Coercion (11 page)

His father returned. “Actually, it’s for you.”

* * * *

Valerie threaded the telephone cord between her fingers and tried to swallow her heart, which seemed to be stuck somewhere in her throat. She shook as the ringing lasted for what seemed like hours before someone finally answered. “Vartanian residence, how may I help you?” a man asked, his voice wavering.

She cleared her throat. “Hello, my name is Valerie Mercer, and I’d like to speak to Michael, please.”

“Of course. Just a moment.”

Valerie heard the receiver land on a hard surface, a sound followed by many agonizing minutes of silence. Finally, there came the scrape of the receiver as someone picked it up. “Yeah?” came Michael’s voice.

“Hi.” Valerie was suddenly at loss for words.

“Are you almost ready or what?”

Her brow knit in confusion. “What do you mean?”

He heaved an impatient sigh. “You told me to pick you up tonight.”

“No, I didn’t.” Her voice resembled a mouse’s squeak.

“Don’t jerk me around, Breeze.”

Valerie stiffened. “This isn’t Breeze. This is Valerie.” When Michael didn’t respond, she added, “From history.”

Michael still didn’t reply, and Valerie was tempted to slam down the receiver and pretend the phone call never happened. Finally, he chuckled. “From the parking lot.”

Her face flamed at the memory. “Right.” Clearly he hadn’t forgotten about her.

“I didn’t expect to hear from you.”

“I didn’t expect to be calling.”

There was a pause. “So,” Michael finally said. “What is it? What do you want?”

Tears stung Valerie’s eyes. “I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

“Good. Why wouldn’t I be?” he said, as though it were the most absurd question he’d ever heard. When his words were met with silence, he sighed. “Look, I’m about to pick up Breeze, so—”

“Even after what she’s done to you?” The incredulous sentence was out before she could stop herself.

“What are you talking about?” Although Michael’s tone was bored and impatient, she could hear a curious edge forming.

Valerie pressed her fingertips to her closed eyelids, wishing she could take back her words. “Never mind. It really isn’t my place.”

“No. I want to know what you meant, since you think you’re more the expert.”

His annoyed interest pierced Valerie’s heart, and she wondered why she’d chosen to say anything at all. “I just got the impression Breeze was seeing someone else.”

“Breeze and I aren’t going together anymore. She can see anyone she wants.” He let out a snort. “Who’s the poor bastard this time?”

Valerie swallowed. “Look, I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, really. This isn’t my business. I didn’t even mean to say—”

“Who is it?”

“Marie Bacall’s father.”

“What? You’re joking.”

Michael mumbled a stream of unintelligible curses, and Valerie willed herself not to cry. She had no idea why she’d told him. She didn’t know what she’d been hoping it would accomplish.

“Hey,” he said after a moment. “You at your house?”

She tried to sound as casual as she could, despite the fact her heart felt like it had collapsed. “Yes.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up in ten minutes.”

* * * *

Valerie scurried across the lawn, the grass crunchy with frost under her feet, and climbed in Michael’s truck just as the cigarette lighter popped. “Hi.” She closed the door behind her.

He put a cigarette in his mouth and pressed the lighter to it until its reddish pinpoint sprung to life. Then he breathed out a cloud of smoke through the cracked window. “Hey.” He put the vehicle in drive and pulled out onto the street.

“How’re you doing?”

He shrugged. “Fine.”

“Do you want to go somewhere and talk about it?” In spite of his coldness, her heart went out to him and the guilt about blabbing Breeze’s infidelities to him weighed on her. He hurt, and it was her fault. “Are you hungry? We could go to a diner.”

“No.”

“Of course, we don’t have to talk about Breeze if you don’t want to. We can talk about any—”

“No.” He shook his head, his jaw tight.

Valerie chewed her lower lip and waited for him to say something else, but he remained silent as they drove around the twisting, winding roads of Kenton. The only sound in the truck was the local radio station boasting to be the area’s “twenty-four-hour rock concert” as they passed the giant pine tree in the center of town, already gleaming with fat, multicolored Christmas lights.

