their wedding day. This time, in two weeks, she would be his wife and he her husband.

Something about that word fired her up inside, and she didn't care when Jessy rolled her eyes as she kissed Jake, but the redhead's voice soon ruined the moment.

“Some of us will have to be on Manon and Jake duty,” Jessy said as if it were routine.

Manon gave her a dirty look that made her friend giggle and wink, but it was not the effect she was going for. Jake smirked, which annoyed her more, and she snapped her teeth at his jaw to make him laugh and hold her tighter.

“Why? It’s our wedding. We can do what we want.” Manon said with a sniff, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she lounged lazily in Jake's arms.

Jake chuckled, his hand on her hip tightening.

“I think that’s what they’re trying to avoid, Manon.” He said, and she scowled deeply.

“Yes, we can’t have you two sneaking off to a coat closet for a quickie every chance you get!” Jessy joked.

“You know, back in the day, they would’ve celebrated that as a marriage well consummated.” Manon fired back.

Jake choked on a laugh, making her giggle as he shook his head at her. It endeared her that he never knew what to expect, even after all this time. She liked to keep him on his toes. Never able to guess her next move as she sought the best way to break his carefully composed restraint and make him boss her around.

It brought her great happiness to watch his shy self fall away, and the dominant, worshipping lover took his place, and he always knew how to make her ignite. She would never tire of it.

Jessy muttered, “We lived with you for a bit. We know all about that.” Making Manon snort and stick out her tongue.

“Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Jess,” Manon laughed, blowing her a kiss when she huffed. Manon went on, trying to ease everyone's stupid worries, but not a soul believed her, “I'll behave. I promise!”

“Fuck off!”

“No, you won't!”

“We might be naïve, but we aren't stupid!”

“That's a fucking lie! You said that at the bachelorette party, and look what happened there!”

Every response to her promise was shouted in a chorus of harmonizing voices, and she couldn't stop laughing as a pink stain spread over Jake's neck, and everyone playfully glared at her. They were all trying to come up with solutions.

Her sex life was in their hands, and she was not happy to follow their rules, but she let them talk and pretended to be abashed as Jessy suggested some of them should guard the closets and bathrooms in the venue.

Dan piped up, “Look, I can either officiate this wedding or keep an eye on those two. I can’t do both.”

Manon chuckled, head shaking as she eyed their friends and wondered where she would be if they hadn't appeared in her messages that fateful day Hannah sent her phone number to Thomas. She didn't want to be anywhere but right there.

Even as they made fun of her and Jake, their propensity to escape and fuck in some random place a source of great amusement, she was grateful to be where she was.

Happy, loved, and free of everything that once left her frozen, unchanging as her pain and trauma ate her alive.

It still lingered, a mark on her soul that could never wash off, but she was at peace as Jake's sapphire eyes met hers.

Grateful, yes, she would always be thankful it brought her to him.

~*~

Chapter Text

~*~

~*~

Manon: Help me.

Jake snorted, head shaking as he read her text and watched the chat bubble wobble before more came through.

Manon: I swear to fuck. I will end you if you don't get me out of this.

Jake!

I'm serious. *knife emoji* 

This is all your fault.

I'm waiting. You know I don't like that.

The woman was insane, but she made for great entertainment on dull days.

He was out of town for a night while they nailed down another location for one of his enemies, and Manon had been convinced to have a girl's night at Jessy's in Colville before they all went shopping the following day. He gathered things had turned to talks of wedding gowns and other female frippery he had no clue about.

He knew she would call him if he didn't respond fast enough and typed out what he hoped would calm her down.

Jake: It's one night, Sweetheart. You can survive it. I'll make it up to you tomorrow.

Manon: Nice try. You're doing that whether I stay or go. They have magazines, Jake! And I need more wine than Colville possesses to help me get through them all.

He couldn't control the laugh that left him at that. She glared at every bridal magazine she passed, muttering under her breath about baked goods and ridiculously sized ballgowns. He did find it impossible to imagine her in one of those dresses, and he had no idea what style she would choose, but he couldn't wait to see it.

Jake: Just let it happen. Jessy won't give up, and you'll enjoy yourself more than you think.

There was a pause before she started typing again, and he would've bet good money that she stomped her foot and huffed before deigning to respond.

Manon: Fine. Fine, I'll have "Fun!" Don't blame me if you come home and I've been swallowed by tulle!

Jake: I'll find you again, Manon. Don't worry about that. All the tulle in the world couldn't stop me. ;-)

Manon: Hmm. We'll see. Anyway, finish your work, and I'll see you tomorrow! I love you but hate you for leaving me to the wolves!

His response was short and sweet, smiling as he set his phone down and returned to work.

Steve had already gone home, and he was left with the paperwork and final reports. It didn't seem to matter how many people he found and tracked down, more cretins crept out of the woodwork to take their place, and he'd been tied in knots for months, until now.

Something had changed.

They were getting reckless and scared, throwing each other under the bus in exchange for leniency if they agreed to testify in court. It pissed him off, and he was grateful for Manon's distraction as he returned to his computer and downed his freezing coffee.

Manon clutched her glass of wine like it was trying to run away from her as she surveyed Jessy, Cleo, Lilly, and Hannah with a gimlet eye.

All of them were cooing over bridal gowns and accessories. She had yet to see something that piqued her interest. She wanted the dress and the pretty things, but she only knew what she didn't like. Her mind refused to settle on what she wanted, and the others took it upon themselves to change that.

Instead of being safely ensconced in her en suite bathtub and soaking away the stress of the work week, she was spending the night at Jessy's.

The redhead buzzed excitedly like a wasp in their ears, flitting from person to person whenever they wanted to show her something. It made Manon smile despite herself and her bad mood.

The constant stream of Jessy's wedding Pinterest boards and the multitude of links to gowns she'd never wear had picked away at her patience for weeks; too many decisions to make, and their wedding was still an age away.

It wasn't that she hated wedding planning or shopping. No. It was that she and Jake still needed to set a date. They would only once Jake had locked away the last of his enemies. She agreed to that, and feeling excited about a wedding that might not happen for years wasn't easy.

Her heart tried to sink at that thought, and she swigged at her wine to shove it down, focusing on the women's conversation.

"It's too blah. She needs something magical." Jessy exclaimed, clapping her hands together as Lilly reluctantly agreed and turned the page away from the plain mermaid dress she had chosen.

"I think simple would be best. Something clean and elegant. Manon doesn't wear a lot of complicated or over-the-top things." Hannah tried.

"What about a pantsuit? It's practical, can be worn again, and she won't have to worry about tripping over a train." Cleo jumped in and received a chorus of no's, especially from Manon, to everyone's surprise.

"No pants. Nothing massive or frilly. Nothing that will make me look like I'm wearing a fancy French pastry. I don't know what I want, but I know it's not anything I've seen yet." Manon said softly, trying not to hurt anyone's feelings while keeping her sanity intact when they went shopping for real in the morning.

"Okay. I guess we will wait and see what happens when you try things on then." Jessy grinned, eyes twinkling as Manon nodded and hid her smile in her wineglass.

Everything calmed down, and they decided to pamper themselves in preparation for a day of trying things on.

Manon didn't even mind when Jessy put The Notebook on TV, and her friend sat moony-eyed, staring at the screen as the rest painted their nails or applied face masks.

The free-flowing wine, endless supply of salty snacks, and giggling girl talk were more pleasant than she thought it would be, and she found herself sharing morsels of herself with them easily. She talked openly with Jessy and knew she'd keep it safe, but the others weren't as close to Manon as Jessy was, and it was hard to let them in sometimes.

It was getting easier. These women knew more about her than some people she'd known all her life, and Manon was happy with that. No one saw sleep until well after midnight, and Manon found she enjoyed herself immensely.

~*~

Manon's heart sank into her boots as Jessy dragged her to a stop before yet another bridal boutique. She appraised the gowns in the window and deemed them too floofy and dramatic.

Six hours.

Six fucking hours she had been squeezed into tiny changing cubicles with dresses that defied the laws of physics and human nature, hating every single one as her patience drained to the dregs and her hope of ever finding a gown frittered away to nothing.

Manon was half convinced the last corseted confection had bruised her ribs; the assistant tied it so mercilessly tight. She sighed as the others began pointing toward the gowns they preferred. Hannah, Cleo, and Lilly went inside while Jessy turned to Manon.

"Now, remember, you don't have to buy anything. Just have a look. Try something on. Leave and never return." The redhead chirped, grinning as Manon narrowed her eyes on her and knew she'd be here for hours—a living Barbie doll for Jessy to dress up.

"I know. I'll try one last time, but I think it'll be better if I get something custom." Manon acquiesced, voice low as she followed inside the vanilla-scented store.

"Agreed. Everything we've picked has swamped you, anyway," her friend laughed.

"Cleo doesn't look too happy. I think she's upset I keep saying no..." Manon trailed off, guilt thickening in her throat as she knew her friends wanted to help, but nothing was grabbing her eye, and she felt like a show pony every time she was paraded around the boutique for her friend's perusal. 

Her friend shrugged, "I think she wants to support you but hasn't considered whether she could enjoy it. Shopping was never really her thing."

"True. She's doing better now, thankfully." Manon barely uttered it as she plastered a smile on her face and greeted the harried bridal stylist, Jenna, with a genuine welcome.

"Hi, I'm so sorry to barge in like this. Or do we have an appointment?" She turned to Jessy, who nodded and reached into her bag, tossing something to Jenna as she affirmed.

"We do. Corvin-Adair, a party of five, and all are in the bridal party." Jenna's honeyed voice brought a smirk to Manon's lips as she understood Jessy had set her up, and she was always going to end up here, no matter if she tried to refuse outside.

"That's correct. Thank you, Jenna." And then she spun around, strode away, and surrendered to another couple hours playing dress up as she sat beside Lilly.

"Jessy kindly called ahead and let me know your measurements. I've pulled a few gowns from our popular ranges. I also included a few one-off items that I personally adore. Would you like to choose from those or have your bridesmaids help you?" Jenna inquired with a flashy smile. Her teeth were so white and dazzling that Manon had difficulty looking directly at them, but the woman was beautiful.

"I think I'd like to pick this time... I'd also like you to choose one for me, Jenna. I'm curious what you think would work best," Manon said. The woman was immaculately dressed in classic whispering wealth fabrics and sharp tailoring. Simple, clean, and pretty.

Jenna nodded eagerly and clapped her hands together, "Excellent! Come with me."

