LOVE QUAKES: BOXED SET (BOOKS 1-4) (10 page)

“Well, I don’t hate women, Joanna. My adoptive mother, Donna, is incredible. I like my cousin, Mona. The women who work at PCC and Mrs. Gomez are all people I like and trust. More importantly, I have no desire to hurt you in any way. What’s different and truly amazing is that I also have a strong sexual desire for you. It’s a first for me, Joanna,” he admits and touches my hand with affection.

I imagine a lost and lonely young boy trying to make sense of a cruel world. He’s confused, hurt and tortured. I squeeze his hand in return.

“Did you make a breakthrough during therapy?” I ask with deep interest. I can fully understand the dynamics of what happens during a powerful therapeutic catharsis.

“I was certainly moving in that direction when I met you. The sun, moon and stars spun around in a blur when we connected, Joanna. My therapist is convinced that I’ve turned the corner on my past, now that you’ve entered my life,” he confesses to me as though I’m his muse.

“You know, Tristan, that I could never tolerate being hit with belts, whips or even paddles, for that matter, right?” I ask to make sure we’re both clear about my limits.

“Yeah. I assumed that from the moment you told me about Dick. However, I have absolutely no desire for that sort of sexual encounter now. You’ve squared that circle for me, Joanna,” he assures me and rubs my knuckles with his thumb. He looks deeply into my eyes.

“How long will that last, though? Won’t you return to the rough sex when you’re once again upset, or hurt?” I trail off with my skeptical thoughts.

“I don’t think so, Joanna. I feel so incredibly transformed since I met you. It’s almost hard to explain, but you seemed to have calmed the storm within me,” he admits and kisses my cheek and head.

“Tristan, I feel moved by you as well. Nevertheless, these are still early days for us. Let’s take it slowly and see where we go with our charged up feelings,” I suggest and feel so mature. I want to soothe his troubled psyche.

“So, you’ll give us another chance, then?” he asks like a small boy who’s found his lost puppy.

I nod my head in agreement and kiss his cheek with affection. “Now, let’s talk about who I think sent those pictures to my phone,” I command. I feel powerful as I direct our attention.

His jaw shows strain and then he takes a deep breath before speaking.

“Let me tell you,” Tristan snarls, “when I saw the pictures, I knew immediately, who sent them. There is no doubt in my mind that Kristen forwarded them to you. What a bitch!”

“Why would she do something so hateful?” I ask as tears pool in my eyes.

“She’s obsessed with power and control issues, especially about me,” he admits with a chagrined expression.

“I don’t get it, Tristan. She’s trying to ruin our relationship.”

“It’s a long story and I just don’t have the energy to deal with it right now. However, rest assured that Kristen will get a biting response from me. I’ve already put a plan into action. Please don’t worry about her, Joanna,” Tristan urges me as he pulls me close. He winces as he puts his arm around my shoulder.

“You won’t tell me about it, then?” I ask with frustration.

“Later,” he promises me with those earnest green eyes that are now filling with desire.

I’ve really missed the contact with him. Maybe putting Kristen on hold for a while is my best option. Besides, I’m exhausted from all the drama of today.

“Right now, I just want to let you know how much you mean to me, baby. You handled the threat from Kristen in such a mature way. I wanna feel connected to you. Will you stay with me tonight, Joanna?”

My gut clinches with desire. “Of course, Tristan, I need to be with you, too. What about your injuries? We can’t risk causing any more damage to your ribs.”

He kisses my nose with affection. “You’re always so thoughtful, Joanna. Since I have to sleep sitting up, why don’t you just rest your head in my lap? I’d love to have your beautiful face near my fav body part, angel. Just the thought of it gives me a charge. Unfortunately, we can’t really do anything sexual or physical.” He looks more than frustrated.

Tristan doesn’t ignore the look of disappointment on my face. His crooked smile appears along with a look of relief in his eyes.

