Ashes to Ashes: Contemporary Romance Novella

  "You mentioned your mom was interested in seeing you again."

  "Yeah," she said quietly enough that I knew it was something that was constantly on her mind. She lifted her face, and it brightened with a smile. "There's the sign for the turnoff to the cave. Can't wait. I've always had this weird thing for bats." Her mood had changed abruptly with the new topic. It was obvious talking about her mom was something that she kept deep inside, allowing it out only in short spurts.

  "Exactly when did this bat obsession start and should I be worried about a connection with vampires?"

  "Well, I do occasionally bite," she winked at me. "The obsession started in fourth grade when we were all picking an animal for our research reports. Everyone wanted the cute animals, like koalas and pandas or the cool animals, like lions or sharks. But I wanted bats. My grandmother had taken me to the zoo once and there was this glass cage with all kinds of bats. They were just hanging there, wrapped in their rubbery wings. They didn't look real. They looked like some creature created for a science fiction movie. I thought they were the coolest things ever."

  "What did you get on the report?"

  "A minus. I forgot to include a table of contents. And thus began my love of Chiroptera, otherwise known as bats." She sat back with a satisfied smile and that was when it hit me. She was so different, so interesting, so likable because after all she'd been through, and I didn't need to know many details to understand how rough she'd had it, she was excited as hell to see a bunch of bats fly out of the cave. She hadn't lost her enthusiasm for life. She had a bruise on her cheek from an asshole who'd even stolen from the girl he'd knocked out cold with his fist, but she wasn't pouting or feeling sorry for herself. She was sunshine wrapped in an irresistible package, and my mood was lighter just having her sit next to me.

  Four

  I pulled the truck into the parking lot of the roadside motel. It was, as expected, a shabby row of boxes, each with one wide front window and a faded green door with a metal number nailed into it. The sign boasted weekly rates, which meant it was a home to people who had nothing else. A man, who looked as if he'd been living there a good long time, had made the effort to put a potted plant next to the door on room seven. He was probably not more than forty, according to the nest of brown hair on his head, but he was hunched over like a man of seventy as he shuffled to the ice machine with his bucket. He took the time to say hello as Denni and I walked down the corridor to room ten.

  Briefly, Denni stopped to admire the eagle tattoo on his forearm, and it seemed the man was never going to let go of the smile her compliment had produced. I wasn't surprised by any of it. She'd already had the same effect on me.

  I put the bag with the sodas, pretzels and condoms on the table. I had condoms . . . in a bag . . . that was now sitting inside a sketchy motel room . . . with a girl who I hardly knew but who I was sure I'd never, ever forget. None of it was me, and yet I was loving every part of it. It was a story that would make my dad clap me proudly on the back with a smile. He was always pointing out that I needed adventure in my life if I ever wanted to be a writer. That was his biggest mistake, he would constantly tell me before listing the few places he had been and all the ones he'd missed seeing. Like Redmond Cave and its flying mammals.

  The sink in the bathroom turned on with a ghost-like moan and Denni's laugh echoed off it. "Wow, I think Casper is in the room with us." Seconds later, she poked her head out of the bathroom, her face pink and wet from washing. "I think I've still got cobwebs in my ears from that horrid outbuilding at the gas station." She disappeared back into the bathroom.

  I pulled my phone out and put it on the nightstand. I yanked the stained bed cover back, trying my hardest to not touch it. The sheets and pillowcases looked surprisingly crisp and clean. I stared down at them and then my gaze lifted to the bathroom door. I should have been feeling a shit ton of guilt, but I wasn't. The only thing I was feeling guilty about was not feeling guilty.

  And then, almost as if my uneasy thoughts could be read by Emma, miles away, my phone rang. I considered not answering it, but that never worked well with Emma.

  I sat on the bed and picked up the phone. "Hey, Em." I kicked off my shoes and scooted back to sit against the plastic headboard.

  "Hey, honey, I'm surprised you have such good reception up there in that cabin."

