Save Me by Laura L. Cline Page A

to my right. I playfully attempt to grab my panties from his hand and he almost manages to hold onto them. I finally free them from his grip and slide them on as he reaches on the nightstand and pulls a wad of tissue from a box next to the lamp. I watch as he wraps it around the condom and pulls it off. It’s a surprisingly open thing to do, and I feel a little embarrassed to see him do it. I walk to the bathroom and turn on the light, squinting in its brightness.
    Dark stone lines the walls and I’m startled by the almost black wood of the floor. It’s a striking contrast to the warm wood that runs throughout the other rooms. Two sink bowls rest on a slab of marble with odd, streamlined faucets sticking almost straight out. It’s such a modern bathroom and a stark contradiction to the rest of the house.
    I look at myself in the large frameless mirror. My eye makeup is a little smudged, but what gets me most is the blush in my cheeks. The blush of complete and total satisfaction . My hair is frizzy in the back and I use my fingers to smooth it down. I venture around the corner, finally finding the toilet. My vagina is raw and the pee burns a little as I let my bladder go.
    I wince at how sore I am and flush the toilet. I wash my hands, staring at my face. I just slept with a virtual stranger and it was amazing. The sensation of sex with Jack still washes over me and my inner thighs protest slightly as I walk back in the bedroom. The bedside lamp makes the room a little brighter, and I let myself look at him for a second. He’s only wearing his shorts and each curve of muscle is defined by a crescent of shadow. I suddenly feel dumpy and awkward.
    “ Hi,” he says simply. His hair is hanging shaggy around his ears, making him look boyish and sweet.
    “ Hi.”
    He pats the bed next to him. I slide across the end of the bed and up into what I wildly think of as my spot . He puts his arm around me and I rest my head on his chest. I twist my fingers in the small patch of black hair that trails down from just underneath his collar bone and disappears into his shorts. I lay my hand on his tattoo. My eyes travel down his long body and I see more scars down one of his thighs, jagged lines marring his perfect skin.
    "Motorcycle accident," he says quietly.
    “ Those are some serious scars,” I say.
    “ It was a serious accident,” He eyes go distant as he talks.
    I don’t really know what to say, how to even carry this conversation. The silence draws out and I don’t know how to fill it.
    “ Are you okay?” he asks, stroking my arm slowly. I get the impression Jack appreciates me not pushing him for more about the accident.
    “ I’m a little sore," I confess. "But, I had fun.”
    “ I had a little more than fun,” he laughs, the muscles of his stomach clenching. I look up at him and he kisses the top of my head. It’s such an intimate thing, maybe more intimate than what we just did. “Would you like to stay here?” he asks. I’m reminded that I haven’t been here with him forever. It’s a shocking thing given that I feel right at home in his log cabin in the woods.
    “ You’re okay with that?”
    “ I’d like to cuddle up to that sweet ass all night,” he says playfully. He runs his fingers down my back and gives my ample ass a hard squeeze.
    I laugh a little and snuggle closer to him. How can I feel so comfortable with him?
    “ I suppose it’s lights out then,” he says, reaching over and turning off the lamp. We’re basked in total darkness. I may have lost my virginity a long time ago, but I've never actually slept with someone.
    He slides the cover up over my shoulder as he moves down into the bed. “Turn over,” he whispers. I turn away from him and he gets as close to me as he can and curls his arm around my waist. We fall asleep that way, warm and entangled, like familiar strangers.

Chapter 6
    I watch her breathing as she lies next to me. I want to touch her face, to feel her soft, pale skin