CRAVING CHROME
*This original short story is not to be sold, reposted, or taken away from this site.
Falling into him, awareness grips her, stripping her of the ability to speak. It’s been so long, inhaling, she can’t help but become intoxicated by the rich smell of honey and whisky as warm breath feathers across the bridge of her nose and her lips tingle in anticipation of enduring the same. Suddenly the drive to flee or fight overcomes her and her body jerks away to magnify the distance between them.
He chuckles while stepping into her. “You won’t get away that easily Beauty.” Her body visibly trembles as his calloused palms hold her captive, raising goosebumps on her supple flesh.
“Release me” she breathlessly decrees.
“I think I like you where you are, Beauty.”
“My name is Natalya.”
“No, it’s not, not anymore. I like Beauty better, it suits you.”
“Logan…”
Cornering her, he crosses his booted feet and nearly levels her with the devastating transformation that his smile brings to his face.
“So I have an admirer and here I had no idea.”
“This was a mistake, I think I’ll be on my way.”
Taking her wrist into the palm of his massive hand he tugs her forward. “You might not want to do that Beauty. The way your headed is now occupied and if you take one step into that room you just might get mistaken for the nights entertainment.”
7/4/2021
She shifts and he grasps the back of her neck.
“Don’t you dare.”
“What’s the problem darling? You seemed to be choking so I was going to give you mouth to mouth.”
“Aren’t you just a regular old good Samaritan.”
“Oh look at there, she actually does have a sense of humor, after all.”
“You are too much.”
“Natalya!”
The vibrations beneath her feet makes her all to aware that now they have an audience.
She winces as she attempts to break his grip.
A hard chest presses into her back and she tenses as another palm captures the front of her throat.
A soft feminine voice assaults her ears before she can speak.“Aren’t you a lucky girl, I love threesomes.”
“Shut it Lisa. And you two, I think we can all read the atmosphere in here, but she’s not a chew toy so how about we all take a step back from the lady and let her breathe.”
He breathes in deeply as he looks down and takes in what his eyes have been caressing.
“Who gives the orders around here?”
“You do Pres.”
“Well then why don’t you step off Hammer while he talks. The floor is yours Matt. Why don’t you introduce us to your friend.”
“Logan, meet Natalya.” His hand slides from the front of her neck to her hip bone. “My Natalya.”
Smirking, Logan releases his grip. My apologies brother, I had no idea.
“So you are the one she needed to talk so badly that she actually braved taking those few steps from her bookstore through our entry way?”
“Yes, he is why I am here.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, I just wanted to talk.”
“And it couldn’t wait until later?”
“The lady came all the way here Matt. There is no need to put off what you can do right now.”
Guiding her out the door by her hips his breathing accelerates.
“What the hell Natalya. Why was his hands all over you?”
“It was nothing.”
“It didn’t look like nothing. What if you came in and that was me and Lisa; what would you think? I told you never to come here.”
“I am not a child.”
“I know that and I bet every other man in there knows it as well. You’re prey here.”
“I don’t like what your implying. As if, if you didn’t show up to save me I wouldn’t know what to do. Is that what you think of me?.”
“This is not the place or time for this discussion. What was so important that you had to come here Nattie?”
8/3/2021
“I haven’t seen you in almost a week Matt.”
“Don’t start this Nattie; you know what I’m trying to do here. I told you I wouldn’t be able to be around as much.”
“I don’t even know what you are doing, or if you are ok. You don’t call. You all but ignore my text.”
“Now who is treating who like a child.”
“Don’t throw your head back when I’m talking to you.”
“This is no different then before just think about it like I’m still doing residency and I’m on call. Basically that’s how this work. They say jump and right now I have to say how high if I want to earn my place here.”
Swiftly, her head shakes from side to side.
“You said you would support me and stand by. I’m trying to find myself and I need space to do that.”
“This is bullshit Matt. I agreed to be your support system while you worked through med school, I was your biggest cheerleader when you said being a doctor was your parents dream for you and you wanted to find a different path, I was there for you when your family turned their back on you when you told them you wanted to join this club, but I will not be a doormat for you. If building a life here means you have to live two separate lives instead of us working to build our life together then that ain’t what I signed up for, and this isn’t going to work.”
“I thought you understood me. I thought you were different, but you are just as selfish as everyone else. I do what you want or you just throw me away.”
“Save it Matt. I have stood by you, I have sacrificed for you, I have pushed aside things I want and need to support you….”
“I never asked you too!”
“You never asked? All you do is ask and take!”
“Well if that’s how you feel Natalya, and I’m such a burden on you and your life maybe it is best that we end this right here and now.”
“If that’s how you really feel.”
He mumbles at her back, “Lisa understands me better anyway.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. You’re a good girl Nattie, but I’m not the guy you met anymore.”
“Say no more. If Lisa understands you so much more than I do then that’s where you should be.”
“We didn’t do anything but talk.”
“Spare me.”
“Nattie?”
“Go to hell Matt.”
“Sunshine, he’s already there, but maybe you can tell me what it will take to entice you to stay here too.” Her breath catches as her head nearly collides with a scarred chest as she is once again enveloped by that intoxicating smell of honey and whisky.