Manon did as told as another woman appeared bearing champagne and flutes for the others, eyes scanning her surroundings and noting the exits.

Old habits died hard, and she felt oddly like she needed an exit plan if all went awry. Jenna led her into a stunning dressing area, not a cubicle in sight, and Manon relaxed an inch as she eyed the racks of ivory, cream, white, and iridescent gowns.

She was ushered to the racks while Jenna left to grab a few more at Manon's request. Ghosting her hand over the fabric, cool silk, liquid satin, organza, and lace slipped through her fingers. She avoided the chiffon, shuddering at the thought of it on her skin.

She blindly picked a few that she deemed acceptable, but her hopes were somewhere down in hell as she carried them to the spacious changing area and locked herself inside. There was a gap above the door that would allow Jenna to hand her choices on it, and Manon thanked her once Jenna let her know they were there.

Grabbing the heaviest gown, Manon marveled at the beadwork, thumbs smoothing over glimmering glass beads, gems, and intricate lace on the bodice. It was too sparkly, but she liked the shape and tried it.

She hurried to strip down to her underwear, a matching lingerie set similar to the one she had her eye on so she could be sure it wouldn't affect the gown. It took longer than she liked to drag the weighted fabric over the curve of her hips, so cautious with the delicate beading she hardly dared touch it.

She held her breath as the fabric finally slid up to her waist, and Manon unlocked the door and called Jenna in as she couldn't reach the fastenings to close it.

"Oh, this one is popular with blonds. The champagne fabric balances your skin tone against the pale hair." Jenna complimented her as she quickly fastened the gown.

"Your friends are outside; come out once I've told them to cover their eyes," The bridal assistant laughed and left Manon standing like a poorly posed mannequin as she was terrified to damage such an expensive piece of clothing.

She listened intently as Jenna instructed her friends to wait for her word to open their eyes and shuffled out of the changing room toward the circular podium before a half circle of floor-to-ceiling mirrors. The beads on the hem of the short train hissed and kissed the marble floors as she carefully fluffed the skirts out.

Jenna turned Manon away from her reflection before she could take it in, and she faced her friends for their opinions. Manon shook her head at the sight of their flushed cheeks and broad grins, empty champagne flutes held by each as they waited.

"Okay. She's ready, you can look!" Jenna proclaimed, and Manon fought not to fidget as all eyes locked on her and turned misty.

It was silent so long that Manon went rigid, gleaning nothing from their expressions. Her smile hung crooked as Jessy was first to recover and cleared her throat.

"It's... gorgeous. What do you think? How do you feel?"

Manon gave her redheaded friend a bemused look and said, "I feel like a doll, but I haven't seen it on me to have an opinion."

"Turn around then," Lilly quipped. She had her fingers crossed, and Manon tried to feel it as she took in her reflection at last. She hunted for that 'knowing' everyone swore she'd have when she found her dream gown. But it was nowhere to be found.

 It was... exquisite, but it wasn't her.

The severe boning at the waist limited her breath, with gauzy fabric like seafoam twirling around the skirt and the beading, it was gorgeous, but it made the dress weigh a ton. She felt she would topple over if she moved too fast.

Cleo grinned, evidently delighted, as Jessy pretended to smirk at her phone, shoulders shaking with repressed laughter that made Manon's mouth curl as she eyed her reflection. It basically swallowed her. She was too short and petite for the skirt's volume and couldn't move properly.

"No. This won't do. I can barely breathe, never mind doing anything else." She said, leaving the small podium, but Cleo stopped her.

"It's stunning! You don't have to be able to move, and it'll look amazing in photos."

Manon tugged at the weighty skirts and scowled, "Cleo, I couldn't dance in this. Or fight. I might need -"

"It's a wedding, Manon. I hope there won't be any fucking fighting." Jessy drawled, amusement flashing in her hazel eyes.

Manon ignored Jessy and turned to Jenna, "What do you think?"

Jenna gave a close-lipped smile and gently shook her head, "It's one of my favorite pieces. But you aren't comfortable."

Manon had no rebuttal, she took Jenna's arm, and returned to the changing room.

And so began another montage of impossible dresses and Manon's negative responses.

Mermaid, trumpet, A-Line, and ballgown, she tried them all and found each lacking something.

After the umpteenth frilly, lace-covered monstrosity, Manon was ready to stab someone. She was exhausted by the time they decided to call it quits, and she badly needed the bathroom. After she escaped the changing room for the final time, Jenna showed her to the lady's room, and Manon leaned against the locked door to catch her breath for a minute before opening her eyes and rushing to relieve herself.

She wanted to put some distance between her and this store fast before Jessy could spot something else for her to try on.

After washing her hands, she left the bathroom and immediately ran into a frantic Hannah. Her eyes were much too sparkly after such a long day of not buying anything, and Manon knew her chance of getting out of the store had slipped away while she wasn't paying attention.

Something was shoved into her hands as Lilly's sister babbled.

"I saw this while Jessy and the others were busy. It's completely different from everything you tried, and it might be closer to what you want than what we've picked so far."

Manon just stared at her, her temper sparking as Hannah bit her lip and smiled, eyes bright and wide as Manon gave a long-suffering sigh and went back inside the bathroom to try it on.

She could sense Hannah hovering outside and chuckled under her breath as she carelessly hung the dress on the back of the door, not giving it a second glance as she shucked off her boots and clothes again. Determined to get it over, she found the invisible zipper and pulled it open, stepping into the silken fabric effortlessly.

It slithered up her body with an ease she'd almost forgotten was possible. The skinny straps settled atop her shoulders, and a long pale silver sash glimmered under the fluorescents as she eyed it stupidly. She considered the best way to tie it and tried a few things to see what felt right.

A few half-hearted attempts yielded awful results, and her paper-thin patience now had all the substance of spider silk.

She wrapped it around her throat like a choker made of palest glimmering moonlight, crossing it over her chest and framing her breasts before twisting it around the back of the gown and bringing it around her waist to tie it in a bow on her right side.

Her sapphire engagement ring glittered as she finished, bent to check it looked okay in the mirror, and left the bathroom before anyone else could stop her.

Hannah's smile fell open as she caught sight of her, but Manon was on a mission. Her heart raced as the fabric moved effortlessly; there was no resistance or burdensome skirt to contend with as she strode through the shop and stopped before the mirrors.

Her friends and Jenna all fell silent as she took herself in.

 It was breathtaking. She couldn't believe it was her in the reflection looking back at her.

The silver sash added some much-needed flair to the otherwise criminally simple sheath. The satin almost looked like a liquid as she moved around to view the open back. It ghosted her curves and accentuated them. The soft V-neckline hinted at cleavage but didn't show too much.

A shiver tiptoed down her spine, spreading across her skin and pebbling it as the dress slipped and hissed against her skin. Her hands shook as she smoothed them over her hips, and the fabric quickly warmed to her skin.

Her mind went a mile a minute as a warm, floating sensation sank through her bones and blood, sending her heart flying as her eyes prickled and her friend's voices sounded very far away as she stared and stared at the mirror.  

Her throat tightened to the point of pain as she assessed herself; her breath stalled in her lungs, and the tremor in her hands turned to a quake as they toyed with the ribbon around her waist.

The woman in the mirror wasn't a monster or a murderer.

She was a vision of loveliness with glowing skin and Everbright eyes with the world in them as she thought of Jake's reaction when she walked down the aisle to stand at his side.

Would he cry? Would she? She wasn't sure but couldn't wait to find out.

Thoughts of what they could use that sash for once they could revel in their wedding bed ran through her head like a filthy slideshow, and she knew it was the one before everyone else confirmed it.

"This is it. Thank fuck." Manon laughed despite the tear sliding down her cheek as Jessy and Hannah squealed in delight.

Even Cleo was suspiciously damp-eyed as she nodded, Lilly's feral grin echoing everyone's agreement. She didn't want to take it off and would have worn it out of the store if it didn't need some tweaks.

Manon nearly floated out of the shop once she'd paid and agreed on dates for alterations. She couldn't wait to see Jake and tell him she found a dress after all.

  ~*~

A few months after she said yes to the dress...

Jake didn't remember locking his car as gravel crunched under his jogging feet, focused entirely on getting inside to tell Manon something he'd been dying to since he left work.

All signs of fatigue and stress dissipated when he pulled up to the cabin and saw she'd left the light on for him.

The house was silent. Only the creak of wood settling and the electronic sounds of the alarms engaging could be heard as he raced upstairs and crept inside their bedroom.

His smile gentled as he padded to the bed and found her sprawled across his side, mouth slack, and the sheet had slipped as she slept, revealing her honeyed skin.

He was pretty confident every inch of it had been mapped, marked, and met with his mouth, hands, and teeth.

He knew if she woke to find him watching her, she'd laugh and tell him to get in bed before she banished him to the couch for waking her up. The mental image stole a breathy chuckle from his chest as he stripped down and decided to wake her up in the best way, completely unable to wait until morning light to tell her the good news. He silently went to her nightstand and slid it open, grabbing the velvet drawstring bag she kept her goodies in and taking out a slim black vibe before putting the rest away again.

She lay on her back, legs crossed uncomfortably, and he knew she'd struggled to fall asleep. She was dead to the world as he crawled under the covers at her feet.

She made a murmuring sound as his hands pried her legs apart, shuffling to kneel between them as her spiced musk scent hit his bloodstream and sent his mind down lust-hazed paths.

When she didn't ask what he thought he was doing, he loosed a breath and pinned her leg to the bed, peppering her skin from her knee to her thigh with phantom kisses until he reached the apex of her thighs, smirking as he gave the same treatment to her other leg. She shivered, body tensing for a second as he hovered over her and turned to give her inner thigh a sharp little bite to make her gasp and mumble his name.

He did the same to the other leg, harder this time now he knew she was awake. 

Jake grinned as the covers were lifted and her sleepy eyes locked on him, her fatigue clearing fast when he licked at his bottom lip and said, "I'm home, Sweetheart." 

She cocked her head, and a dazed laugh tripped out of her mouth before she teased, "Oh, good. I thought you might be a horny ghost for a second." 

Her tone was steady, but her breathing was quickening the longer he spent perched above her cunt, and a flush splashed her chest and neck with pink as he stared up at her. 

"Sorry to disappoint," he chuckled, pressing a tender kiss into the scar on her hip. 

"Behave. Are you going to eat or just play with your food?" She asked in a breathy undertone, her brow arched and lips smirking at him, a challenge in her venom eyes that he could never back down from. 

