Lies We Keep Read online

  “Rental,” he said, closing the trunk.

  Before I could reach the passenger door, Blakely was by my side, opening the door for me.

  “How chivalrous of you,” I said, sliding into the car.

  I looked around the vehicle. It had been a long time since I’d been in the passenger’s seat of a car. I gave up that luxury once I’d moved to the city. Blakely climbed into the driver’s seat, punched a few buttons on the dash GPS, and merged into traffic.

  I loved that this city never slept, which was one of the reasons I decided to move here. I wasn’t the in-bed-by-ten-and-up-by-six type. I thrived on darkness, on the night. When the evils of the world hid within the shadows, I could pretend they didn’t exist. Everything looked so much more beautiful at night. Even skyscrapers danced across the skyline, each window’s light twinkling against the blackness.

  But it wasn’t night anymore. Without the shadows, the dangers of the city were on full display.

  “Wake me when we get there,” I said, reclining my seat and closing my eyes.

  I woke to the soft sound of classical music playing. I looked up at Blakely. His eyes were fixed on the road. From this angle, I could see the sharp curvature of his jawline. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing against the taut skin of his neck.

  “You’re watching me,” he said without looking over.

  “How do you do that?” I asked.

  A small smile formed. “You pay me to do that.”

  I shook my head and adjusted the seat to sit forward. Yawning, I asked where we were. As soon as the question escaped my lips, I saw a road sign for Kittery, Maine.

  “Kittery? That sounds all sorts of naughty.”

  Blakely shook his head, grabbed his bottle of water, and attempted to remove the cap with one hand while steering the SUV with the other.

  “Gimme that before you kill us both,” I said, reaching over. I removed the cap and handed the bottle back to him, watching as he took a swig before returning it to me. “I was out for a while, huh?” I said as I put the bottle back in the cup holder.

  He nodded. “How’d you sleep?”

  I shrugged. “Fine.”

  We sat in silence, listening to a classical music station.

  “Look in the glove box,” Blakely said, eying me from his seat.

  I wiggled my brows at him when he glanced at me, knowing he’d know I was referring to how sexy he was when he ordered me around. I opened the glove box and squealed as I grabbed the CD case.

  “I heard you were a fan.”

  “How did you get this? It’s not released yet!”

  I clutched the CD, my fingers turning white as I stared at the gorgeous cover. She wore a gray, off-the-shoulder sweater with knitted stitching. Her hair was slicked back, and her lips, stained with gloss, were dark in the black-and-white photo.

  “A friend of mine works security for Taylor. When Tara mentioned your obsession with her pop music, I thought I’d give him a call, see what he could do.”

  I ran my fingers across the black-stained scribble. She’d signed it to me, wishing me well.

  “I can’t believe you did this for me,” I whispered. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  I was never a closeted fan: I’d scream Taylor’s lyrics until my throat dried and it hurt to swallow. I loved the way she wrote about love and loss. It was as if she spoke to my soul. When she started her career, she was a country music star, but she dropped that façade as she aged. Like me, she was nothing like the girl she used to be.

  “She and I are the same age, y’know. We could totally be besties. Set that up, will ya?” I joked.

  He laughed, and the car fell silent as I inserted the CD into the player, and we listened to her album. Hours passed as I kept the CD on repeat, learning each lyric. Her words moved me: I felt her anger with her haters, her love for her boyfriend. I could only hope my words evoked similar emotions.

  I scanned the road. There weren’t many people out driving. It wasn’t quite one yet, so I assumed rush hour traffic was over. I stared through my tinted window. The front driver’s and passenger’s side windows weren’t tinted as deeply as the back ones, but they were still dark enough to make it difficult to see inside. I dragged my teeth across the skin of my lower lip.

  I reached over and rubbed my hand against Blakely’s lap, making sure to give enough pressure to stroke his dick.

  The SUV swerved, and Blakely offered an apologetic wave to the only other car on the road.

  “Now who’s trying to get us killed?” he asked.

