Love Hurts (5 page)

He little by little crept up behind her, getting close enough to make out the soft honey brown her hair emitted in the sunlight. And the silver necklace she was wearing around her neck. He watched her sleek finger skim without a sound across the book as she read silently.

“
Hello,” Frankie said all of a sudden. She drew up her shoulders startled, before she finally rested the book next to her and craned her neck to see who was behind her. He noted her uncertainty for a few brief seconds. She had only met him one time. Sam would have settled on none at all if he had it his way. He wanted Delaney far away from him. And now as he looked into her green eyes he knew exactly why.

“
You’re beautiful,” Frankie blurted. Delaney dropped her gaze, throwing up an instant wall. Frankie stepped closer, extending his hand. “I’m Frankie. We met a little while back. Vance’s brother.”

She cautiously dropped her hand into Frankie’s palm, his fingers enclosing slowly around hers. “I thought so. Frankie, how are you?” She held his gaze, as his hand held on a little too strongly to hers.

“
I’m great. Nothing better than an afternoon stroll through campus.” He smirked, taking an uninvited seat next to her. His thigh pressing into hers and this was making her uncomfortable.

“
I didn’t see you at the engagement party.” She pointed out; fingering the French novel he was confident his brother had convinced her to read. It was Sam’s way of silently confessing his sins. Frankie thought it was ridiculous. It was a lot like their life in some ways, and that got under his skin.

Frankie shrugged. “Yeah, that brother of mine must have forgotten my invite.” He turned, giving her a grin, his eyes meeting up with hers. He held back the urge to make her bend in his favor. He knew with just enough effort he could have his way with her. But he held back. “But I wish the two of you much happiness.”

Delaney smiled. “So what brings you to campus? Are you taking classes?”

Frankie wasn’t about to explain that he knew way more than any college professor could share with him. “I took a friend to lunch. You might know her. Alison Cramer.”

He watched Delaney roll the name around in her head. She knew no one by the name. It was merely someone his brother had savagely ended years before her. It gave him a bit of pleasure to toy with the beautiful girl without her even knowing.

“
I can’t say that I do know her. But, I got to be going. I am going to meet some friends for lunch.” She lifted her book, resting it in her lap. Frankie could tell by her pause she had something more to say to him. “I just had an idea.”

Frankie raised his eyebrow, his light blue eyes scanning hers.

“
You should come for dinner. I think it would be good for Vance to spend time with family. He is so far away from home.” She touched his forearm, silently begging him to oblige.

Frankie nodded. “Should I bring anything?”

***

Sam scanned the grocery store for the list of ingredients Delaney had sent him out for. She promised that she has a pleasant surprise in store for him. He didn’t like surprises. And he knew this meant something was going on that more than likely wasn’t going to be wonderful to him.

And besides that he was feeling rather
hungover
for lack of a better word. He knew he shouldn’t have caved and fed on a woman, let alone used one and then let her get away. Sure she almost certainly was dead somewhere. But to him it was a waste and now it was wearing on his conscious and body.

It made it very hard to fight the urge to make love to Delaney as he watched her bound around his kitchen in a peach colored sun dress. The way her breast looked in the gauze fabric—he almost broke.

He rubbed his temple with one hand, pushing the cart along with the other. He stopped in front of produce staring down at the red peppers. The overhead lighting making them glow with a warm aura. He picked one up, breathing in the unsullied odor.

An older woman across the way eyeing her own pepper smiled at him. She was probably early forties, short brown hair, red lipstick, tone and trim, wearing a nice pantsuit.

“
Aren’t these just beautiful?” she asked him, sliding her finger seductively across the skin of the dazzling red pepper. Sam ran his tongue along his bottom lip. The aching in his head, coupled with the arousal in his pants was close to incapacitating him. His finger broke through the pepper. He tossed it on the ground. She was already making it over to him. And he was already shaking his head in disdain at yet another big mistake that was about to transpire.

The older woman shoved the bathroom door open, letting out cheerful giggles that she was about to be manhandled by the likes of Sam. He was sure she probably had a middle aged husband at home. So to her this was probably an escape.

Sam bit at her neck, pressing her face into the mirror. He tore the button off her dress pants, sliding the zipper down with just his index finger. She moaned noisily as Sam pressed his arousal into her from behind. Freeing his arm from her greedy clutch, he locked the bathroom door. He didn’t want any unforeseen guest bolting in. He was going to get exactly what he needed to feel healthy—even if it was only for a few hours.

Sam slid his hand down the front of her pants, watching her expression in the mirror. He turned her to face him, quickly looking away as she tried to plant a kiss on his lips.

“
No kissing,” he breathed, offering his neck.

He gripped the back of her head, wincing at her over eager teeth nipping at his flesh. He had enough, he lifted her against the sink, and took control. Giving her what she wanted the whole time. Her screams were grating on his nerves, he covered her mouth with his hand as he let go, his bother shuddering under the release of energy. The intoxicating high that ran through all his extremities was wonderful and just what he needed. He kept going, his body not wanting the sensation to stop.