"You know I like to take my time," he murmured, breaking eye contact to drag a fingertip up the seam of her folds and feel the heat of her anticipation.

Manon chewed the inside of her cheek to keep quiet as Jake repeatedly teased her, barely grazing her clit with every pass of his finger through her dewy folds.

She wasn't sure what had gotten into him and wasn't too fussed to find out as his head finally lowered. She barely had time to brace herself before his mouth was on her.

The gentlest of licks taunted her, and a soft sigh from the depths of her lungs released as his hot tongue captured her essence and swallowed it down. His scratchy beard, clever mouth, and firm hands spread her legs wider, pinning her down as he fluttered his tongue over her clit to make her cry out and bury her hands in his hair. 

He suckled her clit, drawing it into his mouth and swirling his stiff tongue. Heat cascaded through her as he groaned at the taste of her, and the fire only he could bring to life in her sprang to life as he relented to slide two long fingers inside her taut, wet heat.

She flung her head back, teeth bared at the ceiling as he teased her with fingers and mouth, his tongue probing and digging into her sheened flesh, bringing her to the edge of release and leaving her hanging there as he backed up and fumbled for something on the bed.

A quiet vibration made it over the roar of blood in her ears as she caught her breath. She was aware of herself talking, but she couldn't understand a word of it. Jake simply smiled, crooked his fingers inside her, and pressed the vibrator against her clit, and he pulled his fingers.

Her breath burst from her in a shout as her body fought the release, racing toward her faster than she was ready for it. 

The vibration intensified as her cunt flickered around his fingers, his eyes glued to her writhing form, and her tensing stomach told her she couldn't hold it off for long, her wetness coating his busy hand, making it too easy to hit every spot that drove her mad.

Her mewls and moans turned to throaty cries, breath sawing, and her pulse was felt in every part of her, a second heartbeat in her core as he drove her to release. His eyes narrowed as she arched and shook her head, desperately fighting against the onslaught of sensations.

He wouldn't allow her to stay paused on the threshold of utter delirium. The vibrator changed patterns, his steady hand keeping it exactly where she needed it as he added a third finger inside her dripping cunt, and the tinge of pain was too much, too good. 

Her back bowed off the bed as she sobbed urgently, sharp jabs of his fingers driving her too hard to hold it back. She gave a loud cry, the deep, torn sound escaping into the silent room as he murmured her name and told her she was all he ever needed.

The torrent of ripples and flutters spilled out from her center, and he gave her no respite as he slid up from his crouch, immediately manhandling her spasming body.

Her legs were gathered up, bent over her torso so she was angled to lift her ass in the air, and she clamped a hand over her mouth as he locked her in position with an arm like a steel band across her thighs, bending her further back when he was happy she couldn't escape. 

She was completely open and exposed, breathing too harshly as he used his free hand to angle his stiff cock and buried himself inside her in one skilled thrust.

It wasn't fair. He knew what he was doing, and she was trapped like prey, only able to pant through her nose as her chest heaved and her cunt quickly slackened around his length.

Her release still lapped through her like luscious waves of warm water as she screamed into her muffling hand, her ass lifted to take him deep, her walls flickering around his length as she kept coming, her fiery, sensitive flesh held his thick cock close, the brutal pleasure so intense it was a burst of scarlet light behind her quivering eyelids.

Somehow, she was pushed even further back. Her feet were on the headboard as he withdrew from her cunt and slammed back inside her, his smile turning wicked as she pulsed around his cock, so deep inside her she stupidly thought they'd never be untangled.

He soon found a rhythm that sent her reeling and stopped him from coming before she did. The beautiful sight of him using her body hard tore a guttural growl free of her chest, his every movement within her emphatic and rough, her inner walls clenching with every drag of his cock.

She was so slick and hot her cunt stroked and clung to his cock, sucked him, down, down, down, his possession of her body and soul so consuming she no longer cared if she lost her mind in the aftermath. 

His plunging movements slowed to a crawl, turning his head to savagely bite her calf to smother his own desperate sounds, and she didn't feel the pain, utterly lost in the coiling, soaring pleasure spiraling through her body.

It was impossible to imagine it feeling any better, but she wouldn't dare voice that aloud. He would take it as a dare and destroy her in the best way.

She was enthralled, watching him as he raptly observed the erotic sight of her cunt swallowing his cock, sapphire eyes heavy-lidded, face flushed, and intently focused on holding his own release back to make hers last. But she was in torment, wholly unable to withstand the razor edge she was balancing on, cutting her to the bone as her body demanded an outlet for the pleasure and pressure rising to steal her sanity. 

She started begging, pleading with him to fuck her hard in a cracked and shuddering voice, imploring him to make her ache.

His midnight chuckle sent goosebumps scattering across her sweat-pebbled skin. Her twisted, quaking body was held down with force as he began to thrust within her taut cunt so viciously her teeth rattled as she tossed her head back and forth across her pillows, her fisted hands unable to find something to hold onto as her body absorbed his merciless thrusts.

He owned her in that moment, completely in control as she submitted to him and surrendered to the burning. Unable to move or retreat, she could only lie there and take it. 

She came so violently that her inner walls clenched around his length and gripped him so tightly his feral growling and her choked cries blended. He buried himself inside her and emptied himself into her in a flood, filling her entirely and all her worries, past, present, and future were vanquished by the strength of her orgasm, and she only knew warmth and love.

Her twitching, aching body was leaden and light all at once, her pounding heart the only sound in her head, and she wanted to stay in that rapturous place forever, but Jake managed a few words that made her smile brighter than she had in weeks. 

"I found him. We can set the date soon, Sweetheart."

~*~

Chapter Text

~*~

~*~

Silence crackled like static between them as Manon navigated the long, winding driveway that led to her childhood home. Surrounded by a thicket of trees, the palatial home peaked through the greenery and Jake’s eyes widened as he took it all in.

Perfectly manicured gardens, and beautiful blooms of peonies, daisies and roses added a much needed splash of color amongst all the green. The mansion, there was no other word to describe the house, stood stark white and three stories tall, spreading out in the vast clearing it had been built in.

Windows gleamed but offered no insight into the interior of the home. He shook his head, turning to Manon, and catching her hands flexing too hard on the steering wheel as she stared straight ahead.

He remembered her face the day she got the call that the house had sold and she had to return to ensure all was well. She would need to sort out her personal things to be shipped to Duskwood.

She looked like fractured glass after she ended the call. He was almost afraid to speak lest he demolish her, but she only told him in a dull, threadbare voice that they’d go the following month.

Her feline eyes had slowly lost their lustre as the days wore away, and she reckoned with her past in a way that he couldn’t physically help with.

The day had arrived, dreich and grey, in Duskwood, and he’d spent most of the traveling time trying to distract her. It had worked until they passed the huge colorful sign welcoming them to the sun-drenched tiny town of Pinella Pass.

Once that sign was in their rearview, she hadn’t spoken a word and barely seemed to breathe as she pulled the car to a stop.

She didn’t look at him as she grabbed her purse and got out. He hurried after her and watched the stiff line of her spine curl inward as she climbed the steps to the double frosted glass doors.

She blindly punched in a code on a keypad to the left of the doors and his hand twitched to touch her. He curled it into a fist, knowing she had to get through this her way first.

Her old house was immaculate, Jake thought as they walked in the front door.

She barely glanced at the gleaming floors, the opulent rugs covering the marble, or the blinking light above the wide, heavy doors. Wealth was everywhere in this house, and he couldn’t reconcile it with the Manon he knew.

He held his silence as she toed off her flat shoes and turned to him.

“We’ll go upstairs first. I want to make sure nothing is missing.” She clipped, whirling, and striding toward the wide staircase leading to another floor. She turned right, and he was traipsing after her, looking at the photos of a young Manon, her dad, and Steve on the wall too.

Aging back from 23; her pale hair was short back then, just past her jaw.

Manon’s smile was ophidian.

Cute and lanky as a child, darker hair that shocked him as he couldn’t picture her without the pale hair she so rigorously kept on top of. She led him to a third floor. The photos there were of her and Steve. Steve had a lot of puppy fat, but his hair was still blond, darker than Manon’s now.

There were lots of her with people he didn’t know, her dad, an older woman, and what looked to be Chris in a garishly bright shirt patterned with smiling pineapples and a bright pink cocktail in his hand.

One of Manon and her dad out of uniform made him smile. It wasn’t obvious at first glance what they did, but up close… they were a force to be reckoned with.

She was still tiny, and he wondered when or if she’d ever stop racing full tilt into everything.

His eyes loitered on her back and the tense line of her shoulders as they crossed the top of the stairs. She turned left and slid her hand into her back pocket, pulling out a key.

“Only the maid had access to this. If she did anything other than clean, I’ll know.” Manon mumbled as the metallic clink of the lock turning filled the muted air.

He knew she wouldn’t want him to prod, but he couldn’t watch her stress and wouldn’t, even if she hated him for it at first.

As the door creaked open, he reached out and lay a hand on her shoulder, feeling her tense under his palm, and roll her shoulders.

He was defiant.

“Manon, you don’t have to be strong for me.” He murmured just loud enough that she could hear him.

If it were possible, she went even stiffer, and sighed, scratching at her neck with her long nails. Her engagement ring twinkled, a slight quake in her hand, and his mouth froze flat, wishing he wasn’t asking her to rip open an old wound.

When she didn’t bolt, Jake put his hand on her waist, trailing it around her side to face her. He curled most of his hand into a fist, his index and middle finger he used to lift her chin.

Forced to meet his eye, the ferocity of her bravery took aback him.

She was afraid; he realized. He could detect her fear.

She was terrified of what might happen when she walked inside, and not that she was upset now. She was scared that if she spoke it aloud, she would invite something bad in.

Manon wasn’t entirely sure how he knew, but he knew.

Her breathing stuttered slightly as she drew in and loosed a few deep inhales and she leaned into it when he moved his hand from her chin to rest around the side of her neck, his thumb stroking her throat ever so gently.

“I’m fine. Let me go in first. You can follow right after me.” She proposed, gathering every shard of her steely strength to walk through that door and into the past.

“Are you sure? You went rigid when I touched you.” His lovely voice was laced with concern.

“I was trying not to think about anything. I got a fright, Jake.” She sighed and smiled slightly, shakily pushing up on her toes to give him a chaste kiss and spinning to open the door, and walk right into her bedroom before she could chicken out.

He followed close behind.

Her sharp eyes scanned the familiar, yet unfamiliar room. It wasn’t home; she knew. It hadn’t been since she met Jake.
His hand was on her lower back, fingers rubbing her skin through her clothes as he let her take it all in.

