Chapter 8
Tamara’s skin tingled as the first rays of the morning sun broke through the window. A soft smile split her lips as she slowly woke up. She knew where she was as she rolled over, expecting to see Sam lying next to her.
He wasn’t.
Anger seared in the pit of her stomach. He was supposed to be there with her when she woke up. Hadn’t she proven that she was worth keeping last night when she’d. . . .
Confused memories assaulted her. She remembered dancing with several different men. Men that weren’t Sam. For that matter, they weren't even in his league based on their moves or the bulges in their pants. She’d taken shots off Subie’s body to the sound of loud cheering, feeling the center of attention. She remembered Subie’s smoldering gaze every time somebody hooted or hollered at them. It had been crazy and fun and wrong, but it had felt oh so right too. Something inside her said that she should be surrounded by adoring people. People who were devoted to her.
Then Adrian brought her back to Sam's place. He'd been pissed, she'd seen that and it had thrilled her. So much anger and violence trembling just beneath the surface. He wanted to hurt Adrian and everybody else that she'd partied with. She had felt so giddy when she realized Sam was jealous. To be coveted like that meant the man was finally hers. Only before she could seal the deal she’d passed out.
And woke up alone.
Heat flushed her cheeks as she recalled throwing up on him in the living room and then again in the shower. She wished she hadn't done that, he’d looked so cute in his Superman boxers. Man of Steel, indeed!
His alarm went off next to her and she realized that he'd be getting up to go running soon. Throwing off the thin coverlet she discovered she was still naked. She’d wanted him to take her and abuse her body in any way he desired, but he’d refused. From the stiffness of his thick cock in the shower she knew he wanted to. Why not? What had stopped him? Was it some stupid moral dilemma about her being drunk?
Well, now would be a great time to try again. Running wasn’t the only way to work out.
She was about to go looking for him, when she saw her bag sitting by the bedroom door. It held the swimsuit that Alex had given her. Sam had already proven that he could resist her naked body, but how would he react to seeing her in that?
She slipped the skimpy bikini on as fast as she could without making too much noise. Tamara found him twisted up in a blanket on the couch. She sucked in a breath at the sight of him lying there, appearing to be almost nude under the blanket. His chiseled chest was uncovered, and she noted that he was breathing fitfully. His right leg protruded from the bottom of the blanket, looking no softer than his upper body did. With the blanket over him like it was, she could almost forget about the stump of his left leg. The missing appendage didn’t bother her. No, the appendage she was most interested in was poking up the middle of the blanket, making a nice tent.
“Morning Sam,” she said as sweetly as she could. She wanted to reach out and grab that piece of him that had given her so much pleasure the other night, but she knew she needed to play the game. Sam couldn’t be convinced by slamming him over the head with her sexuality. He needed to be coaxed.
He groaned. For a moment Tamara wondered if the man was even alive. The dead sound more lively.
“I thought I’d go running with you today,” she told him, having no intention of actually making it out the door.
“Shouldn’t you be hung over?” he mumbled, rolling away to face the back of the couch. He hadn’t even looked at her. What was wrong with the man? She was wearing this swimsuit for him!
“Shouldn’t you be getting up and working off that fat belly?” She asked, irritated with the man’s ignorant attitude. She had good reason to know he hardly had an ounce of fat on him, but she was miffed about his behavior.
The dark skinned man grumbled, but rolled over. She couldn’t help but giggle when he finally opened his eyes, looked at her, and then tumbled off the couch.
“Where the hell did you get that?” he groused, rubbing his elbow where he’d smashed it into the floor.
“You like?” She twirled to show off her body in the skimpy cloth. When she’d spun all the way around, she watched as he had to tear his eyes away from her body. Instead of meeting her eyes he looked around the room, his eyes flitting back and forth to avoid her. “Alex gave it to me, before we went to take pictures yesterday.”
“Who the hell is Alex?” he demanded. He worked himself back onto the couch. He blinked and shook his head, before asking, “Wait, you had pictures taken of you like this?”
She liked the way he was trying to look at her, while at the same time trying not to look at her. Even if he wouldn't lift his eyes above her mouth. “It was for some of Brock’s buddies.” She gave an excited hop, making her breasts bounce and his eyes pop even more. The time spent in the water must have made her top shrink, her boobs felt like they’re stretching it out.
“Brock?!” He sounded flabbergasted. “How many men were you with last night?”
“Men?” she asked confused, remembering all the men who’d danced with her. It took her a moment to realize he thought Alex was a man. She glanced down at the bulge in his boxers, before looking back up at him with a smile splitting her lips. She didn’t feel like enlightening him, though she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be ravished by three or more men at once. Maybe even throw in Subie and Alex? She wondered if the bulge in Sam’s boxers was because he was thinking the same thing, or because she was standing almost nude before him.
“Are you jealous, Sam?” The question made her giggle. “Relax. Brock was with Subie all night. I’m honestly surprised they didn’t suffocate from sucking so much face! And Alex likes Adrian, so I left him alone.” There was still something she liked about Adrian, but Alex had been nice to her. She didn’t want to offend her new friend.
