Passion in Portland 2016 Anthology Read online

  We were like teenagers, the kissing becoming more frenzied, the touching more intimate the longer time went on. By the time the credits began to roll, I was willing to do anything to have him inside me. Even dare for him to see my scars. I was on fire, my blood burning me up from the inside out, and I knew my panties were soaked.

  “I want you,” I gasped into his mouth and it was like he took the phrase into his own and rolled it like candy, savoring the flavor.

  “Mm, bedroom, I’m not making love to you on the couch.”

  I gasped and nodded and got off of him to let him up. He drew me to my feet behind him and I followed him to his room where he switched on the light. I switched it off and he switched it back on, capturing my hands before I could switch it off again.

  “I want to see you,” he murmured and I ran my bottom lip nervously between my teeth.

  “The scars…”

  “What about them?”

  “They’re bad.”

  “And I’ll kiss every one of them because they mark you as a survivor, Baby. You lived. You died on me twice in the back of my bus, and once at the hospital, but I got you back. You came by every one of them honestly and should be proud you fought as hard as you did and won.”

  I teared up, tears of joy, and hid them by kissing him like he was going to disappear any second. I buried my hands beneath his thermal shirt and touched him, his skin so warm, very nearly hot to the touch. He let me lift the shirt over his head, putting his arms up so I could pull it off completely before he went for my scarf. I let him take it, my heart in my throat, but good as his word, he didn’t miss a beat. He dropped the light fabric to the floor and placed his lips over the scar; over the pulse point in my neck, biting gently, and licking the sensitive spot until I was weak in the knees.

  “Dominic!” I half gasped, half cried, my fingers digging into his shoulders to keep me upright. He chuckled darkly and turned us around so the bed was behind me to catch me if I fell. He stripped off my top, then his jeans, staying one for one on the clothing. Making sure I was comfortable every step of the way and lavishing my body with attention.

  He laid me down and got between my thighs, groping in the nightstand for a condom which he put on without a drop of hesitation. We were both frenzied with desire and when he slid into me, I was ready and it absolutely curled my toes. I arched up to meet him and he fit inside me so well I came close to sobbing with pure joy.

  He stroked deep, taking care to watch me, my expression; my face, to make sure it only felt good. Oh god, did it ever? I found myself wrapping my legs around his lean hips and begging for him to touch my clit. He leaned up, slipping a thumb in against my body, teasing me lightly and I exploded around him, crying out and opening up more than just my body to this man.

  The look in his fierce grey eyes had me pooling beneath him, completely at his mercy, and he knew it. Treating me with a reverence and a care I had never experienced before as shuddering little aftershocks wracked my body.

  Nine

  Dominic Shepard…

  She was so fucking sexy and she didn’t even know it. Her scars really did mean what I’d said. She was a fighter, she was a survivor, and I admired her so much for that. She wrapped her long, toned limbs around me and I buried myself deep. She was soaked, especially after her orgasm, but I wasn’t done. Not by a long shot. She was beautiful, and I wasn’t letting her leave my bed without being at least halfway there to believing it.

  I kissed every single scar I could reach as I moved inside her. She fit me like a glove, like we were two halves of the same whole and it was fucking satisfying. She arched up beneath me, nails digging into my shoulders as she crested another wave of pleasure and it was everything I had in me not to spill, but my cup was already over full.

  I wanted to come, but I wasn’t ready yet. I didn’t want this to end and I wanted to watch her move above me. I pulled out of her and vaulted her leg to lie on my back, pulling her with gentle encouragement to mount me.

  “Please, Baby. I want to see you move,” I breathed and her guard came down just a little bit more. She straddled me and I helped her find purchase. Her eyes closed and her head tipped back, long auburn hair flowing loose around her shoulder and down to her waist, brushing the tops of my thighs as she sank slowly down my length.