A fine tremor ran through her body as her gaze bounced around.

They built the cavernous room and the entire third floor for her, with a bathroom, kitchen, and walk-in closet. When she followed in her dad’s footsteps and hadn’t wanted to share a dorm with strangers at school, he’d immediately ensured she had a place to call her own and relax in.

Her smile wobbled, hands screwed tight at her sides, and her pulse jumped as she saw everything looked exactly as she had left it. Her old life, cold, lonely, and utterly shattered, frozen in time and waiting for her to return.

The large mirrored vanity by the window was scattered with makeup, hair products, and a myriad of other feminine debris. A clutter of perfume sat on the nightstand beside her king bed and even the packet of mints she’d opened the day before she left for Duskwood lay untouched on her work desk.

Shades of crimson, black, and soft grey painted the room. Like a fire had bled into the walls and stained them. Soft summer sunlight glimmered through the gauzy scarlet curtains, gilding everything in a rosy flush as she walked to her bed and slumped down.

Her heart was racing in her chest.

It went faster and faster like it was trying to beat itself to death and the musty, floral scent in the air smelled too much like the old her. Too much like death and decay and depression.

It thickened in her throat and lay heavy in her chest like a smothering shroud of fog she could see no end to.

Half a life, half dead and half surviving. All of her broken and burned and bleeding.

She couldn’t remember.

Indestructible youth. It had seen her through too much horror and she couldn’t find that part of herself here. Surrounded by memories. She forgot who she was.

She couldn’t remember how she survived living here after losing everything when she felt as though the old grief was clinging to every surface.

A sinister, slithering presence that hovered above her head, honed fangs bared and dripping with her fallen venomous tears, waiting to pounce and consume her.

Her breathing quickened, catching in her chest like an invisible fist had reached inside her and crushed her lungs.

The oxygen in the room abruptly vanished, as if sucked out and she was spiraling.

Everywhere she looked, blood. Sanguine and bitter, running and congealing down the walls and filling the room.

It would be enough to make her drown.

She already was. She could feel it sliding down her throat, choking her, bubbling up with every vain breath.

It was so cold. Metallic and rancid. Thick and cloying and glacial as it filled her vision.

If she glanced down at herself, blood would cloak her skin and she would never get rid of it. No amount of soap would clean the stains of her failures.

Panic. Like a boulder on her chest, it ground her down and down.

Abrupt gasping breaths tore from her.

Desperately, she tried to suck air through her clenched teeth, but it wouldn’t go in.
She couldn’t keep it in–she couldn’t think or move or see–she couldn’t fight it. She was so alone, so cold. So alone, always - always alone, and it was her fault.

Ice replaced the blood in her veins as her rapid heartbeat roared in her ears and her constricting chest ached like an invasive vine had taken root inside her and was strangling her organs. Her vision darkened until all she could see was a pinprick of pale red light.

She balled her hands into tight fists, nails cutting into the flesh of her palm until it stung and stung. Ghosts were everywhere. She was one, too. Oh, gods–-she couldn’t -

“Manon!”

Jake’s terrified voice blasted through the clawing, screaming panic in her mind.

Everything inside her sat up to the commanding tone in his voice as he yelled, “You’re safe! It’s not real. You’re not alone. Never. Breathe, Manon. I am here. This is real.”

Only then did she realize he was holding her in a white-knuckle grip, bundled in his lap like a traumatized child as she heaved for air and spasmed uncontrollably.

He grabbed her fist and pried it open, threading their fingers together to press their joined hands over his fiercely pounding heart as he said, “This is real, Sweetheart. You won’t ever have to go back there. You made it out of it. I won’t let you fall back in. If you trust anything, trust that. I love you.”

Her breath felt like serrated knives scraping up and down her throat as she gulped in air and released it.

Again and again.

She breathed.

In and out, until he didn’t have to coach her through it.

Her emotions were a riot in her chest. An angry iron ball flaring with black fire and freezing talons as they sliced at her from the inside. Jake’s soothing voice kept repeating.

She wasn’t alone. She was with him.
He was hers. They’d found each other, and he wasn’t afraid of the blood that indelibly stained her hands.

She clung to his shirt, hiding her face in it, and realized the fabric and her cheeks were damp. Salt clung to the corners of her mouth as tears flowed freely, and she shuddered and gasped in his arms.

She thought she was past this. That she could come here, look around, and walk back out without a care. But everywhere she looked, she saw her ghost and her dads. The laughter and music that used to soak the house had long since died and it wasn’t home anymore.

Her home was currently holding her together as fatigue sank through her like a smothering drug and she let her eyes close. Jake’s tight grip on her hand made her fingers tingle, while his constant murmuring and touching slowly chased away the arctic cold that had blasted through her.

The long day of traveling and emotional breakdown dragged her down. She was barely cognizant as she felt Jake gathering her up and lying down with her clasped in his arms.

His steady heartbeat followed her into a fitful sleep.

When she woke, her mouth was dry as dust and her eyes so gritty, they felt like sandpaper against her eyelids as she blinked her vision clear. Night had fallen, but Jake lay beside her, and she was curled into his side as he stared at the ceiling, her hand still firmly in his. She opened her mouth, head foggy and clearing too slowly as he instantly turned to her.

“You okay?” He whispered like she was a wounded animal. He was terrified of spooking her.

Her tongue was so heavy and thick it took a few tries to make it work.

“Not great, but better. I’m sorry — I didn’t think it -”

His furious expression cut her off, and her heart fluttered gently as he said, “Don’t you dare apologize to me, Manon. I’m not here for only the good things, you know that. Do you want to leave? We don’t have to stay here.”

Oh, she loved him so much it was painful. Like her heart shivered and broke and healed all at once under the power of his care for her. She gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand three times, watching as the spark caught in his gaze and he knew she was okay. But she didn’t want to leave. They were only here for the night and she could make it.

With him, she could replace the ghosts with life.

They quietly talked under cover of night and deep love.

She told him of the time she and Steve had climbed out of her bedroom window after midnight to play séance in the abandoned buildings dotted around their town. Her dad had been apoplectic with rage and she was incandescent when he grounded her for a month and made her sleep on the same floor as him, so he could be sure she couldn’t escape.

She missed her dad dearly. It was even more profound here. Surrounded by his memory, she felt that old wound split and ache, old blood leaking out as Jake smoothed his hands over her back.

Jake listened and laughed and groaned at learning she’d always been reckless, impulsive and primal, impatient to experience life and all its glory and devastation.

They lapsed into peaceful silence after a while.

The clock beside her bed ticked past 2 am and she took to memorizing Jake in her childhood bed and wondering how she had gone from being utterly hopeless to this. Having nothing but hope and joy for the future, it was a gift, and she didn’t want to waste it ruminating on the ghosts.

She looked at him, admiring the firm line of his stubbled jaw and the lips she knew better than her own. He was her peace in a world of war and bloodshed. And he was the chaos and desire when their world was bright and open and beautiful.

All of him, fashioned just for her. All of her forged in fire and blood for him.

His face was oddly severe as she stroked her fingers over his thumping heart and let the heat of him ease her chilled bones. She wanted to remind herself she was alive and thriving, that no matter how hard it got, there was good waiting for her.

She had to swallow a few times. Her mouth was so dry, but she managed a silly joke.

“What are you thinking? You look like you’re trying to solve a math problem in your head and you’re failing,” she laughed. Her earlier stress faded away under the power of his attention as he met her venom gaze.

“I was wondering...”

His lips twitched, his hand trailing over the flare of her hip and gripping her tight, the heat of him like a branding through her clothing. Concern still lurked in his gaze, but he sensed the shift in her mood and reacted in kind.

He looked at her through a fan of thick black lashes as she waited for him to elaborate.

She wasn’t very good at waiting.

Manon arched a brow and said, “Yes?” When he just kept touching and touching her.

His indigo eyes blinked and locked on her, lust threading through his irises. And they were darker than they were seconds ago.

“Have you ever fucked someone here?”

Manon laughed, cackled really, “No, do you think anyone other than Steve would have made it past my dad?” With an unladylike snort, she shook her head at the mental picture of a poor, horny teen boy, rosy-cheeked and stuttering, as her dad read him his rights. She went on, “I had to fuck myself.”

“But you lived here alone for a while,” he reminded her.

Manon rarely ventured back to those days, even now, multiple lives away from it. She never sought those memories out of the locked wrought iron cage in the back of her hive of a mind.

Sex had been her drug to fill the numb, hollow plain where her heart used to reside. She didn’t go out all the time, no, too lost in her head for that.
But when she went out, she drank just enough to feel warmed through and buzzed, seeking her target for the night.

Some nights, she left empty-handed. Often, she went home with someone. She took no one back to her place. They were one-night stands, and she just needed to feel something, not embed them in the fabric of her shattered life.

They’d discussed past loves before, and she felt no anxiety opening up about this.

“I never brought them home. They took me home.”

Nothing but quiet understanding shone in his crystal eyes, a slight tightness in the corners of his closed, smiling mouth told her he wished he’d been there for her then just like she would trade all the money she had to be at his side as his world became a real life thriller without the promise of justice until she demanded it for him.

He was everything to her, and she knew she was everything to him. Like he was a trophy or a champion ring, she coveted and hoarded him inside herself to keep him safe and hers. The possessive way he touched her echoed her silly thoughts, and she wanted to feel the heaven in him meeting the hell in her.

Leave this place with a wonderful memory to ease the pain of all the awful ones.

Jake grinned like a devil as he read the thoughts on her face, his heated gaze holding her in sway.

“We’re here now, and no one can stop us.”
As she smirked at him, his hands pulled her in and wound around her, heat and light glittering through her as he brushed his lips over hers.

Featherlight and gentle, so at odds with how hard he gripped her hip and made her skin bloom wild with violets. She wriggled closer and laid a possessive hand on his neck. He pulled back and searched her eyes for any sign of distress, and she knew he didn’t find it when the shadows in his sapphire gaze vanished.

She tilted her head, admiring the sparkle of her engagement ring as she said, “What are you waiting for?”

He instantly lunged and captured her lips in his, hungry and urgent; he kissed her until her head spun and aching want pulsing through her veins until her entire body trembled with it.

Her shaking hands laced through his hair as she swung her leg over his and pressed in as close as she could.

Manon’s blood shimmered.

His wandering hand found her jaw, fingers tracing along and curling behind the bone, trailing down her neck, and wrapping around her throat to feel her pulse skittering under his fingers and thumb.