“Trust me; I’d love to bury myself in you right now. Just having contact with your body, or any part of you, sends healing powers through mine. Could you do that for me, Joanna?”

I nod yes. “I haven’t brought any of my toiletries with me, though,” I counter.

“Well, I did save the sweats from our elevator encounter. Mrs. Gomez cleaned them. At least you’ll have a change of clothes,” he assures me with a laugh. “I’m sure we can find you some toothpaste, a comb and a toothbrush, baby, unless you’d prefer to use mine.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I gush with enthusiasm. “Where are my sweats then?”

“They’re in my bedroom closet. Why don’t you slip into something comfortable, Joanna?” he mocks, by referencing the cliché and using a husky voice.

“I’ll be right back, sir,” I salute while jumping up to change. He shoots me a warning glance. Maybe I’m a bit too rambunctious for him tonight.

When I return to the couch, Tristan has already put a pillow and blanket out for me. He’s been wearing his sweats for a while.

I sit down beside him and gingerly kiss his cheek. “Joanna, your lips feel wonderful on my skin, so please don’t stop,” he urges me with a hoarse voice.

Then, I do something that surprises him. I crawl onto his lap, facing him. My legs bend at the knees as I straddle his hips. Then, I lean forward to nibble gently on his earlobe. I avoid all contact with his cracked ribs. He moans with pleasure. I carefully take his chiseled face in my hands and slowly kiss each of his facial features: both eyelids, then his nose and finally, his sexy sculpted lips. He’s so gorgeous. 

Tristan melts with each soothing caress of my mouth. His irises grow large and black with desire. Soon, my lips move from his face to his jaw and down his neck. He’s lost in the moment and closes his eyes to allow the sensations from my mouth to wash over him. We don’t speak. It’s all about feeling and it’s amazing.

After an unknown amount of time, Tristan takes my face between his hands and returns the favor. His breathing grows heavy and his kisses are a bit more intense than mine but it’s incredibly endearing. We spend a long time making out that way. By the time we’re finished, it’s after ten pm . We’re both feeling cherished. I’m in my happy place and it looks as if Tristan’s floating among the stars. Our eyes are gleaming with satisfaction as he finishes kissing me. I rest my forehead against his as an angelic smile lights up his face.

When I finally slip off his lap, I merely arrange my body in a perpendicular position to Tristan’s legs. He’s sitting up and I’m sleeping with my head on a pillow in his lap. His graceful hands rest on my shoulders and in my hair.

“Goodnight, baby,” he coos, as I pull the blanket over my body.

“Sleep well, Tristan,” I say as I kiss my fingers and then put them on his lips.

The next morning, I wake up to find Tristan staring down at me with a boyish smile on his face. His hand gently massages my head. I’m curled up with my head on the pillow and my body in a fetal position facing the front of the couch.

“Morning, Tristan,” I mumble and stretch a bit. “When did you wake up?”

“Not long ago. I slept so well just knowing that you were here,” he whispers and pets my back.

“It feels good to see your face first thing in the morning, Tristan,” I admit with a shy smile. His lips curl into a grin.

“I could watch you sleep for hours, Joanna. Your face is pure innocence,” he observes with satisfaction.

“I’m getting less innocent all the time since Kristen Powers entered my life,” I huff.

“Don’t remind me of that witch,” he snarls and makes a gagging noise.

“Will you tell me what we’re going to do about her, today?”

“Yes, but let’s eat breakfast first,” he suggests as we both stand up from the couch to start our day.

“I’ll take a shower first,” I announce with energy. A wistful expression crosses Tristan’s face. “I should be cleaning you in the shower but I just don’t have the strength or the self-control right now. I’d love to see you naked, baby.”

I give him a sexy wink and wiggle for fun. He nearly growls with desire.

“Soon, Tristan. I look forward to scrubbing and spraying every inch of your gorgeous body,” I admit while running my tongue across my lower lip. He stares at it for a count of ten.

