by Zara Teleg
Working my way up her sexy legs, she began to wiggle her way out from under the Jeep, still singing. I stood back to watch without her noticing. She flipped over onto her knees, wearing tiny shredded jean shorts. I could see the curve of her perfect ass as she pulled the tray from under the vehicle.
Once her head was clear from the vehicle, I made my presence known. I yelled over the music, “Need any help?”
Juliet jumped two feet, placing her hand over her heart and getting oil on herself. “Rage, you scared me.” She let out a deep breath as she snapped off a glove and leaned into the vehicle to turn down the volume.
She looked fucking adorable. Her shorts were overalls, which were even sexier. Underneath, she had a pink strapless bikini top. Her hair was in two long braids peeking out of her pink glittery Namaste baseball cap that matched her Chucks. She had a smudge of oil on her face. There was a long old T-shirt rag tied to one of the loopholes.
“What are you doing?” I asked with an eyebrow cocked.
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
“It looks like you’re changing your oil.”
She pointed a latex glove covered index finger at me and said, “Bingo! You win a prize.” She snapped off the other glove.
Juliet walked around the side of the Jeep to a small cooler and offered me a beer and got herself water.
My smile widened as she handed me one of my favorite icy brews. “White Wolf from Blackrock Brewery?”
“You said you might drop by, and I remembered you were drinking it at the picnic, I didn’t want to go in the house all oily, so I prepared,” she said smiling.
“Thanks, babe, you’re the best.” I kissed her clean cheek. “Now, can I help you?” I offered as I picked up the new jug of oil and inspected the bottle. “Full synthetic,” I noted.
“Yep, nothing but the best for Athena. It’s okay, I’m just about done, and you’re clean.” She laughed.
“Or,” I suggested, “I could get dirty, too, then we could get clean together.” I wiggled my eyebrows. Juliet threw a dirty rag at me before asking me to open the bottles.
I spent the next few minutes watching her work as she told me how she had always helped her dad when he changed the oil and how he had wanted both his girls to know how to do things themselves.
Her whole body language changed when she spoke about her family. I couldn’t understand why someone who seemed to care so much and miss their family would move so far away from them. Every time I brought up the subject, somehow she got out of answering.
Then Juliet went into a whole rant about synthetic oil and how essential it was. Even though I agreed with her, I pretended not to know, just because her talking engine care elevated her to a whole ‘nother level of hotness. She had me wanting her so bad, I barely let her get out of the shower before attacking her for the first of several times. The last round left us exhausted, falling asleep in her bed again before it was even 10 pm.
The constant chirps of all the damn birds Juliet insists on feeding woke me. Willing myself back to sleep, I placed my head under the pillow, trying to avoid the bright light streaming into the room again. I was going to beg her to get shades. Jesus, I couldn’t take it every morning. I might need to stay at the clubhouse to get some decent sleep in my dead black room. Although, it was nice wrapping my body around hers. I would either wake her or fall back to sleep, whichever happened first. The silkiness of her body had me ready for her again, but judging from the soft murmurs that were coming from her, she was still fast asleep. This girl was turning my world on its axis. The more I told myself that it was okay to care, just not too much, she would do something or say something to push me in further.
I was dozing back to sleep, holding her close under the light sheets, when her body tensed. Juliet started mumbling and then screaming. Her body thrashed and fought.
“Noooooo!” she yelled.
Not again. A few days ago, she woke up screaming. She said she had dreamed that something happened to Lord. I didn’t believe it. Her face went pale, and she zoned out the whole morning.
I shook her gently. “Juliet, it’s okay. Babe, you’re dreaming.”
Nothing.
“Juliet,” I said louder, gently shaking her again.
Her eyes popped open. She shot up on the bed. Small beads of sweat appeared on her brow. It took a moment for her body to settle and her eyes to focus on me. I pulled her into a tight hug, rocking her. “Rage,” she whispered in relief.
“Babe, it was just a dream.” I kissed her head. “It’s okay.”
I pulled her back enough to see her face. Wet streaks stained her flushed cheeks. What the hell is going on? I looked into her fear-filled eyes; they held something back, I just didn’t know what.