  Shit. "Uh, yeah, I've just stopped off for a bite to eat, so I'm not at the cabin yet."

  Denni heard me talking and popped her head out. She kissed her hand and pointed at the phone, mouthing the name Emma.

  I nodded.

  Emma went on with a question that I missed completely because my attention had been diverted. Denni slipped back into the bathroom and closed the door.

  "I'm sorry, Em, the reception isn't all that great, after all. What did you say?"

  "I was just making sure you'd be back by Sunday night. Dad expects us to attend the cocktail party he's throwing for his biggest clients."

  "Oh, I'm going to be tired, Emma. I think I can sit this one out. You know how I hate those things."

  "Lucas, how will you ever move up in the company if you don't put yourself out there more?" She went on with another string of lecture points, but I didn't hear a word. The bathroom door opened and Denni stepped out wearing only a tiny pair of pink panties and a lacy white bra. I nearly dropped the phone.

  Denni sashayed over to the bag of soda and turned her back to me as she pulled out a drink. She blinked long lashes at me over her shoulder as she held up a can.

  I shook my head and watched with full interest as she turned to the side and sipped the soda. The string of stars she had tattooed on her back and hip curled all the way across her flat belly. My cock was hard again and this time the erection wasn't going to disappear without some satisfaction.

  "Luke!" Emma's scolding tone shot through the phone. "Did you hear me?"

  "Uh, yeah, I mean no. Sorry, the reception is terrible."

  "Well, I can hear you fine," she said back angrily.

  Denni's slim hips swayed back and forth as she walked toward the bed. She stopped at the side of the bed, held up the box of condoms and licked her bottom lip as she gazed down at me.

  There was a tiny diamond stud in her belly button where the circle of stars ended.

  I could hear Emma's sharp tone through the phone, but my entire attention had been stolen by the sexy woman standing in front of me. Denni smiled just before she climbed on the bed and straddled me, placing a long, sleek thigh on each side of me and settling her pussy over my cock. She wriggled and a groan left my mouth.

  "What?" Emma asked in such a harsh tone, it snapped my attention back to the conversation.

  Without the slightest hesitation, Denni reached for the hem of my shirt. I had to pull the phone from my ear as she lifted it off over my head. She nodded with appreciation at my chest.

  "Uh, Em, my food's here, and I know how you hate it when I chew and talk so—I'll call you later." I hung up before she could answer, a move that was going to get me a severe tongue lashing later. I didn't care. I couldn't take my eyes off Denni. My phone hit the floor instead of the nightstand.

  Denni leaned down over me, the aroma of motel soap on her skin. "Was Emma mad?"

  "Who?" I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against me. Our mouths crashed together, and the urgency that had overtaken us in the truck returned. My hands slid down her back and beneath her panties.

  Denni lifted her mouth from mine and sat up. Her lips were moist with my kisses. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she reached back and undid the clasp on her bra. All the while, she rocked against my erection. The bra slid off, exposing two perfect rose colored nipples that were taut and begging to be kissed.

  I reached for her but she shook her head and reached for the button on my jeans. She got up on hands and knees, her breasts swung over me as she slid my jeans down. My cock jumped free. Denni immediately leaned down and kissed the fleshy tip. I held my breath and could feel my pulse raging t
hrough my veins, with all the energy stopping in my cock. It throbbed with need.

  I lifted my head and watched as Denni's lush, pink lips slid over me, taking my cock deep into her mouth. My fingers tangled in her wavy hair as she caressed my cock with her tongue and mouth.

  "God, Denni, that's fucking hot." I found myself doing something I rarely did, talking during sex. It was as if Denni had awakened some other part of me, a part that I'd hidden from the rest of the world and most importantly myself.

  Her mouth felt so fucking amazing on my cock, I worried I'd come too fast. "Denni, I want this to last. I want you to come too."