  I smiled, unbuckled my seatbelt, and shimmied closer to him. I increased my pace, rubbing, squeezing, grabbing his hardening length. With my tongue, I traced the curve of his earlobe.

  “I’m hungry,” I whispered as I started to unbuckle his belt.

  The sexy muscles in his jaw tightened as I unzipped his pants.

  “This is a horrible idea. You know that, right?” he asked.

  He glanced at me, but his eyes said everything his mouth never would. He wanted this. He wanted me. And he might have wanted it more than I did. I didn’t care enough to ask.

  I freed him, and his impressive length sprang free. Watching the sunlight hit his glistening tip was almost enough to convince me to become a morning person. I ran a finger across the pre-cum that pooled there and brought it to my mouth. I sucked it off my finger, moaning dramatically in the process.

  He exhaled sharply and pushed me away.

  “We’re not doing this, Jezebel. Not here.”

  He pushed his dick back in his pants, zipped them up, fastened his button, and employed the ten-two hand position on the steering wheel before I could even blink.

  What the fuck?

  “Seriously. Don’t pretend you don’t want this. You’re hard as fuck. You want your dick in my mouth just as much as I do. Maybe more.”

  He swallowed hard but said nothing.

  I smiled. “So, you’re going to ignore me?”

  What he didn’t know was that I could play this game, too, and I was much better at it.

  I shifted back into my seat, pulled the lever, and lay down. At this angle, passersby couldn’t see me. I’d opted for shorts and a tank top this morning, which worked to my advantage. I slipped my shorts and panties off and angled my body to watch Blakely’s reaction. I knew he liked watching me pleasure myself, so I’d give him the show of his life.

  I closed my eyes and imagined Blakely and I were already at the hotel, checked in and in my room. I wriggled in the seat at the thought of him taking me there. Running my hand across the soft curves of my neck, I moaned and bit my bottom lip.

  “Jezebel,” Blakely said in that stern, commanding tone that was so fucking sexy. I could feel his eyes on me, which only incited my desire more.

  I arched my back, rubbing my thighs together. My fingers trailed past my collar bone, tickling the curve of my breasts. My nipples were hard peaks, and I knew the thin cotton fabric of my tank top didn’t do much to hide them. So, I pulled the fabric down. My breasts sprang free, much like his dick did only minutes earlier. And like his dick, they were needy, silently begging me to tease them.

  So I did.

  I pushed past the silver cross that lay flat on my chest and grabbed onto my breast. I rubbed the peaks of my nipples between my thumb and index finger, groaning as I felt the sensation settle at my core. I was already wet, needy. I ached to have Blakely touch me again, even for a moment. I ran my fingers down the length of my torso and spread my legs as far apart as I could. I wasn’t sure if he could see me at his angle, but that didn’t stop me from running my fingertip over my core. With one hand still teasing my breast, I rubbed the sensitive bundle of nerves with the other.

  I arched off the chair. “Fuck,” I whispered.

  I finally opened my eyes when he took my nipple in his mouth, his tongue playfully flicking the sensitive nub.

  “I need you inside me,” I panted, knowing there wasn’t much he could do. />
  I stared at the ceiling, noticing the trees surrounding us were at a standstill. I assumed he’d pulled over or taken an exit just to fuck me.

  He pushed a finger inside me.

  “Fuck, Jezebel,” he whispered, releasing my nipple. “You’re so fucking wet.”

  I nodded, my eyes rolling back as he fucked me with his finger. “So fucking wet for you.”

  He inserted another finger and curled them up, reaching the special spot deep inside me. He teased me there, rubbing, flicking, and my release was approaching.

  His mouth was on my nipple again. While he worked one, I teased the other.

  “Keep rubbing your clit,” he said, and I obeyed.

  I was close, so close. My body tensed as it eagerly awaited the explosion of pure bliss.

  “Look at me,” he said.

  I opened my eyes to find him watching me. His tongue darted out, dancing across my breast.

  “Come. Now,” he ordered.

  That simple command was all it took. I was freefalling, crying out for him. I rode my release until there was nothing left. Breathlessly, I smiled at him, clenching my thighs together in the hope I’d spark another orgasm.