“
More.” She managed to get out from behind his hand. He tightened his grip, covering her nose as well this time. Her fight was no match for Sam. And there was barely any part of him remaining that cared she was slowly suffocating under his clutch. He worked his hips faster and faster, letting out a low growl of pleasure as he released again and again, his headache a thing of the past.

Her body fell limp against the mirror and ceramic sink. The woman’s legs the only thing still swaying from Sam’s momentum. Sam zipped his pants, out of breath. He carefully slung the woman over his shoulder, unlocking and peering out the bathroom door. There was no one in sight. Making a quick turn in the wrong direction, he wandered out behind the grocery store to the dumpster. Swearing he was just as big of an idiot as Frankie. He tossed the lady in the trash. His phone vibrating in his pocket the instant her body thudded against the trash and the lid slammed shut.

“
Hey Love. Just seeing if you were on your way home,” Delaney said sweetly.

Sam adjusted himself, the moment in the restroom between him and the woman was still lingering down below. His eyes darted around the alleyway in hopes of staying discreet.

“
Yeah, just about to get in line, I was having a hard time finding those peppers.” He promised her. “But now I got everything. So I will see you in a few.” He pocketed his phone, stepping quickly back inside the grocery store, playing it off as nothing more than a bathroom break.

His two cents

Frankie pulled at the collar of his dress shirt. He was more the laidback jeans and a t-shirt type most days. He eyed his date. Blanca, the customary tag along he brought to every important event. Blanca was a Russian swim suit model. Frankie and Blanca’s relationship went way back. Blanca was the only girl Frankie could have sex with and not succumb to the usual ending. Instead of death, Blanca was gifted orgasms and invites back.

Frankie gave Blanca a wink. “Did I tell you how tasty you look tonight?” He moved in closer, breathing in her rich scent of mysterious floral and rainwater. Something none of the pathetic human kind ever wore. Something he was used to whenever he came in contact with someone Blanca’s style. Blanca was a Succubus, as lethal as a praying mantis to the male species, with the allure of an angel, in the body of a devil.

“
You look pretty yummy yourself.” She tossed her brown hair over her bare shoulder. “What exactly are we here for?” She studied the grounds of Sam’s most recent residence, totally out of the loop on Frankie’s objective for the night. Frankie only summoned her when he was up to something.

“
For dinner, this is purely a dinner with family.”

Blanca’s eyebrow raised, she titled her head, really studying Frankie’s expression now. The last time she heard Frankie talk of family was back when he was trying to kill his own mother. Frankie was the lone wolf type. The bulk of his family despised him or was already long gone. A small smile graced her lips as she watched Frankie wrapped his fist against the well-built wooden door.

They both excitedly waited for what was to come. Frankie slung an arm around Blanca’s shoulder plastering the most ingenuous smile he could pull from his core. His eyes flashed with excitement at what was about to unfold the rest of the evening.

***

On the other side of the door Delaney hurriedly set places at the table while Vance headed off to get the door. He was totally oblivious on who was standing on the other side. Delaney had made it a point to hide this surprise she had up her sleeve. And he knew it just had bad written all over it. The only thing that gave him hope he was going to pull through the night was the woman back at the grocery store that he had destroyed before he got home. But he could feel the high gradually drifting away at every adrenaline filled beat of his heart.

“
Frankie. Blanca,” he said loudly, gripping the door in absolute agitation, with enough strength to splinter the woodwork. He quickly looked behind him before stepping into the hallway and shutting the door. “What the hell are the two of you doing here?”

Blanca crossed her arms in annoyance. “Good to see you too, Sam.”

“
We came for dinner. Your fiancé invited us.” He thrust the bottle of fine wine into his brother stiff chest. “Don’t be a poor sport. Invite us in.”

Sam swallowed down the boiling rage rocketing his conscience. He was ready to throttle his brother right on his doorstep. He took a deep breath to gain some composure. “You better stay on your best behavior or this dinner will be the last thing you ever do in your wretched existence.” He stabbed his pointer finger into his chest for extra warning.

Blanca scanned the entire length of Vance, or Sam. He seemed to be calling himself all sorts of things these days. Gorgeous was one she was prepared to settle on. “Nice house. So you have a fiancé? That’s quite interesting.” She studied her polished nails trying to conceal the laughter trying to escape.

“
Yeah, he hasn’t quite figured it out. But I must say she’s a beauty,” Frankie said, slapping his brother on the arm. Blanca teasingly poked out her lip in the form of a pout.

“
You’ll always be the most beautiful. Don’t worry babe.” He slapped her rear, moving in for a very intimate lip lock, Blanca’s tongue teasing his bottom lip, like a graceful serpent starving for the venom of Frankie’s oral cavity.

Sam rolled his eyes, heading back inside, hoping the two love birds killed each other before stepping foot into his house. He was livid.

Delaney sanded her hands together looking completely pleased with her table setting. Sam hated that she went to such great length for a bunch of hopped up sex freaks looking for a good laugh at their expense. He sat the bottle of
Petrus
on the table.