  She slowly withdrew her lips along my shaft, and I closed my eyes at the feel of it. When I opened them, she was wiping the corner of her lip with her pinky. She kicked off her panties. I reached for her pussy, but she took hold of my hands and pushed them back over my head. I could have easily fought back and continued on my quest, but she seemed to be getting off on the control.

  "Stay right there," she whispered. She reached over to the nightstand and pulled a condom from its wrapper. She studied her task intently, taking time to once again lick her bottom lip as she rolled the condom on my erection.

  She threw her long thigh over me and placed her hands over mine to keep them pressed against the pillow. She rocked forward, inviting me to have a taste of her nipples. She mewled appreciatively as my tongue circled each one, bringing it to a tight, blushed bud.

  I was focused on her breasts, enjoying the feel of them with my mouth, when she shifted back and slid down over my cock. I sucked in a breath and pushed up to meet her as her hot, tight pussy swallowed my cock.

  She'd been holding down my hands, but I lifted them off the pillow. "I need to touch you, Denni. I need to." I reached up first and took hold of her face, letting her know I wanted to kiss her. Her eyes were glazed with need as she lowered her mouth to mine. We kissed, not with the urgency of two people in the heat of passion, but with an unexpected emotional connection between two people who had seemingly found each other completely by accident, an amazing fucking accident. Two people who had connected instantly, as if we'd been waiting for that accidental meeting our whole lives.

  My hands fell away from her face, and I took hold of her ass, helping her move hard and fast over my cock. The earlier moment of intimate reflection had passed, and the erotic needs took over. Her lips parted and her eyes closed as she braced her hands against my chest.

  I lifted my hips, impaling her deeper each time as she pushed against my thrusts.

  "Faster," she cried.

  The bed smacked the wall and creaked beneath us as I pounded into her, all the while gritting my teeth to keep from coming first. And then with a soft, sexy sound that nearly made me climax, Denni's thighs tightened against me and her pussy clenched around me. Her smooth flawless skin turned pink with the flush of an orgasm.

  I slowed my movements down, but she shook her head. "Don't stop. I want to feel your cock explode inside of me."

  I grabbed hold of her hips, keeping her tight down around me as I thrust into her. It took only a minute longer before the energy I'd been storing inside every nerve in my body came splintering out in a raging orgasm. I held her there, wanting to be inside of her until the last wave of pleasure had passed.

  Denni's warm body collapsed against mine. We listened to the traffic on the highway and the voices in the corridor as our breathing returned to normal. She rolled off of me, but I held her tightly in my arms, not wanting to let her go.

  She seemed fine with the idea and snuggled closer to me, even pressing a kiss against my chest before resting her head on my arm. I couldn't remember the last time Emma and I had cuddled after sex. She had an annoying habit of springing out of bed to take a shower as if sex with me made her feel dirty. It was a habit that had really begun to bother me, but the few times I'd brought it up to her, she laughed it off.

  I lifted my hand to Denni's cheek and lightly touched the bruise. Now, if I saw the man, I would welcome a fight. I wanted nothing more than to throw my fist in his face. "You never told me, what did he steal from you?"

  Denni reached to her neck for what seemed to be an invisible necklace. "It was a gold and diamond pendant my grandmother gave me on my sixteenth birthday. She said she'd been saving up for it for a long time. It was beautiful, with a glittery chain and a tear drop gold loop with a diamond in the middle. It was the nicest thing I ever owned. I never took it off. Ever."

  "So he sold it to someone?"

  "We'd been staying in this crummy little town waiting to hear word from his brother up north. They'd planned to start a pot growing business up there. There was a pawn shop across the street from the motel we were staying in. I had been so disoriented from being knocked out that I didn't notice it missing until we were far away from the town. But I'm sure that's where the necklace is. I'm going to buy it back just as soon as I can." Her voice wavered as she spoke. "It was the one thing I had left of her aside from the memories."

  I hugged her, and silently vowed to help her get the necklace back. We lay there for a few minutes as the quiet shadows of twilight fell across the dingy room.