  I sat up, glancing around. We were at a truck stop, but there was no one around. The closest semi-truck was across the lot.

  “That was the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I just wanted to watch, but I couldn’t stop myself from touching you.”

  “I like it when you touch me,” I whispered.

  His jaw clenched as he handed me my top. “Get dressed. We need to leave before someone sees you.”

  “Or we can go in the back.” I leaned over, caressing his erection. “I can climb on top, ride you until you can’t take it anymore.”

  He tried to muffle a groan.

  I unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, letting him spring free. Before he could object, I leaned down and took him in my mouth.

  His breath hitched, and his legs tensed. I knew I had him.

  He tasted just as he smelled: minty with a healthy dose of Sex God. I’d never been one for swallowing, but all I could think about was tasting his release. I pumped the base of his cock as I sucked on his tip. His hand scrunched my hair, guiding me to the speed he liked. I tried to take him fully, from tip to root, and felt him arch into me.

  “Fuck, Jezebel. You’ll make me come,” he said.

  Uh, that was the plan…

  I didn’t know how I wanted him: in my mouth or in me. But I knew I wanted him. Badly. And right fucking now. I increased my speed, digging my hand into his pants. I grabbed his balls, alternating between a soft rub and a tight grasp. Again, his breath hitched. He thickened in my mouth, and I knew he was close.

  I took him fully once more, and he emptied his release into the back of my throat. Greedily, I swallowed him down, squeezing out the last bits of his essence before pulling away and licking my lips.

  He stared back at me, breathing heavily. I ran my hand up his shirt, emphasizing each ridge of his torso as I went. On my descent, I scratched my nails against him.

  “Come in the back with me,” I said. Leaning forward, I placed delicate kisses to his neck. “I want to feel you inside me, Mr. James Blakely.”

  He groaned. He liked it when I used his first name. Honestly, so did I, but that realization was too much to handle. This wasn’t supposed to be a relationship. We were just fucking. So I pushed aside those feelings and focused on the burning desire within me. He was my bodyguard and fuck buddy. Nothing more. Nothing less.

  As I tried to move back, he pulled me into a kiss. His tongue parted my lips, eagerly searching for my own. I leaned into him, letting him swallow my moans. He reached forward and pulled me onto his lap. Before I could argue that the back seat was more practical, he reached down, pulled a lever, and slid the seat back, giving me more than enough leg space. With the click of one more lever, he leaned back as far as his seat allowed, which wasn’t much. I guessed car manufacturers didn’t want drivers sleeping on the job.

  I angled my hips and slid onto his length in one quick drop.

  “Christ, Jezebel,” he said, digging his fingers into the soft flesh of my hips.

  I rode him fast, hard, the car jerking with every movement. If people didn’t know what we were doing before, they sure as fuck did now.

  “Oh, fuck,” I whispered, already approaching my climax.

  But I didn’t want it to end just yet. I wanted this moment, this feeling, to last forever.

  No one had ever made me feel as good as Blakely did. He knew his way around the female form better than any of my previous lovers. Or maybe I’d just forgotten what it was like. After all, it’d been a long while since I last fucked someone.

  Blakely quickened his pace, yanking me down hard while thrusting upward. Wanting to see his body, I pushed up his shirt, bunching the fabric by his chest. His abdominal muscles flexed each time he sank into me. It was glorious.

  This quite possibly could be the best fucking cock ever.

  Literally.

  I rode him fervently, like an explorer lost at sea who suddenly found land. I leaned forward, closing my eyes while resting my forehead against his. I felt his hot breath against my lips, and I craved to kiss him.

  “Fuck! I’m gonna come,” I said.

  My heart pounded in my ears. I couldn’t hear anything except for the rapid beat of my heart and the quick bursts of each breath.

  Maintaining his speed, Blakely shifted slightly and pressed his thumb against my clit. His touch was firm, rough even.

  “Come, Jezebel,” he said, his voice strained, weak.