Fifteen minutes and two cigarettes later, Michael pulled into an empty church parking lot just off a dark stretch of highway. One streetlamp lit the lot, and he stopped the truck right beneath it. Snowflakes drifted from the sky and sparkled in the truck’s headlights before kissing the pavement. Then he looked at her, and even smiled. “You know, I’m glad you told me about Breeze.”

Valerie’s eyes widened. “You are?”

“Yeah. That’s something I should’ve been the first to know.” He exhaled noisily and shook his head. “Everyone’s probably heard the news by now and had a nice laugh. Thanks for having the balls to tell me. Now I don’t look like a complete idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot at all.”

He regarded her closely. “Yeah?”

She nodded. “This isn’t your fault.”

Instead of responding, his mouth covered hers with such intensity she nearly forgot to breathe. His tongue flicked her lips, and she heard his seat squeak as he shifted to wrap an arm around her shoulder and draw her closer. She pressed the palm of her hand against his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath the soft, thin t-shirt that was still his uniform, even in the winter. His arms around her while snow sprinkled on the windshield made her feel hot all over, and she let out a moan.

“Do you like kissing me?” His breath warmed her cheek, and he smelled like cigarettes and his own personal, heady musk.

She nodded, staring at his mouth.

“Do you like it when I touch you too?” He ran a hand through her hair and brushed his thumb over her lower lip.

Valerie nodded again, a whimper building in her throat. He was assaulting all her senses, paralyzing her with desire.

“I like it too.” His hand drifted lower to wriggle inside her coat and cup her breast over her sweater. “But you know what I’d like more?”

The tiny hairs on her neck and arms stood on end as she shook her head.

“Tasting you.” His hand moved under her sweater and pinched her nipple through her silky bra. He kissed her cheek then her neck. “I wanna taste you.”

Her eyes closed as she shivered at his words. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll show you.” He pushed up her sweater to just under her chin and unsnapped her bra. Her breasts sprung free as the silky fabric loosened. He pushed the bra aside and bowed his head to take a nipple in his mouth.

She tried not to cry out as his tongue flickered over her skin, and she tangled her fingers in his thick hair. “What if someone sees?”

“No one’s here.” He turned his attention to her other breast, his teeth gently nipping at the sensitive skin, eliciting a gasp from Valerie.

“But what if someone shows up?”

He kissed the valley between her breasts and pulled her shirt back down. “I guess you’re right. We should stop.”

She looked at him, confused and wounded. He stared out the window at the snow and tapped a finger against his lips. She could see his hardness through his jeans and gulped. Already her body was missing his touch. She glanced around the empty parking lot. No one was in sight. “I don’t want to stop,” she finally whispered.

His gaze returned to her and a slow smile crept across his face. He reached for the heater and turned it on full blast. “Take off your seat belt.”

She obeyed with trembling fingers, and he pulled her toward him across the seat, which seemed especially designed for oversexed lovers. She wondered how many of them had been there before her.

Her thoughts melted away, however, as Michael kissed her again, his hands tugging her pants down her thighs. When they reached her ankles, he paused to take off her shoes, and her pants followed. She drew her bare legs to her chest and huddled inside her bulky coat.

“Christ, you have the longest legs I’ve ever seen.” He raised her leg and placed a trail of kisses on the inside of her calf, causing her to shiver again. “Take off your coat and shirt.”

“But it’s freezing.” Despite the hot air blasting from the heater and the warmth running through her body, her teeth chattered.

“If you don’t do it, I’ll do it for you.” He settled back against the window and crossed his arms, waiting.

Valerie bit her lip and shook her coat off her shoulders, letting it fall behind her as a makeshift cushion against the cool glass of the window. She pulled her sweater over her head, her unclasped bra going with it. She dropped them both to the floor of the truck. Then, clad only in her panties and wool socks, she matched Michael’s gaze.

He regarded her silently for a few moments before saying, “Lean back.”

She took a deep breath and obeyed his command, moving backward until she was resting against her coat.

He moved over her slowly, panther-like, and kissed her lips softly. “You look so fucking sexy.” He bent his head to take one of her nipples in his mouth.

Valerie closed her eyes and inwardly begged herself to relax, but she couldn’t seem to calm down. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to.