Her breathing quickened and slowed with the pressure of his hand as it tensed and relaxed, scalding, wet heat cascaded through her. Pooling between her thighs as a hollow ache opened inside her. 

There was an invisible cord of love and deep trust between them, and a heady, liberating sense of having no control that ran through her. She gladly handed herself over to him. And knew he would take care of the need rising like a tide to drown her.

She whined low in her throat as sweet desperation and nerve flaying anticipation pricked over her skin like needles as his free hand wove through her hair to pull her lips more firmly against his.

His tongue slid alongside hers, bristled lips teasing and bruising her mouth as she smiled into it, greedily inhaling his arousing scent with every scant breath.

The simmering heat in her abdomen, the familiar catching sensation in her chest, and the wild thrum of molten blood in her veins. It was the most intimate and cherished thing she’d ever known.

His body aligned with hers. She melted into him and filled every hollow space between them, absorbing his fierce heartbeat as it pounded alongside hers.

How good and right and real he felt pressed into her. It was all that mattered.

He was like fire and she raised no resistance as he burned his way in. His lips seared against hers, one roasting hand splayed wide on her lower back as she wriggled until his knee parted her legs, and she sighed into his mouth, happier than ever.

There was still a slight hint of, “we shouldn’t do this. We will be caught any minute.” In the back of her mind, that almost made her want to laugh.

It intensified her desire instead.

The hand collaring her throat tightened. A strangled moan left her when he eased up.

All that strength — he was so very careful to leash it with her, and she took great delight in pulling at his every trigger to make him loosen his hold on himself.

He pressed his fingers into the veins under her skin, cutting off the flow of her blood again and again, creating a dazzling rush of euphoria. She felt high, so sensitive even the air whispering against her skin felt like a heated caress against her dewy skin.

They hurriedly undressed each other. No shame or hesitation. Both hungry and wanting.

He kissed every scar as he unveiled them. Hot mouth sending flares of flame spiraling through her and she grew so wet. He chuckled possessively as he dipped a finger into her soaked folds. She tasted the salt and musk as she dragged her lips across his chest as she nearly ripped his shirt from his body to get to the skin underneath.

Soon, nothing stood between but shivering anticipation and deepest, darkest desire.

His hand came up to grip her throat again, her body arching and trembling as his lapis eyes watched her every reaction. He taunted her with a gentle squeeze on her neck that restricted her breath, a single finger grazing her clit as she gasped and writhed.

She was so ready for him. So wet and hot and pliant he didn’t torture her for long as he palmed his hard cock, vicious lust etched across every line of his handsome face.

He gave her an order, “Hold on tight, don’t let go, Sweetheart.”

Her hands instinctually lifted and grabbed hold of the wooden bedposts, arcing her body into an elegant arch as he spread her thighs wide.

She felt the head of his cock pressing into her. Thick and very hard, he pushed in. He glided through her slick cunt so fast her eyes rolled back and her knuckles bleached white on the wood as she struggled to absorb him.

Pressure and fullness. It obliterated all thought as her body acclimated to his invasion. He was holding his breath, eyes shadowed and breath short as he felt her cunt yield to him, wetness dripping from her with every tiny shift of his cock against her fiery flesh.

When he moved, it was emphatic and utterly devastating.

Forceful thrusts into her tight clasp, fingers cutting into her hips as he pulled and pushed her body with every snap of his hips.

The tension was like a screw being turned too tight inside her, twisting and twisting, tightening until her skin quivered and his name rolled off her tongue.

Heat and fire bled through her as her legs wrapped around his waist and he braced his elbows on either side of her head.

He took her mouth with the same ferocity he took her cunt with. Rapid flicks of his tongue against hers, sliding and tangling together, joined so closely they felt like one being as she shuddered and keened.

His cock grinding and jabbing deep, his groin catching her swollen clit, and his ravenous mouth all worked together to destroy and heal her.

All she felt was pleasure, love, and desire so intense, her toes curled with it.

She was moaning as he fucked her. So lost in him and the whirling flames of his lust for her, she never wanted to be found.

Jake was insatiable. Tearing moan after moan from her and demanding more with every brutal lunge of his cock inside her taut heat. She saw the black desire eating away at him. Her fingers itched to pull at his hair to feed it, but his hand came up and enveloped her throat once more.

She could only burn and feel and breathe through the incredible pleasure threatening to steal her sanity as his hand flexed.

Tension strung so tight she went rigid, her eyes flashing her distress at him as she needed more to fly off the precipice, slicing her in half. He immediately understood and nodded, silent permission that made her loosen her hold on the headboard.

She worked one hand between them, fingers soon soaked in her own essence as she circled her clit. Her other hand weaved through his hair and dragged him in, kissing him so forcefully he paused in surprise before returning her famished kiss with equal fervor.

Her swirling fingers on her clit sent embers flying through her, the tension pulled so taut she wailed as Jake rattled her with a thrust so savage she felt it in the soles of her feet.

Sweat beaded on their skin. The sharp and heady scent of her own arousal was unmistakable in the air between them. It was like a humid warmth that cloaked them both and turned their desire up to lethal levels.

Jake broke free of her mouth and sobbed her name as her cunt clenched down hard, her busy fingers pushing and pushing her to release as the skin on her belly trembled.

The sound was like a siren call to her. It slithered like a shiver through her nerves and coiled in her core to intensify the pressure of his cock filling her again and again.

He was so warm. He was hers. Her world wasn’t cold with him and never would be. The thought sent her over the edge with another flick of her fingers.

Her cunt clasped his cock so tightly she took him down with her. His shocked shout bled into a rippling growl she felt between her quaking legs as release surged through her like a landslide of molten lava.

A storm of tingles and shocks burst under her skin as she shivered and shook. Her breath came in great gasping bursts as wave after wave of glittering, searing sensation rolled through her. She was mindless, lost in utter glory, and pleasure as it swamped her system so thoroughly she thought it would never end.

She was aware of herself making noise but couldn’t understand a word of it as Jake kissed her to soothe her. He swallowed every twitch and sound her orgasm incited and she reveled in the feel of him still locked inside her body.

His body blanketed hers as her useless, boneless legs fell away from his waist and flopped down on the bed. She held him close, nails scratching at his damp skin and hands smoothing over firm muscles as they made their way to his raven hair.

Tiredness forced her eyes shut as he nuzzled her neck and breathed her in. She just kept holding him. She didn’t let go until they woke up later that day and they began packing the things she wanted to keep.

Jake monitored Manon as he helped her pack away the last of the photos. She told him before they left her room that she’d had all her dad’s things sent to storage and they could go through it at their leisure later.

He knew she was saying it more to comfort herself than him, but he simply smiled and agreed they’d see it when they found the time. He was pulling down a large framed photo of a capricious Manon, glaring with all the fury a toddler could possess, her tiny hands on her hips as she arched a brow at the camera.

His grin was genuine as he saw the familiar defiance in her childish face. She was hellion even then. He set it photo side down on the table so he could wrap it and found something wedged behind the frame. Carefully, he slid it out, and scanned the unfamiliar writing.

Manon. My little queen. Open this when I’m no longer here to guide you. Love, Dad.

The envelope quaked in his hand. Soft footsteps neared his still form, and he didn’t think to hide it as her lilting voice cut through the storm of thoughts in his mind.

“What’s taking you so long? I want to–what’s that?”

He held his breath as she took it from him and he didn’t miss the tightening of her mouth as she read the words her father had written before he died. She was silent for so long he had to break it.

“If you want to read it alone, I’ll wait in the car.” He offered, but she seemed to come back to life and her evergreen eyes shuttered as she shook her head at him.

“No. It can wait. Let’s go.” She said in a flat tone that made him wish he’d hidden the letter.

He watched as she gathered the last of her old life and without a backward glance; they locked the door and went to her SUV. After stowing everything in the back seats since the trunk was full, he took the wheel and drove them away, heading back home.

Manon remained quiet until the town sign was far behind them, and she fiddled with her phone. Music soon trickled through the car speakers and her flimsy smile grew more substantial the farther they got from her old home. What she’d done with the letter, he didn’t ask. She would tell him when she was ready.

Jake loosed a breath and lay his hand on her thigh as they coasted down the highway and followed the signs leading them home to Duskwood.

Chapter Text

Most days, Manon thought of herself and her friends fondly. Their tightly woven bonds forged through blood, love, and sacrifice formed an eclectic family of chaotic, tortured, and beautiful souls. It hadn’t been easy to stand united after the skeletons in all their closets tried their hardest to fuck everything up. 

She adored them—even Thomas—now that he acted more like a human with his own thoughts and less like a wet blanket wrapped around Hannah.

But today, she wanted to eviscerate those bonds and cackle while doing it. Jessy paced animatedly in the cabin’s living room. Her hands flew like flittering birds as she emphasized each point and detailed the upcoming weekend schedule. Her hazel eyes flashed each time Manon smirked or sighed, which was often, and her blazing hair seemed to take on a life of its own with every pivot she made.

Manon had tuned her out, lounging back in her chair as Jake entered the room again. He’d missed most of Jessy’s lecture and Manon tossed him a sly look, shaking her head slightly as their eyes met, and she saw the question in his. He sat beside her and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“Did I miss anything important?”

“No. But we shouldn’t have let her plan this. She’s drunk on power... She’s almost out of steam. Just let her get it out.”

Jake’s eyes glittered with dark humor, and Manon bit back a grin as she sensed someone watching her. When Jessy cocked a brow, Manon felt no surprise to see everyone else looking grateful to be out of the redhead’s sights. Bastards.

“You,” Jessy pointed a damning finger at Manon before going on, “I have planned this down to the last millisecond. I don’t need to be chasing after either of you. Promise you’ll behave. I can’t afford the therapy I’ll need if I catch you doing something in a club bathroom!”

Jake made an odd choking sound as Manon rolled her eyes.

“I believe it should be up to—”

Jessy held up a hand and cut in, “Or you can do as I say and we’ll all be happy.”

“I feel only you’ll be happy with that, but sure. I’ll behave. Scout’s honor.” Manon drawled, crossing her mental fingers, and ignoring Jake’s silent laugh as it shook the chair they shared.

“Jessy, for fuck’s sake. It’s a bachelor party, not a battle plan. It’s supposed to be fun.” Dan complained as Jessy fought a smile at Manon’s sarcastic response.

“Exactly! I feel like we’ll all be too busy following orders to have fun,” Cleo said.