  We came in unison, riding out the ecstatic wave together. When we’d finished, I rested against him, letting my heartbeat slow. Once I’d caught my breath, I sat back.

  How did we get here? How did we get to this? Blakely wanted no part in an illicit affair, but I pushed him into it. Was it simply my power of persuasion? Was I a better fuck than I gave myself credit for? Or was he developing feelings for me, too?

  I lifted my hips, and he slid out of me, his length quickly deflating. I tumbled into my seat, laughing at how ladylike it must’ve looked.

  Ladylike? Who was I kidding? I had just fucked my bodyguard in a rest stop parking lot. I wasn’t exactly going for the crown.

  We cleaned up and dressed quickly, saying nothing. Blakely pulled onto the road, avoiding my glances.

  What was up his ass? This wasn’t exactly the first time we’d fucked.

  The rest of the ride was awkward. Blakely ignored my attempts at small talk, so I eventually gave up altogether. Lost in my thoughts, I said nothing until after we’d reached the hotel in Portland. Blakely brought in our bags as I checked in. The front desk manager welcomed me and assured me he’d given us his best room. I eyed Blakely curiously. I didn’t care about having the best room, but still, I thanked the manager. We took the elevator to our fifth-floor room.

  “Did you request the best room?” I asked.

  He shook his head.

  “Well, then that was weird.”

  Blakely looked lost in his thoughts as we exited the elevator and walked down the hall until we found room 503.

  I inserted the card key, and we filed in. Blakely dropped our bags on the bed as I looked around. The room was nice, spacious. A small entryway opened to the rest of the room, which housed a seating area, desk, and bed. Speaking of which, there was only one bed. That made sense, of course, since we were supposed to be a couple.

  I could already tell this was going to be one fucking awkward weekend trip.

  “I can sleep on the chair,” Blakely said.

  I rolled my eyes. “Really? I think we can share a bed.”

  He didn’t argue.

  I found the agenda on the bedside table, and I browsed it.

  “There isn’t much planned for me, really. There’s a formal dinner tomorrow night, and my lecture is the following afternoon.” I scanned the other events. “There are some great lectures planned t
hat I might attend.”

  He nodded, walked into the bathroom, and closed the door.

  I exhaled sharply, annoyance building. If this was a good representation of this weekend, then no one would ever believe we were a couple. I stormed toward the bathroom and yanked open the door. I found him leaning against the counter, arms crossed, a dark look in his eyes. He didn’t look up as I barged in.

  “No one is going to believe we’re madly in love if you can’t even look at me.”

  He glanced up, locking eyes with me to prove a point, I was sure.

  I took several steps toward him, and he tensed as if I’d struck him. I ignored that and pressed on. “Will it be that difficult to at least pretend you like me?”

  He let out a sharp laugh. “Pretend? We aren’t pretending anymore.”

  I wasn’t ready to talk about my increasingly growing attraction to him. I still wasn’t sure what those feelings meant. Every chance they’d had to surface, I’d pushed them down and jumped on his cock.

  “I don’t… I don’t know what you mean.”

  He closed the space between us and looked down at me. “We’re not just fucking anymore, and you know it.”

  I swallowed hard and said, “That’s all it is to me. You’re just a good fuck.”

  Pain flashed behind his sapphire eyes before they grew dark, cold.

  “You can lie to yourself all you want, but I’m not an idiot. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. Friends who fuck don’t work out. This needs to end before someone gets hurt… or worse.”

  “Or worse? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

  “Jezebel,” he said, his voice softening, “I can’t do my job. I can’t protect you like this. I can barely focus. I just fucked you in a car, at some dirty rest stop, while an unknown assailant stalks you for Christ’s sake!”

  “So, you’re leaving me?” I asked softly.

  “We’re not together, Jezebel. This was strictly a professional relationship.”

  “I know. I just, I mean, you’re quitting? Things get… fuzzy, so you just quit? What happened to Mr. Loyalty?”

  “Loyalty left the minute my dick entered you. You and I both know it. I’ll stay until you find another bodyguard, but after that, I should leave. It’s what’s best for your situation.”