𝙽𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝙴𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑

Five

Grayson

I hadn't planned on it, but when she tried to get past me, all I could do was try to stop her. Once I grabbed her, everything came back. Every memory together. All the nights in bed, the mornings. The time on the back of my bike. The night we got married. Everything.

I felt her pulse racing in her wrist, then when I pulled her to me, and her chest pressed into my body. She was on fire for me, just like she used to be. I knew she couldn't forget me just like that. She felt what was between us. She couldn't ignore it, just like I couldn't.

I used my free hand to stroke the side of her face, then pulled it closer to mine. She didn't fight me. When I crushed my lips against hers, she didn't fight that, either.

I was hard in seconds, almost as soon as I felt her soft, firm, familiar lips under mine. It was like coming home-it sounded corny, but it was true. Like part of me was back. I held her face still, held her arm behind her back, felt her tits pressed against me. She whimpered when my tongue pried her mouth open. The need to take her, right there, raced through my veins like fire. I had to have her. I had to make her mine again.

No
. I pulled back, my cock and every other part of me besides my brain screaming in rage. My body wanted her more than it ever wanted anything or anybody, but it couldn't happen. I wouldn't be able to let go of her again if I had her. I was a strong man. I could do almost anything. That would've been too much.

Her face was flushed, her chocolate eyes half-closed. She breathed hard through open lips. Her chest rose and fell, tits going up and down. I let her go so I could shove my hands in my pockets. If they were in my pockets, I couldn't touch her.

"I have to go," she whispered raggedly.

"Don't. It's not safe for you if they know where you live."

I saw something cross her face-she looked even more scared than she had before. Terrified, more like. Her eyes went wide. She forgot all about the kiss, just like that.

"No, I really have to go. Right now." She shoved her arms into her coat and raced for the door.

"Think about this, Jess. You wanna take this chance?"

"I don't have a choice."

"At least take my cell number. In case you ever need help." She paused, looking up at me. "Please. I'll feel a lot better if I know you can call me when you need me."

"Okay." She pulled out her phone. I watched her enter my number in her contacts. Then she left, running down the hall with her phone still in her hand. I heard her talking to a taxi dispatcher.

I thought about following her for a minute there. I didn't like the idea of her going home alone like that. I kinda wanted to know where she lived, too. I couldn't help wanting to watch her. It killed me, knowing she was in danger. Loan sharks weren't people. They didn't play by any rules but their own. They wouldn't care that she was a woman. It didn't matter. I had seen a lot of dirty, nasty shit in my time. A woman was just as easy to kill. Easier, even. And a loan shark would do it.

"Fuck." I punched the brick wall just inside the door. My knuckles stung, but I didn't feel any better for doing it. I had to hit something else. I closed the door and went to the little home gym in one of my spare rooms.

I took off my shoes, jeans, shirt, and went to work on the heavy bag in my boxer briefs. The first contact with the bag felt good. The next one felt even better. Jab, jab, kick. Kick. Jab, jab. I went harder, faster, grunting every time I hit the bag. I worked until sweat dripped from me and puddled on the floor. I worked until I could hardly lift my arms anymore. I wanted to keep going, still. I wanted to kill the bastard who tried to hurt what was mine.