Lilly and Hannah nodded in agreement, and Jessy sighed so heavily Manon was surprised it didn’t blow them all away.

“You all gave me a list of places you wanted to go. Excuse me for trying to make everyone happy,” Jessy said.

Manon shifted in her seat. Guilt swirled into her amusement, and she jumped in before Dan could voice the retort dangling from his bristled mouth.

“Let’s just go with the plan for now. We can refine it once we get there, and see where we can cut things back. The point is to celebrate. Not make us anxious.”

A wave of nods and vocal agreements seemed to appease Jessy, who looked a bit relieved to Manon. If they followed the itinerary, Manon had the suspicion her friend would’ve felt too overwhelmed to enjoy herself.

They spent the evening catching up on what they’d all been up to while Manon, Jake, and Cleo made dinner. Manon was tossing parmesan and garlic onto the steaming batch of fries she’d pulled from the airfryer moments before as Cleo plated the steaks. Jake had already taken the salad and garlic bread through to the dining room, where everyone else gossiped and drank. 

Manon heard Hannah discussing her new therapist with Richy, who had been seeing someone at Manon’s urging, and the two had bonded over it; they were considering having a joint session to fully hash out all they’d been through together. 

It made Manon smile. She’d been taking online sessions with her old psychiatrist after Hanson whenever her mind grew too loud to silence on her own. She’d gently suggested Jake do the same, and he seemed receptive, though reluctant. 

She understood. He still struggled with telling anyone things about his life before he’d come to Duskwood. He talked for hours with Manon, but opening up to his friends was still an awkward situation for him. 

Still, he was better than she ever hoped he could be. He’d made friends at work and outside. Steve was as close to him as he was to Manon. But it was the friends he made without her influence that made her proud of him. 

There were two. Garry and James. Garry was a couple of years younger than Jake, but game for anything. He was a boisterous man who lived for adventure. He shook Jake out of his controlled mind and encouraged him to pop out of his shell. 

Many times, Manon had received a phone call at two am to go pick a drunk Jake up. Garry would cackle down the line, and wax lyrical about how much fun they’d had. Jake would claim the next day, hungover and grumpy, that he was never going out for a drink with that man again. 

Manon would laugh and tell him he loved it. 

James was more conservative. He was older by a decade and well settled in his married life. He helped balance Garry’s chaos and gave Jake advice about keeping his future wife happy. Manon was too intrigued to know what that advice was, but Jake stubbornly refused to tell her. 

Her heart fluttered and warmed as she sighed. A content sound, and hoped joy and companionship were all Jake knew for the rest of their lives. Neither of his new friends could make their trip to celebrate their impending marriage, but they’d be at the wedding. 

Jake strolled back into the kitchen while she was putting the cheese away and she almost jumped as his arms wove around her from behind. A firm kiss pressed into her jaw as she sank back into his solid body. His redolent scent settled in her lungs as she inhaled it. 

“What are you thinking about? You look like you’re trying to solve the world’s problems,” He said in an undertone that never failed to raise gooseflesh on her skin. 

She smiled softly, and shook her head. “Nothing, just thinking about how well everyone is doing. I’m glad we get to have this.” 

Jake hummed, held her tighter and said, “Me too.”

And it was as simple as that as they joined their forged family for dinner. 

The morning had arrived. Three am, and she was half asleep as she stuffed the last of her clothes into her carry on. A weekend in the City of Sin, blinding lights and free flowing alcohol would be the theme of the trip and Manon had promised to behave herself. Fuck. That.

Jake padded through from the bathroom, stretching his arms above his head as he yawned and approached her. His hand settled on her back as she zipped her bag and stood straight. And she slid an arm around his waist as he dropped his head to kiss the crown of her bound hair. He spoke in a sleep roughened voice as she melted into his side. She scented spearmint toothpaste and that woodsy warm, masculine scent of him as she breathed him in.

“I don’t know whether to be excited or terrified. Only the Gods know what Dan has planned. I really didn’t like the smile he had on last night.”

She chuckled and replied, “I think he’s more excited to see you drunk off your ass than he is about going to the City itself.”

Jake groaned, pulling her in for a tight embrace that always made her worries scarper off and hide.

“Great. I’m going to have to delete so many photos from their phones when I get back, aren’t I?”

“It’s a good job you’re a gifted hacker then,” She jested, glancing up to see the mirth in his eyes and the gentle smile he always wore around her.

His hands roamed over her back, smoothing and rubbing softly until she felt weightless.

“I’ll just have to make sure he gets so drunk he forgets how to use his phone,” Jake murmured and drew in a deep breath, drinking in her scent, a blend of expensive perfume and her warm skin, before he slowly pulled away to finish getting dressed.

She perched on the edge of their bed as he shoved his shoes on and dragged a worn black hoodie over his mussed hair. He was still the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, and she often fantasized about how he’d look with streaks of grey running through his obsidian hair and neat beard. She thought he would still have the power to infatuate her after life left its wrinkled mark on them both.

Her mouth curled into a half smile as he grabbed both their bags and arched a bold brow at her.

“We good to go?” She asked, standing to throw her leather jacket on and striding to him.

“We are. Are you driving or am I?”

She shrugged. “I can do it if you want to grab a nap before the chaos begins?”

He gave a nod and said, “Sure. Doubt I’ll sleep, though.”

“Why?” She smirked, knowing the answer but enjoying the dry humor flashing in his eyes.

“I’d have a better chance napping through a plane crash than in a car you’re driving, Sweetheart.”

She feigned a huff, rolled her eyes and retorted, “The car has airbags. You’ll be fine,” she teased before going on, “Come on or Jessy will start blowing up my phone asking what’s keeping us.”

Manon didn’t wait for a response and took the lead as they left their room. The rest of the cabin was in darkness as she locked up and set the alarms while Jake stashed their luggage in the trunk of her SUV. After buckling in, she and Jake left the forest behind and began speeding down empty roads.

Jake clutched the Oh Shit handle in a bleached knuckle grip as she swung onto the freeway and followed the signs to the airport.

Excitement bubbled in her chest as they idly chatted after leaving their car and walked toward the vast building. A flutter of warm butterflies in her belly grew more potent as they entered and glanced around.

The airport was the launch pad of innumerable flights of fancy and sweet adventure. A cocoon of steel and glass, the walls so elegantly curved and wrapped around to create the inner space where their friends waited for them. The sky outside slowly lightened as they checked in and set off to find the bar Jessy had texted to tell them where to meet them.

Other weary travelers flowed from the check-in desks, cafes, and indulged in some pre-vacation shopping in the many stores littered through the place. At this early hour, it was as serene a place as it could be. Everyone moved with ease. Whispering rivulets of humanity freshly roused from slumber to jet off for some much needed me time.

The shining white floors reflected the rising sun and the manmade lights just the same as they came upon the bar and strolled inside. They immediately spied their friends. They’d colonized a table in the center and were already drinking merrily. Manon grinned as Jake’s hand slipped into hers and squeezed. He leaned down and murmured in her ear.

“I’ll grab us drinks, go see how drunk they are.”

She snorted and stretched to give him a kiss on his stubbled jaw before she sauntered over to the table full of bright eyed, laughing people she had claimed as hers.

Jessy was the first to clock her. Her pink dimpled smile broadened as Manon occupied one of the two empty chairs.

“It’s about time. I was just about to text you and tell you to hurry and put your pants back on.”

Manon ignored the friendly taunt and greeted them all. Dan toasted a glass of whisky, his eyes glittering with something she knew would bring nothing but trouble as Jake returned with their drinks. She sipped the martini he’d brought her, the dry, botanical, and slightly sweet flavor of the cold clear liquid glazed her tongue and burned its way down her throat.

It would be the first of many drinks this weekend.

The airplane landed atop the sun-drenched tarmac, wheels kissing the ground with a small bounce before they rolled down the runway. And Jake felt like a goddamned live wire by the time their taxi dropped them off at their hotel. Manon, tipsy, hadn’t stopped touching and teasing him through the flight.

Just touching, touching, touching as she whispered filthy fantasies in his ear and turned his balls blue in business class. If the two of them could fit in the tiny bathroom, he had no doubts she would have enticed him to join the mile high club.

She smelled like spice and vice gin lingering on her sweet breath as they entered the palatial lobby and joined everyone waiting to check in. Jake felt the stress of traveling decompressing and begin to dissipate. He’d enjoyed every second of Manon on the way here, but taking any type of journey that required him to show his true identity still caused him a tiny amount of dread and the tension in his shoulders finally went away as he breathed in the mixed fragrance of many peoples bodies in the air.

In that grand entranceway, the most monumental chandelier greeted them. It had the girth of a large evergreen alight with electric white flame and sparkled off the gleaming tiles. He couldn’t help but wonder how many it would take down with it if it ever came crashing down. Like a scene from a cheesy action movie, he thought. A racket of voices interrupted his thoughts.

The sound of Dan joking around with Thomas and Richy boomed and echoed off the marble floors as the rest of their entourage filed through the heavy doors.

“Fuck me gently...” Dan exclaimed and stared at the opulent chandelier. “It’s a good job you two are rich as shit. I don’t even want to know how much this cost.”

Manon’s dirty laugh contrasted the false frown Jake wore as the strangers in the queue turned to them all.

“If you want to sleep well, I suggest you don’t think about the cost,” Manon said in a low tone, and Jake nodded with a smile.

It had cost a fortune. He paid half while Manon paid the rest, but even then—he was sure he could’ve bought a house for the amount this trip ended up being. Jake didn’t actually mind. He would give Manon the moon on a string if she asked it of him.

Not that she ever would.

She only demanded things when he had her riled up to the point of begging in bed. The line moved up in increments as they all waited their turn. It seemed like hours had passed by the time he and Manon were showing their IDs and receiving their room keys. The girls were sharing a room together except Manon, while the men had all had separate rooms.

They’d had the option of rooming together, but Dan had said they’d had enough of sharing while they’d all lived in the cabin during the shit with Hansen.

Jake gave the guys their keys as Manon did the same, keeping her key card as she was sharing with Steve’s wife, Natalya. Steve and Natalya had arrived the day before and had wanted to spend a romantic night out alone together as they hadn’t been able to after their baby was born. Jake wished he’d thought to do that, too, so he and Manon could wreak sexual havoc on each other without a group of guard dogs around to keep them apart.

It was too late to remedy that, so he could only give her a chaste kiss before Dan, Thomas, and Richy dragged him to the elevator.