  I expected her to rise and fall, but she rotated her hips, doing this slow, torturous and delicious slow grind on my dick that tore my breath from me. I palmed her hips and smoothed my hands up her long torso, relishing the weight of her firm breasts in my palms. She was so fucking gorgeous you didn’t even really see the scars. Her inner light shone so beautiful, so special, it was absolutely breathtaking. I’d seen it in the back of my ambulance, and I could see it now.

  She was phenomenal, and I told her so, whispering words of encouragement, letting her take her pleasure, relishing and treasuring the pleasure she so freely gave to me. She moaned and it was so hot, I couldn’t stand it. She was riding me so beautifully, and when that sultry sound crossed her lips I lost it completely, giving a jerk of my hips as I spilled inside the condom. My breath coming in ragged pants, the feel of her silken pussy around me becoming too much with how sensitive I became.

  I gripped her hips with my hands, stilling her and she looked down at me, the expression on her face as dazed as I felt. I lay my head back against the pillows and she lowered herself gently, tucking her body against mine so that we just held each other while our heated skins cooled and our breathing returned to normal.

  “That was probably one of the most profound sexual encounters I’ve ever had,” I confessed and her voice, when it came, was timid and a little shy.

  “Me, too.”

  I smiled and stroked up and down her back with my palm, “Glad it was for both of us,” I said, and I totally was.

  Ten

  Corinne Tate…

  There was a curfew as a part of the agreement to live at New Beginnings House, and so I wasn’t able to stay with Dominic our first night. I was so close to moving into my own apartment I could taste it, though, just one more week, and then we could sleep in each other’s arms if we wanted to. He drove me home, except in the place of the chaste kiss he usually left me with, this time it was deep and lingering, tasting of regret that I couldn’t stay.

  I smiled, a little sadly, and answered my phone when he called it. We stayed on the line together, neither one of us speaking, both of us quiet and still somewhat euphoric, despite our sexual encounter being hours ago.

  I slipped up the front porch and heard arguing inside before I could even fit the key into the lock. I froze, but Dominic had heard it too, through the phone line.

  “Corrine, what’s wrong?” he asked.

  I could hear Hayley screaming and a man’s voice screaming back at her and my mouth went dry. Ruth’s calm and authoritative voice, and more yelling.

  “I think Hayley’s boyfriend is here… he’s not supposed to be. Dominic I’m scared.”

  I heard his motorcycle fire up and he was getting off at the bottom of the steps, having parked it right on the sidewalk.

  “Call 9-1-1,” he told me, and I nodded, letting him take the keys from me. I dialed the phone and let them know a man was in the house. A loud boom echoed from inside the house. Not like a gunshot, but like someone had been thrown into a wall. I jumped, yelping and watched in fear as Dominic disappeared inside the door.

  The 9-1-1 operator asked me what was happening, I told her, “I don’t know, my boyfriend, a paramedic, was dropping me off a few blocks away, he stays on the phone with me, when I got here there was yelling, it sounds like whoever is inside is hurting one of the girls, please hurry!”

  I was babbling, giving all kinds of useless information, but I couldn’t help it. Fear chased the good feelings out of my veins, turning the lingering glow of my time with Dominic to so much bitter acid. I burned and tingled from the adrenaline coursing through me as I heard two men fighting inside. Dominic cursed, and they both fell out the f
ront door, grappling on the front porch.

  “Dominic!” I cried, and the dispatcher’s voice turned into senseless buzzing.

  Sirens, lights, the police! Thank God!

  They pulled the two men apart and began to handcuff the man, but they were handcuffing Dominic, too!

  “No, stop! Wait! He didn’t do anything! He was trying to help!” I rushed forward and Ruth was there, a scrape on her cheekbone, holding me back.

  “Dominic!”

  “Its okay, Baby! Just let them sort things out, let them do their job!”

  He sat down on the curb, hands cuffed behind him and one of the officers asked, “Shepard?” dubiously.

  “Yeah, it’s me, DuBoise.” Dominic grimaced, blood coming from his nose and I lurched toward him. Ruth held me back and an officer stepped in front of me.