  Denni's head popped up. Her eyes were wide. "Oh my gosh, we drove all the way out here, but if we don't hurry, we'll miss the bats."

  "Ah shit. You're right."

  We hopped out of bed and got dressed as quickly as possible. Denni was waiting anxiously at the door as I finished putting on my shoes. "I thought the guy was supposed to be waiting for the girl," she noted with a tiny impatient tap of her foot.

  "Right. I'm coming." I picked up my phone and shoved it in my pocket. During the heat of passion, I'd heard the phone ring again and knew it was Emma. It had been easier than I expected to ignore.

  Five

  "So, that small mouth-shaped opening is the exit for how many bats?"

  Denni scrubbed her shoes back and forth in the dirt to get a better purchase on the small hill we'd parked our bottoms on for the bat show. There were a few other groups milling about the cave, some with tripods and some just there to experience the action firsthand and not from behind a lens.

  "The Redmond Cave has one of the densest populations of Mexican free-tailed bats. There could be as many as one million of them living inside that cave at any one time."

  I grinned over at her and pushed a curl back behind her ear. "You know your bat shit, lady."

  Denni nodded with pride. "Maybe I should have been a chiropterologist."

  "You should have because that sounds really sexy when you say it."

  Denni opened the bag of potato chips she'd brought along for the show. We sat and nibbled and watched the cave like two people waiting for a movie to start.

  "I hope the previews are good." I pushed a chip into my mouth.

  Denni laughed and wrapped her arm around mine. Her head dropped against my shoulder. "Luke, this might sound weird, but I feel like I've known you a long time."

  "Doesn't sound weird to me. I was thinking the same thing."

  She lifted her head and looked at me. "Oh my gosh, maybe we knew each other in a past life. Bonnie and Clyde. No wait, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton."

  "Really? Those are your go to couples from a past life?"

  "Romeo and Juliet?" she asked with the cutest lift of her smooth eyebrows.

  "Uh, pretty sure that's a fictional couple."

  Her shoulders dropped back down. "Yeah, you're right. And they kind of end up dead, so probably not the best example."

  The man who had set up an impressive bunch of camera equipment seemed to know that something was about to happen. He moved closer to his tripod.

  "Look!" Denni cried. "I see the first bats."

  "I think we should count them to see if there are really a million of them."

  Denni elbowed me with a laugh, then grabbed her knees to her and propped her chin on them to watch.

  A few minutes later, a few fluttery flying mammals became a loud, black swirling cloud of win
gs. They came out of the cave in a corkscrew pattern before eventually trailing into a long parade of bats. I could feel the excitement radiating off of Denni's body as she watched the critters leave their cave. A million was not an over-exaggeration. It was truly an incredible sight to see. Almost as incredible as the enthusiastic expression on the beautiful girl sitting next to me.

  Six

  The shower turned on, waking me from a deep sleep. I dragged my eyes open and squinted into the dimly lit room. Traces of an early morning sun were peeking through the missing slats on the blinds covering the motel room windows.

  I turned to my side and stared at the dresser. It was littered with empty soda cans, pretzel crumbs and ripped condom packages. Best damn party I'd ever been to. I couldn't keep my hands off Denni, and she seemed to be having the same issue. We would doze off for an hour or so and then one of us would wake the other, wanting more. Just like I wanted more right now.

  I climbed out of bed and grabbed a condom from the box on my way to the bathroom.

  Denni's slim silhouette was easy to see through the blue and white striped shower curtain. Her head was leaned back under the water, and it seemed she hadn't heard me walk in. Soapy steam filled the bathroom, clouding the slightly warped mirror that gave my reflection an alarmingly big forehead as I brushed my teeth.

  I rinsed using only a drip of water. I'd grown hard with the thought of being in the shower with Denni, and I quickly rolled on the condom. Her stunned gasp echoed off the plastic shower stall as I whipped open the curtain. She squealed with excitement as I stepped inside, a man on a mission, armed with a condom and a raging erection.