He glimpsed Manon being hauled across the lobby by a hyper Jessy before the silver doors shut and they began their ascent to the top floors.

He finished buttoning his dark blue shirt and eyed his reflection in the vanity mirror in the plush bathroom of his hotel suite. Content with how he looked, he turned off the lights as he left and entered his bedroom for the weekend. The palatial space screamed money. All gold gilt and deep jewel tones. Money he could almost feel bleeding from his many bank accounts as he grabbed his wallet off his massive bed, choosing to ignore the thought he would sleep in it alone as his phone buzzed in his hand.

Dan: Meet us in the lobby in 10, Hackerman!

Steve: I’ll be a few minutes late...

Richy: It’s fine. Dan can wait.

Dan: Hey! I said 10 minutes. Or I’m leaving without you fuckers.

Jake huffed a laugh as he typed his reply and watched multiple speech bubbles type at once.

Jake: I’m ready. I’ll catch you down there.

Dan: That’s my good man! No excuses from the rest of you.

Richy: Whatever, Daniels. We’ll be the ones carrying you back later. You should be more patient or we might just leave you in a gutter somewhere.

Thomas: Isn’t that where he always is?

Dan: Don’t you fucking start, you absolute soggy bottomed useless cracker. I’m going downstairs before you piss me off.

Steve: See you soon!

Jake didn’t know whether to brace himself, pray, or hope the future bail money wouldn’t empty his fortune as he put his phone in his pocket and left the room.

Manon and Natalya had spent a good hour catching up and cooing over videos of a tiny Elodie as they got ready together. She didn’t see the woman nearly as much as she liked. And still wouldn’t this weekend, but the wedding would give them more time to team up and annoy Steve. The others had joined them as they were finishing up their makeup and they abused the minibar in Manon’s suite to kick-start their night of sin.

She had a lovely buzz in her veins as they’d strutted down the main street, past the myriad of casinos, music venues, and strippers as they followed Jessy to the club. The dry outside heat shifted into an air-conditioned chill that made her shiver. They’d booked a table and bottle service, as had Jake and his gang of degenerates. The club had two halves. The male side and the female.

Jessy had insisted on seeing the naked, dancing, baby oiled men before she died and Manon was happy to follow along. She tried to picture Jake surrounded by scantily clad women, shaking their asses in his blushing face as he didn’t know where to look. He might be a demon with her in bed, but in public he was deceivingly awkward, and she found it endearing.

They were already halfway to totally wasted as they joined the crowded dancefloor and Natalya led her into a dance as upbeat music blared so loud it was a physical force. Arms brushing with strangers, hands clashing as they lifted in the air, and shared smiles as they danced like no one was watching. The almost nude waiters weaved through the mass of writhing bodies, quickly passing and replenishing drinks.

She took turns dancing with them all. Jessy and Lilly making a game of it, seeing how silly they could be without laughing. Hannah was more rigid, shy as Manon grabbed her hands and swung her around until she dissolved into a fit of laughter. Manon’s smile split her face, limbs slack, and heart thumping as sweat beaded her skin. Her teeny little dress, white as she was the bride, clung to her curves and shifted with her slinking movements.

The dancefloor ebbed and flowed, waxing and waning like a tide as bodies moved and they gave themselves over to the freedom of drunken joy. A blend of perfumes, bitter alcohol, and the musky scent of warm skin infused the air she breathed. She wore a sash that proclaimed her as soon to be wed and people offered to buy her drinks or congratulated her as she slithered through the teeming bodies to sit down for a short breather.

Her thighs stuck to the cool leather seat as she slid into their booth and reached for a fresh drink. All of her felt loose and hot, a familiar burn low in her belly as she watched her friends blowing off steam on the dancefloor. She shook her head as she spied Steve, wearing a Barbie pink feather boa and a scarlet cowboy hat, sneaking up behind Natalya. His wandering hands made her look away as Natalya leaned into it.

She tried to cool herself down, sweat drying on her skin as she caught her breath and her mind wandered to Jake. Her fingers itched to touch him, wishing she’d booked them in a night earlier to christen her hotel bed. She crossed her legs, lust and longing making itself known as she sipped her drink and swayed to the music.

It rubbed against her warm skin, turning it sensitive and decorating it with goosebumps. Alcohol flowed in her blood. It made her head rush with carnal thoughts. Her thudding heartbeat matched the heavy thumping bass of the song as rainbow strobe lights draped the dance floor, teeming with people tuned to the mirrored moon spinning above their heads. Condensation ran down the glass she clutched. 

Manon sucked down the last of her cocktail. The creamy sweetness lay heavy on her tongue. The deceptive and innocent appearance of its baby pink coloring veiled its potent alcohol content. Images of Jake wearing nothing but skin infiltrated her hazed mind as the male strippers began their show on a stage above the black-and-white checkered dancefloor.

None of them caught her eye, and the dollars in her bra remained there as her thoughts ran away from her. If Jake was here, she could sit in his lap, shove her underwear aside, and sink down on his cock. Ride him in tiny shifting movements until she trembled with the need to come and tried to hide what they were doing from the many eyes in the room.

She had a 4K vision of it playing in her mind, so real, she felt herself tensing in anticipation. Clearing her throat as it thickened, and a tremor ran through her hands. She was growing too hot between her thighs. Whenever she indulged in a drink, it always happened, but Jessy’s earlier warning made it even worse. Forbidden. She could have ignored her base urges if Jessy hadn’t forbidden them from fucking on this trip.

Her friend had only ensured Manon would seek her man out at the first opportunity.

Her cheeks bloomed with muted roses as she scanned her friends, all of them busy stuffing dollar bills in the painted on briefs of the oiled up men dancing for their entertainment. Her thighs clamped together as she imagined Jake growling filth in her ear and bringing her to a release so shattering, she could only wail. Mind addling lust bled into her and the need to feel nothing but that firestorm of desire ricocheting through her took control. Seeing everyone was well occupied, she unlocked her phone and sent Jake a quick message.

She grinned. Knew he would do what she asked as she set down her glass and snuck away while Steve had a shiny eyed Jessy’s attention. 

Jake leaned against the bar, Dan by his side. Their conversation had taken a turn Jake wasn’t entirely sure he was comfortable with, but given where they were and who they talked about, it was only natural topics would turn carnal. 

“You have all that money between you, and she isn’t dripping in diamonds?” Dan joked.

Jake smirked; the alcohol had oiled his rusty tongue, and for once, he just let the words fly, “My hand is the only necklace Manon wants. Diamonds won’t elicit the same reaction.” 

Dan’s brows shot up, face going carefully blank before he burst out laughing and cuffed Jake on the shoulder. 

“I wondered how you got her to do what you wanted. I guess strangling is the simplest solution,” Dan said, grinning and passing another vibrant blue shot to Jake. 

They tossed them back as one. Dan barely reacted, but Jake grimaced and shuddered. The cloyingly sweet liquid burned down his throat, and his mouth puckered as he swallowed. It seemed to glaze his tongue in a fuzzy jacket of sugar, and he hurried to clear it with a mouthful of his Old Fashioned. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket as Dan flagged down the bartender and ordered more drinks. Fishing it out, heat sparkled down his spine and pooled low in his back as a thread of curious anticipation wove through his veins to twine with the alcohol, loosening his inhibitions even further.

Manon: Outside. Five minutes. Look for the door with the purple sign on it. I’m waiting. You know how much I hate that. *Devil Smile Emoji*

Dan flirted with the pretty bartender, oblivious as Jake slipped away like a ghost. Everyone else had grouped off and were gambling or playing silly drinking games they’d sorely regret in the morning. 

His heart beat like a fist behind his sternum as he left the obnoxiously loud room and entered a shadowed hallway. The sticky carpet under his feet muted his steps as he scanned every door he passed for that purple sign. Her scent hung in the air. She was close. He almost walked past it when the door opened and a small hand shot out, grasping the back of his shirt before it pulled him inside. 

He tripped over his feet. The smell of cleaning chemicals and musty dust tickled his nose as someone small and fierce shoved him against a wall once the door was locked. His smile was salacious as Manon’s hands slid up his chest to grip his shoulders. The heat rolling off her seeped through his clothes as he grabbed her waist. 

There was a pause, a scuff of her heels on the concrete floor and a crackle of electricity zapping between them as she crowded him into the wall. Expectation and lust glimmered in his veins, making him eager to feel her engulf his cock in her tight, wet heat. He felt her purred question like a caress.

“We have about five or ten minutes before anyone comes looking. I want you to fuck me senseless before they can find us. Sound good to you?” 

He chuckled, his hands gripping her wriggling hips as she pressed against him so tightly it was as though she were trying to fuse herself with him. She could never get close enough and he was game for her to try until she burrowed inside him. Possess him inside and out. His cock reacted to her sultry tone and the alcohol in his system. Hardening so fast, she hummed in delight. 

Instead of replying, he kissed her, the act clumsy as he was blind in the dark, but he soon latched into her greedy mouth. She felt like danger and safety all at once. A thrilling, life-changing experience in the diminutive form of Manon Corvin—soon to be Allwood. The thought made me him growl possessively into the kiss. Her hands wove through his hair, her nipples stiffening against his chest, and she tasted like strawberries and cream as he breached her lips. He swept his tongue inside her mouth, fingers digging into her hips to drag her closer as their breathing echoed in the tiny cupboard. 

His hands slipped down and around, cupping the plush flesh of her ass and kneading her as she kissed him back with equal force. He often thought they were a collision of two opposing forces who somehow created something eternal. Something only they could break and they never would. They only ever strengthened their bond. Even without light, he could see her. Flushed pink. Eyes glazed and evergreen with lust. The little whimper she gave as he parted her thighs with a knee, going straight to his hard cock and making it twitch in his trousers. 

Her breath was his, sweet and harsh, panted through their sealed mouths as she surged into him. He tasted how much she wanted him—would always want him—on her twisting tongue as it taunted his. Reactive and urgent, she always touched him like she was afraid it was the last time. He could only react in kind. Her tiny little dress barely skimmed her thighs. His fingers traced the underside curve of her ass as she shivered and tugged his hair. 

They didn’t have time for him to draw it out and rile her into begging him to fuck the emptiness away. Quick and dirty, it was then. He gave a grunt as his fingers crept between her legs and he found her bare and slick and scorching hot. His beloved she-devil had taken off her underwear before he’d arrived. The knowledge made him groan into her biting mouth and kiss her harder. 