  “Please, let me help him, he’s hurt.”

  “Stay right there, Corrine, it’s all gonna be okay,” Dominic’s gray eyes met mine and I calmed, he knew what to do, I just had to believe in him.

  “You said he’s your boyfriend, but you’re staying here?” the officer asked and it dawned on me what he must thing. I grimaced, and shook my head.

  “It’s not what you think.”

  “Then why don’t you explain it to me?” he asked gently and so I did.

  “Dominic saved my life from the monster that did this,” I pulled my scarf aside and let fly with the very long story.

  “So he was just dropping you off?”

  “Yes, two blocks that way. He’s responded to the house before, that’s how he knew where it was. I didn’t tell him, Ruth.”

  “Shh, it’s okay, Corrine, I know Mr. Shepard. I was here when he took Lacy to the hospital when she went into labor. It’s hard to forget a thing like that.” She rubbed my back consolingly.

  “When I got to the door I heard yelling and screaming and then a loud bang, and I think books falling. I told Dominic, he was on the phone with me. He rode this way, and came up the steps and told me to call 9-1-1.”

  “Were you inside?” he asked Ruth.

  “Yes,” and then Ruth told us all what had happened.

  Hayley had gone out and met her abuser. She told him where the house was and that she was staying here and had complained about the rules. He’d shown up and when one of the women had answered the door, forced his way inside. He’d beaten Hayley and thrown Ruth into the bookcase when she tried to stop him. Then Dominic had come in and they fought.

  Dominic remaining calm, and waiting for things to be sorted, was working in his favor. Hayley’s boyfriend was in the back of one of the police cars kicking at one of the windows with both feet, screaming.

  An ambulance arrived and the police unlocked Dominic’s cuffs. One of his coworkers came over and was helping him clean up, checking out his nose, while two others went inside for Hayley. Ruth let me go and I went and sat beside Dominic who gave me his arm to hold onto.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said and he smiled wanly.

  “I don’t think I like you staying here anymore,” he said and I nodded.

  “If it’s all the same to you, I think I’d like to take her back to my place tonight,” he called out to Ruth.

  “I don’t blame you one bit, Mr. Shepard. Corrine, is that what you want?” she asked me.

  I nodded, but my gaze was captured by his, “Yes.”

  Eleven

  Dominic Shepard…

  “Ow.”

  “I’m sorry!”

  “Don’t be, just get comfortable.”

  She settled herself gingerly into the crook of my arm and lay her head against my shoulder. I sighed and we were both silent, lost in our own thoughts.

  Finally, she asked me, “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m not sure if I should tell you,” I said carefully and she stiffened. I chuckled, “Nothing bad, I promise, Baby.”

  “Okay then why don’t you want to tell me?”

  “Because we’ve been moving pretty fast, and I don’t want to scare you away.”

  “Oh.”

  There was another long silence, Corrine drew in a deep breath and breathed out slowly before saying, “Tell me anyways.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes.” I thought about it, and caved to her wishes… like I could deny her anything.

  “Let’s move.”

  “What, like in together?”

  “No. Like away from here, a total new beginning. All I have is my job, and it’s pretty in demand. What was the name of that town you heard of? The one you always wanted to live in, in Florida.”

  She sat up, and I winced, quickly hiding the grimace when she turned to face me, staring at me, searching my face for a long minute.

  “You’re serious.”

  “As a heart attack, Baby.”

  She blinked and looked away, staring at some invisible point in the dim light of my bedroom.

  “Ft. Royal,” she murmured. “Ft. Royal, Florida. It’s on the coast.”

  I smiled, “Ft. Royal it is then.”

  Twelve

  Corrine Shepard…

  Six months later.

  The drive was long and torturous. Why? Because my idiot husband had insisted he ride his motorcycle the whole way while I followed him in the U-Haul truck. The air conditioning was unfortunately broken, so I had the windows down. A bead of sweat was escaping down my spine and my excitement was mounting. Dominic passed the sign on the main drag through town declaring Welcome to Ft. Royal, and when the breeze gusted in my window, I could smell the salty tang of ocean water.

