into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water, and absorbed the silence in the room and the sound of peaceful breathing.
Then came thoughts of Bret and the way his eyes changed and how he practically attacked her. She was so scared. Almost as scared as when those bullets whizzed past her the other night when she robbed the drug dealers.
With a sigh, she walked around the counter then heard Celine’s voice.
“Everything okay?” she whispered as she slowly raised her head up from the couch.
Melissa clutched her jacket tighter against her chest, feeling her wrist throb but hoping that Celine couldn’t see her ripped shirt.
“Yeah, fine. Sorry if I woke you.”
“No. I’m a light sleeper. It’s a curse from years in the shelter.”
“How did tonight go?”
“Great. The kids had a ball and insisted on having a slumber party. They want to do it again tomorrow.” Celine glanced at the clock on the DVD player by the TV. “Well, I mean tonight. You’re working at Paul’s, right?” Celine asked, and Melissa felt her heart pound in her chest. The guys wanted to see her tomorrow. Tonight had been a nightmare. Maybe a change of scene was in order.
“Yeah. I spoke to him this morning. I’d better head to bed. I’m sure the kids will be up early and want French toast for breakfast.”
“Chocolate chip pancakes,” Brandon whispered from his pillow, and they laughed.
“Go back to sleep,” Melissa whispered then smiled at Celine before heading into the bathroom.
* * * *
Melissa peeled the clothes from her body and placed them in a garbage bag. She needed to get rid of these before anyone saw them and questioned her. A glance in the mirror and she saw the scratch by her neck but no bruising so far on her cheek. Bret had hit her pretty hard, and she hoped there wouldn’t be bruising there by morning.
Her wrist looked slightly black and blue but the bruise was not really noticeable. She would wear a bunch of tiny beaded bracelets to Paul’s and no one would even notice.
She turned on the faucet in the shower and started the hot water. Stepping under the gentle spray, she smelled the mixed scents of Bret’s cologne and Logan’s scent, as well as Frankie’s. Great. Now they have me sniffing things.
She quickly grabbed the bottle of body wash, letting the aroma fill her nostrils and the bad memories disappear. As she covered the washcloth with body wash, she cleansed her body, spending extra time caressing her breasts as thoughts of Logan filled her mind.
She remembered the way he confined her between his arms and how his fingers brushed against the underside of her breast. Then she thought about the way he kissed her. It was hot and ended way too soon. She had forgotten that they were in the hallway in the club. Her belly tingled with a mix of embarrassment and stimulation, and soon she thought about how Logan and Frankie kissed her. She thought about Frankie. Melissa knew what kind of a man he was. He could get action any time he wanted it. He had a temper, and he was demanding. The way he cornered her so quickly like a prey corners its next meal burned her insides as the moisture funneled down her core. She dropped the washcloth and slowly pressed her fingers to her thighs, gently caressing the V between her legs, and straight to her pussy lips. They were wet, all right, and not from the water as she pressed a dainty digit to her cunt. Her cream coated her fingers, and curiosity made her press them back to her folds.
Closing her eyes, she played with her labia and rotated her finger, letting the cream coat her lips as she rubbed the sensitive flesh.
In her mind, she envisioned Jake, including his attire and his crew-cut hair. Dressed in designer jeans and a button-down shirt, she knew his type. Classy and sophisticated. She pressed her finger into her hole. What would it be like to make love to him? To all of them?
Melissa envisioned each of the brothers surrounding her on a large bed, their thick,