His mouth left her breasts and traveled in a path down her stomach, where desire coiled and uncurled like a snake. His tongue dipped in her belly button, an act both tickling and exciting her. She squirmed at the feeling, slightly shy about revealing and opening up her body to someone in such a way after doing so much to cover it for so long. Still, she was too excited to put a stop to the events unfolding.

His lips wandered lower to the outside of her panties. He kissed the skin all the way around the edge and inched the fabric down.

“What’re you doing?” Her rusty voice trembled, loud in the cramped truck.

“You’ll like it, I promise.” He licked the sensitive skin directly beneath her belly button for emphasis. His finger traced a lazy, circular pattern over the crotch on her already damp panties.

She drew in a deep breath as he pulled the scanty fabric off her legs, leaving her completely naked except for her socks. He leaned over her and kissed the insides of her thighs.

“So I bet if you’ve never had anyone else finger you, then you never had anyone do this.” Michael gave her clit an innocent kiss, causing her to gasp. He looked at her from between her bent legs with a crooked eyebrow and a cocky smile. Then he lowered his head again and flicked her clit with his tongue.

She shivered and tried to close her legs. “Michael, don’t.”

“You want me to stop?” He swirled his tongue over her throbbing clit.

She arched her back and stifled a moan. “No, it’s just—”

“I know you like it.” He circled her clit with his thumb while placing soft kisses all over the sensitive area. “You’re so fucking wet. I want you to tell me you like it.” His mouth covered her clit and gave it a gentle suck.

“I-I like it,” she choked out, half amazed to realize she really, really did.

“Then show me,” he said in between licks. “Touch yourself.”

Her trembling hands unsurely circled her breasts. She rolled her already hard nipples between her fingertips, and Michael let out a growl.

“Yeah, like that.” Then he bowed his head again and his mouth furiously went to work, licking and sucking her pussy.

Valerie tilted her head back and squeezed her eyes shut as her hands continued to mold her breasts. She propped one foot on the steering wheel and wrapped her other leg around Michael’s back, her body seeming to come alive under his tongue.

He eased a finger inside her, and she cried out.

“Good. I want you to scream for me.” His mouth returned to her clit as he added another finger. “Fuck, you’re so hot and wet.”

“Oh my God.” Her body started to tremble. With one hand still on her breast, she reached with the other to tangle her fingers in his hair. As if in response, his fingers increased their speed, and his tongue continued to rapidly move over her clit. “Oh, Michael, I think I’m going to... I think I’m—”

Michael abruptly pulled away and sat up, his back against the seat. He wiped his face on the sleeve of his jacket and watched her.

Valerie stared at him in surprise as she scrambled to sit up, keeping her limbs close to her body to mask her nakedness as best she could. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head.

She put a finger in her mouth and bit the nail. “Is it me? Did I do something?”

He grinned. “Not yet.” He put a hand behind her head and drew her closer. Then he covered her mouth with his, his tongue mingling with hers. She could taste herself still on his lips. “Ever suck somebody’s cock before?” he murmured.

She swallowed hard and shook her head, trying to fight the flood of anxiety rushing through her.

“Then I’m gonna give you your first lesson.” He pointed at the front of his pants.

Valerie sucked in a deep breath and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. She could feel her face burn as she tucked her legs beneath her and sat on her heels. “I don’t—”

Michael guided her hands to his jeans’ zipper. “I’ll tell you what to do.”

She could feel his eyes on her naked body as she lowered his zipper. He raised his hips a little so she could pull down his jeans, and his cock sprung upward. She pressed her lips together and stared at it, unsure of whether to devour it or simply cry, unsure of what to do.

His cock seemed to grow harder under her gaze, and he put a hand on the back of her neck and guided her head down. “Just kiss the tip of it. Please.”

She glanced at his face and was momentarily stunned by his expression. His thick hair hung in his eyes, and his lips were parted, anticipating her next move. Right then, he looked so beautiful—so hungry for her—that she knew she would do anything he asked.

Valerie obediently lowered her head and placed a soft kiss on the head of his cock, and he immediately breathed out a sigh. “That’s good.”