“What were you thinking going out and getting drunk like that?” He asked as he stood up onto his good leg.
Despite his eyes fighting a losing battle to look at anywhere other than her body, his question angered her. What right did he have to ask her that? “What do you care? You wouldn’t pay any attention to me yesterday, but after I went out and had some fun last night, I matter?” She realized she was poking him in the chest. Her finger hurt from poking his solid muscle, but she didn’t care. It only added more fuel to her ire. It was his fault. He should have paid more attention to her. He should have taken her in his powerful arms and done wonderful things to her. He should be kissing her right now, instead of asking her stupid questions.
He grabbed her wrist, and for a second, she thought he was going to grab a lot more. Fear and excitement mingled in her stomach, making her knees weak.
“I care because you’re living under my roof. I saved your life, so that makes me responsible for you.” He flung her arm away and hopped past her. A moment later she heard his bedroom door lock.
Her knees finally gave way beneath her, and she collapsed onto the couch. She tipped over and her head landed on his pillow. It was still slightly damp from his sweat. His scent filled her senses. Some animalistic part of her responded to it, and she knew she had to possess this strong, willful, and somehow broken man.
His door opening a few moments later brought her out of her reverie.
“Put your shoes on,” he told her in a commanding tone. How dare he tell her what to do! “If you’re going to be living here, then there are going to be some ground rules.” Ground rules? Staying here? What was she mad at him about again? She couldn’t remember, now that he was finally relenting on letting her stay. “You’re not the skeleton I rescued on the beach a couple days ago, and I’m not going to let you get fat. You’ll go running with me every morning. You’ll clean and look after yourself. When I head into work later on, I’ll see if I can get you a job at the aquarium. I’m sure you’ll love the dolphins.” He walked past her, his running prosthetic making an uneven staccato on the floor. “Oh, and fro
m now on, you’re sleeping on the couch. My back can’t handle another night on that thing.”
He was out the door before she had a chance to respond or argue. He had conditions for her? And none of them involved letting him ravish her whenever he wanted? She wasn’t the skeleton he’d rescued? She wasn’t getting fat! Anger began to boil in her again, until she realized that she had won in a way. He was no longer trying to kick her out.
With time she knew she would win him over and he had insured that she would have plenty of it.
A honk reminded her that she was supposed to be getting her shoes on. They weren’t necessarily made for running, but they would do. Grabbing some socks, she ran out the door in her swimsuit and barefoot. She could finish getting ready in the car.
“Thank you,” she tried to say in an appreciative tone, but she was too excited to rein it in.
His only response was a grunt, making her wonder if he ever spoke while driving. She noticed the way his eyes tracked every vehicle on the road, the way his hands gripped the wheel with white knuckles, and how he would swear every time a vehicle came within ten feet of them.
They pulled up to a section of beach a little ways down from where she’d taken pictures yesterday and got out.
He looked at her critically. She tried to pose, until she realized he wasn’t checking out her flaunted body.
“That suit won’t offer much support while running, but I guess it’ll have to do for today. Maybe I can scrape together enough change to get you something better, as well as some better shoes. If your feet start to hurt, don’t push yourself. I don’t want you getting blisters.” He continued to give her advice, but she couldn’t keep her mind on his words. The early morning warmth combined with the sun on her skin felt great., She wanted to get moving. She enjoyed the way the beachgoers were admiring her body, and that familiar warmth down below made her want to jump on top of Sam, no matter who was watching. “I’ll make you a deal,” the words pulled her mind back to the present. She was hoping he’d offer to fuck her silly. In fact, spectators would make it all the more fun. “If you can keep up with me, I’ll make something nice for dinner. If not, you’ll have to cook for me.”
Cook? I don’t know how to cook! She thought, disappointed in the man’s narrow view of what she wanted.
That didn’t stop her from sprinting down the path before he was ready.
“Damn it, you need to stretch first!” she heard him yell behind her, but she didn’t slow down. Her legs felt great, taking each stride, impacting the ground, only to push away a moment later. Wind from the beach blew through her dark hair, and for the first time since she’d woken on the beach with Sam above her, she felt free.
She knew Sam was following her by the sound of his footfalls. She barely slowed, just enough to keep him with her and push him. She didn’t want to leave his sight. She wanted him to see her. She wanted him to chase after her. In running and in every other way she could imagine. And when he finally caught her. . . .
Tamara shivered at the thought. The other night had been nice. More than nice, really, it had been fantastic. But it was just the beginning of what she wanted Sam to do to her. And what she wanted to do to him.
“You’ll run out of . . . steam if you don’t . . . pace yourself,” he managed between breaths.
“Don’t you like the view back there?” she asked back with a little wiggle of her ass. She wasn’t out of breath.
She pressed on but made sure he stayed with her. She wasn't sure where she'd come from or who her family and friends were, but she did know she'd never had this much fun before.
“Enough!” Sam groaned and slowed to a walk. Sweat dripped from both of them, but while Sam was laboring to breathe, Tamara walked easily.
“I hope you’re a better cook than you are a runner,” she couldn’t help but tease the man. He’d started this, after all. She smiled at his baleful glance. “I think I’m going to enjoy exercising with you.”