She reacted beautifully. Whining and pressing close. Undulating against him, feverish hands clawing down his chest, and she widened her stance to give him more access to her naked cunt. He dabbled in her wetness, opening her folds like the petals of a flower as he spread it around, and teased her entrance with a fingertip. Repeating the move as she shuddered and huffed through her nose. 

Manon sighed into his mouth, teeth nibbling his bottom lip as his bristling kiss abraded her sensitive lips. Her pulse thrummed wildly in her throat as a wave of pure distress and irrational love rose within her. The feel of him under her hands was a type of heaven she could only find in him. Her skin was aflame. Heart pounding and head buzzing with an urgency that made her arc into the hard length she could feel against her stomach. That damned finger pushed inside her and he smirked into the kiss as she clutched his shirt to keep her up. 

His tongue slid against hers, heat blooming bright in her core as a rush of essence flooded his busy hand. Desire and impatience warring in her as he teased her tense inner walls. Her chest stuttered, breasts high and heavy under her flimsy dress as she hiked a knee up to his hip, hooking her foot behind his thigh. She dropped her hands between their breathless bodies and undid his belt and fly with a practiced flick of her fingers, diving inside his boxers to wrap a hand around his rigid, weeping cock. 

She swiped her thumb over the tip, stealing the drop of moisture waiting there for her as she swallowed his rough moan as she teased him with too gentle strokes along the thick length of him. She loved how he reacted to her touch. Loved how he matched her endless desire with equal fire. She tried and failed to align him with her, but he was too tall, even with her heels on. Her disgruntled groan made him chuckle into her mouth as he withdrew his hand from her willing body and she suddenly found herself turned around, her back to him. 

“Plant your hands on the wall, Sweetheart. I’ll take care of you,” he ordered in a voice laced with smoke and sin. It threaded through her nerves and made her desperate.

She moved automatically. Trust and perfect faith, he would leave her in ruins were all she felt. Her hands found the wall, the cool concrete rough under her palms as she arched her spine and ground her ass into the cradle of his hips. He pinched her thigh to make her whine, smoothing his hand over the hurt as she preened and tensed herself, so she felt the delicious burn as he slid inside her. 

She sensed him bending at the knee, one hand grabbing her hip, the other guiding his cock to press into her soaked entrance. His fingers trailing down her thigh to hook around her knee, drawing it back and abruptly pulling her onto his length. Splitting her apart so thoroughly and savagely, she couldn’t make a sound. 

Her mouth gaped and eyes bugged as she scratched at the wall, body battling between pain and pleasure as she struggled to absorb him. A grinding ache of her inner muscles, the sublime burning stretch as he filled her up, made her cry out, and he slapped his free hand over her mouth to smother it as voices passed by their hiding spot. 

His voice was a blade wrapped in velvet as it sank into her blood rush ears. 

“Quiet, or they’ll find us faster.”

Her eyelids fluttered as essence drenched her core, her entire being focused on the feel of his cock like a fiery brand inside her taut cunt. All of her primed and fashioned just for him. Only with him could she let go of her control, shut down her mind, and just feel. Trusting he’d never let her fall. She arched further, so he hit that spot high inside her that turned her wetness into a steady trickle as he began to move. Shallow darts of his hips, circling and coaxing her open, harsh breaths tripping from him as he broke her to him and she bit down on his hand. 

He hissed, thrusting harder as she used her hands to rock forward and roll herself back onto his cock. Inner walls flickering and sucking him down, down. So deep she forgot her own name as he sheathed himself to the hilt. Footsteps and drunken arguing right outside their cupboard door only made him move faster, as though trying to make her scream and get them caught. The thought shouldn’t have been as exciting as it was, but she’d be damned if she didn’t clench around his length and grow even wetter.

His hand fell away from her mouth, dropping to hold her neck, fingers pushing into the veins on either side of her neck. For a few dizzying, electrifying seconds, he held her throat, cutting off her blood, before releasing the pressure. The rapid rush as it again flowed freely made her lightheaded and vocal, throaty cries turning the sex stained the air scarlet as he repeated the gesture. 

His touch was Midas, and she soon became gold. Her breath stalling in her lungs as the flexing of his fist squeezed her neck. The glide of his weighty cock inside her splitting her apart again and again as essence glazed her inner thighs. Her hammering pulse and fracturing mind as pleasure spiked high turning her on so much she almost couldn’t stand it, and he only drove her harder, her hands pushed tight against the wall. 

Every slide of his cock inside her, every bite of his nails through her paper-thin dress as he used her hip for leverage, sent her reeling. Searing sensation overwhelmed her as he reminded her she was his and his forever. Tension coiled, rapid and wit stealing and she shoved herself back as he pulled away, impaling herself on his cock to tear a groan from his chest. The shimmering love between them was as potent as the salted and sharp scent of her arousal in the humid air. 

She was on fire. Body alight upon a raging pyre. Tendrils of flame coursed under her skin and wreathed around it, crackling embers popping across her sensitive flesh as she gave into it and whimpered his name. The hand at her hip slipped and traveled down her quivering abdomen and under her short skirt to toy with her swollen clit. Drawing the tension out and out and out until her nails scraped the concrete to keep herself upright. 

His voice was a snarl as his body blanketed hers, and he sought to unravel her completely. “You take my cock like you’re made just for me,” he said, his body enveloping hers as he sought to unravel her. “You’re so beautiful when I overwhelm you.” 

Her heart rattled off her ribs, whimpers falling from her open mouth as he circled that bundle of nerves and pushed even deeper inside her. She was at his mercy, release threatening to break like a tidal wave as it swelled so high she felt as if she was too big for bones. He was tearing her in two, sparks flying from his fingers and shooting through her as her cunt clenched down on him. He seemed to grow impossibly harder, sharp jabs of his cock making her babble wordlessly. 

His black chuckle slithered over her pebbled, overheated skin like a shiver. Cunt weeping for him as he rubbed her clit in deliberate circles. Jake and Manon didn’t pay attention as someone burst into laughter and shoved something heavy into the other side of the door. Too lost in the incredible pleasure building like an impending implosion in them both. Every part of her coiled and coiled under his touch. Muscles going stiff, inner walls clasping his cock tight, and even her untouched nipples strained against the satin fabric of her dress. 

He took it as permission to fuck her fast and rough like a beast. Moving easily within her slippery walls, coaxing moan after moan from her as she reveled in the drag of his hard length teasing her exquisitely. She became a creature of sinful delight. Body full of firing nerves and quivering tension that pulled and pulled taut in her core until it drew too tight and left her balanced on a bone slicing precipice. 

Jake felt her impending release in a wash of her essence as she chased it. The throb in her core threatened to break her as she mewled and urged him on. His clever fingers relentless on that tiny cluster of nerves as the tension gave an almost audible snap. She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, copper flooding her tongue as a crazed howl tried to claw its way out of her throat. 

He kept fucking her. Relishing in every flutter of her orgasm, as it claimed her wholly. And Manon could only take it as he drew the ecstasy from her until she felt unhinged and needed it to end. Heat like scalding water welled up inside her and drowned her ability to breathe or think or do anything but come. Bright flashing lights splintered her vision, her breath gasping from her as she heard herself whining and griping, unable to stop it as the intense pleasure made her knees weaken. His fingers on her clit never ceased. 

Neither paid any mind to the persistent knocking on the cupboard door, as dark crazed carnal desire took full control. 

She flailed as her orgasm turned sharp. Jake’s whispered worship urged her on, telling her how much he loved her, how deeply he wanted her, and how nothing could ever tear them apart as he gave an emphatic slam of his hips and buried himself deep as he came and came. Her name was a ragged prayer on his lips as she flickered around his cock. Every twitch inside her only fueled the ardent flames licking through her. 

Loose strands of hair stuck to her sweaty temples as she slowly came down. Wishing she had more time to luxuriate in the boneless, mindless delirium he so easily created in her. He was still inside her, softening as he leaned down to press a soft kiss on her sweat slick neck. The knocking got louder, and they both froze. A hysterical giggle lodged in her throat as Jake cursed under his breath. She whined as he slid free of her saturated cunt, his fingers teasing her tender flesh before he tugged her skirt back down. 

She thought about pretending they weren’t there as the hand chapping on the door started pounding on it. But Jessy’s indignant voice put an end to that idea. 

“I know you’re in there! I heard you. You’ve got five minutes to get your shit together or I’ll be back to drag you out.” 

Manon couldn’t help the childish laugh that left her as the redhead’s heels clacked away from their hiding spot and Jake muttered swears directed at their nosey friends.

She turned in a swirl of her dress, liquid between her shaking legs as she wrapped herself around him and kissed him stupid. Her inner walls still flickered, and dazzling bliss settled in her hollow bones as his tongue played lazily with hers. Tasting his sated breath and enjoying his teeth, biting her lips before they parted with a reluctant sigh. 

“We better listen to her. She’s scary when she’s angry,” Jake said, chuckling as he tucked himself away and zipped his pants back up. 

She needed to visit the bathroom before returning to her party, clean herself up and see the damage Jake had done to her makeup and hair. They couldn’t part ways without another starving kiss. They left the closet with an unspoken promise to spend hours ravishing each other once they got home and hurried to do as Jessy had told them. 

Manon’s reflection in the bathroom mirror made her want to cackle as she fixed the pins Jake had knocked loose in her halo of braids and reapplied her sanguine lipstick. There was nothing to be done about the fingerprints on her throat or the swollen lips. The skin around her mouth abraded by his spiked kiss would give it all away, anyway. 

She didn’t care as she hid in a toilet stall to relieve herself and clean up the mess the two of them had made. Her heart was light and fluttering like a tiny singing bird as she joined her friends in the crowded, too-loud club and downed the round of shots a glaring Jessy handed her. She plopped down beside her friend, a pleasant burn in her throat, and leaned in to whisper. 

“I am sorry. But it was worth it.”

Jessy rolled her eyes, a smile trying to curl the corners of her mouth as she said, “It’s fine. We all had bets about how long it would take before you slipped away to find him. I won. We’re even.” 

Manon choked on the drink a swaying Cleo had handed her and narrowed her eyes at Jessy. 

“Am I that predictable?” 

A chorus of “Yes!” Greeted her. Everyone, including Natalya and Steve, who should’ve been with Jake’s party but was currently clinging to his wife, wound around her like a snake as the alcohol affected his self-control, agreed. Manon wanted to feel annoyed by them all, but she only felt seen and accepted. Loved by these people she had chosen. And they had chosen her and Jake right back. 

She grinned at them all. Drunk and utterly in love, it was the best night she would barely remember the next morning.