“You’re playing with fire, Prime, and my ‘tool’ is taking notes,” he threatens with a sly smirk.

“I hope so, though we’ll both have to pass an exam on shower etiquette, first,” I joke with a naughty tone to my voice.

“You’ll have to study, hard, for this exam,” he promises and then swats me gently on the rear. We’re having so much fun today.

After a full breakfast, we settle down on the sectional again as Tristan carefully positions his body on the chaise portion of the couch.

I take a deep breath and then begin with my questions as I sit directly across from him. “OK, Tristan. Tell me about your relationship with Kristen,” I ask and note that I’m almost holding my breath.

He pinches the bridge of his nose for a bit and sighs before starting, “At this point, we’re business associates. Until she started harassing you, I thought of her as my friend. We have a long history though,” he adds.

“What do you mean by that?” I ask with caution.

“Kristen and I have been sexual with each other since I was fifteen years old. I was drunk and at a party when we first met. She was a friend of my brother’s. I can’t remember all the details. She was aggressive and seductive and I found that exciting. We became friends with benefits. She’s only a couple of years older than I am. At the time when we first had sex, she was seventeen.”

“You weren’t even at the age of consent?”

“No, it occurred a few months after my fifteenth birthday. I remember that I wanted to lose my virginity so badly. I felt nothing but grateful to Kristen when she made me do her,” he confesses and then exhales unevenly. He searches my face for a reaction. I’m in shock and sick to my stomach.

“How often did you two have sex, then?” I ask while my gut clinches in horror.

“At least a couple of times per week. That is, until I finished high school. By the time I started college, I felt repulsed by the idea that she was so aggressive with me.” Tristan’s sexual history with Kristen feeds all my deepest fears. My body fills with tension, as we continue our discussion.

“Is that how you got involved with the rough sex, through her?” I inquire with growing nausea.

“Yeah, Joanna. She was my mentor during high school. Finally, when Kristen tried to beat me with a whip after my high school graduation, I told her that it made me uncomfortable. I was finished being her bitch by then. Also, the idea that my parents might hear about our sex practices from my brother, sickened me. Eddie used to sleep with her too. Kristen really understood my need to be independent by then. When I was in college, she started her escort service and began finding me casual sex partners,.” His face looks contrite.

“Do your parents know that she runs an escort service?”

“No, of course not! They think she manages a modeling agency,” he explains while looking into my eyes for a clue to my feelings. My lips curve into a frown as his story unfolds.

“So you rejected her as a sex partner, but she offered you one of her escorts as some sort of connection to herself?” I push. I’m nearly ready to combust at the idea of what a perverted person Kristen Powers must be and I haven’t even met her yet. I don’t think I ever want to meet her.

“Something like that, although at that point I was just like Kristen. She thought I’d like a regular outlet for my anger and aggression. She was right; it settled me right down. After I started using her escorts, my parents noticed my growing capacity to tolerate frustration without breaking things or lashing out at other people. My aggressive impulses got channeled into belting rituals during rough sex, according to my therapist.”

“Tell me about your feelings of aggression, Tristan,” I demand while letting out a breath I was holding.

“As a teenager, before I found sex as a release, I started fights with others for the slightest reasons. Psychologists weren’t helping me, then.”

“What did you have to be angry about in high school? Your parents were wealthy and privileged.”

“I had a lot of baggage from my preschool years when I was abducted and tortured,” he admits and looks me in the eyes. “My aggression’s diminished so dramatically at this point in my life though.”

 “How did you and Kristen shift from a friends with benefits relationship into being friends and business associates then?”

“I came home for summer break after my first year at UCLA. During that year, I started using my smarts to make good investments and it was paying off. I told Kristen about my financial success. She told me about her escorts. I used her service several times that summer. Kristen’s girls always knew exactly what I wanted. The encounters were also very discrete, which I really appreciated.”