  We’d been reckless, saving all of our money and then some, buying a house, an actual house, sight-unseen followed by a quick marriage at the justice of the peace right before we’d left. We would be pulling up to the house soon according to the map.

  I’d worried; I mean what if the house was in total disrepair when we arrived? Dominic had smiled at me that charming, crooked smile he got and had shrugged.

  “Then we fix it,” he’d said and it was as easy as that.

  It’d felt good to throw caution to the wind. It’d felt even better to leave dreary, cloud covered Portland behind, too.

  Dominic made a right turn onto the street name bearing our house and I followed suit. I held my breath as I caught site of it up ahead, slowing the truck to pull up to the curb in front of it, while Dominic pulled his motorcycle into the driveway, stopping in front of the garage.

  I turned off the engine, and sat for a moment. The house needed some paint, and definitely needed to be a different color than the ugly brown and yellow that it was. Also, the little front steps leading up to the tiny front porch needed to be replaced. I let my eyes wander over the roof which at least appeared to be sound, and tried not to pick out any more flaws; though I could see plenty. Dominic held out his hands and called out, “C’mon, Baby! What’re you waiting for?”

  I got out of the truck and went to him, where he scooped me up into his arms. I let out a shrill shriek of surprise and laughed.

  “What are you doing?” I cried.

  “Carrying my wife across the threshold of our first house, do you mind?”

  I softened. This was for real. He was for real.

  “No, Mr. Shepard. I don’t mind at all.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Shepard. Thank you, very much.”

  He stepped over the sagging steps and onto the front porch, stooping to slide the key in the lock and turn it behind my back. With a light nudge of his foot the door swung open.

  It was blazing inside the house, and musty from being shut up, but it was ours, and held so much potential.

  “Welcome home, Baby,” he said, setting me gently to my feet. I stood for a long time looking everything over, tears of happiness welling in my eyes.

  Dominic came up behind me, gentle hands on my hips and kissed the back of my shoulder where my tank top didn’t cover. I closed my eyes and sighed out and I felt his lips curve into a smile against my skin.

 
“We’re gonna lose these, and I’m going to put you up against that wall there, and I’m going to do my wife. That good with you?”

  “Mm-hm!” I laughed, a throaty thing filled with desire as he slipped my shorts down my legs, my panties making the trip with them. He turned me to face the wall and put my hands against it.

  I expected him to go straight for the front of his jeans, but he didn’t. Instead he went to his knees and licked, teasing his tongue along my outer lips, spreading me with his hands.

  “Oh, god… Dominic.”

  He made a mischievous, satisfied sound, and plunged his tongue inside me. I began to shake, and let the wall hold me up. He teased me, thoroughly winding me up, until I writhed, and begged for his cock. For that deeper touch that would set all this pent up frustration loose and would set me free, but he wasn’t about to give in that easy.

  It seemed the more I begged, the more he drug the sweet torture out, until I was reduced to nothing but writhing, mewling, whimpers. He slid a finger into me, prolonging the sweet torture and ramping it up until I finally broke down and yelled at him, “Dominic Maxwell Shepard!”

  He laughed outright and nipped one of my ass cheeks, “You’re going to make a beautiful mother to my child someday.”

  “Not if you don’t fuck me!” I exclaimed and he stood, pressing me into the wall and slipped his dick inside me.

  Oh. My. God.

  The intensity was insane from this angle. I pressed my arms and palms flat to the wall and my ass back into him as he surged forward.

  “Oh, god, Baby, like that. Just like that.”

  The sound his hand made connecting with my flesh was sharp in the empty house, the pleasurable warmth spreading out from where it’d connected with the meatiest part of my ass. I loved it. It’d taken me quite a while to convince him to smack my ass a little during sex, given my history, but my patience and his care with me had paid off.