Juliet
“Nooooo!” I screamed, trying to push Antonio off me. “Nooooo!” Using all my strength, I pushed harder. This time, he was shaking me. “Juliet,” he said gently.
“Babe, wake up, you’re dreaming.” The voice was louder this time.
Startled, my eyes opened from a vivid dream to find Rage holding me, shaking me gently, calling my name. A muscled arm pulled me in, keeping me tight to his chest, making me feel safe. Rage placed a soft kiss on my head as I tried not to breakdown. He tilted my head up examining my face, which must have revealed too much.
He didn’t say anything right away. Comforting me with his body, I felt his hard chest and could hear the steady rhythm of his beating heart. It strangely calmed me as my breath and heart slowed to match his. My body relaxed as the signature scent of his body wash and lingering aftershave filled my nose. When had I become this familiar with him? I pushed the thoughts of Antonio away as I took comfort in the moment. I knew the questions would come. I had an awful feeling Rage knew it was more than just a nightmare. He studied my face.
With my head resting on his chest, I whispered, “Thanks for waking me from the nightmare. I’ve had them since I was a kid,” I lied.
He pulled me back to look at him. Studying my face again, his square jaw was ticking. Did he know I was lying? My eyes could barely meet his.
In that raw, sleep voice, he said, “Juliet, want to tell me what that was really about?”
Shit. Shit. Triple shit. I am a terrible faker. I blew out a long breath.
“Uh, it’s fine, just a nightmare. I’m not even sure. Someone was chasing me, then the person caught me, and I was fighting them off.”
Rage’s brown eyes narrowed at me, his lips tightened. Large arms crossed his chest making him look intimidating.
Uh-oh.
“Babe, I have been patient. One of these days, you are going to spill whatever the fuck you think I can’t handle. I told you how hard it has been for me to even consider getting close to a woman. And you’ve changed all that. You know that I’ll move mountains for you, but you won’t even move an inch to let me in.”
He turned away from me and started to get up. I reached out to pull him back into bed. The sheet I had wrapped around my naked body slid to my waist exposing my breasts. I could see the heat flare in his eyes. He stared a moment before he turned away again, picking up his jeans off the floor.
“Rage,” I started.
He put his hand up, telling me to stop. “No, Juliet.” He pulled his white T-shirt over his head. “I may not have known you your whole life, but I know you well enough now to recognize when you are hiding something.”
His boots were on his feet and cut over his shirt before I could even respond.
“I’m going to give you some space,” he said as he picked up his keys.
He opened the bedroom door, and Lord flew into the room and onto the bed. Rage gave me one more glance over his shoulder, then he shut the door behind him. His bike started before I could put on my robe and make it to the door.
Fuck! I hit the door with my open palm.
He was right. I was going to lose him…and I didn’t want to. I had fallen in love with him. A scream tore from my throat as I pounde
d the anger out on the door. I needed to talk to Ivy.
Rage
I felt like shit. I’d confronted Juliet about her night terrors, and I’d been too hard on her. I remembered how difficult it had been for me to open up to anyone. But this thing with Juliet made me feel as if she couldn’t trust me, like she was holding back.
I gave it a day and then just acted as if nothing had happened. I sent her a text letting her know I wanted to see her. Neither of us brought it up again. I hoped she would confide in me because it was becoming a wedge between us. I hated knowing she was keeping something from me.
Summer was dwindling. It was hard to believe Labor Day was only a week away. Since the first night I spent in her bed, Juliet had made time fly by. We had spent as much time together as we possibly could.
For so many years, I had sworn never to get close to anyone. But I’d never known anyone like Juliet. She was as beautiful inside as out. She cared so much about…everything. Even the damn environment. I loved the way she frowned at using plastic, her crazy recycling routine, and how she composted anything she could. I loved how she teared up whenever that heartbreaking commercial came on that showed all the animals that needed help. She had me seeing the world differently. She had inspired me to do better. Become a better man.
Before Juliet, my dates had been going to a bar, dinner, or maybe a movie. Last week, we took her Jeep up to Boulder Lake for a paddle boarding date. How she’d convinced me, I didn’t know—oh, yeah, she’d promised a special night if I tried it. Hawk thought I was whipped. Yeah, well, I didn’t give a fuck.
Juliet had snuck out of bed before dawn and packed a whole cooler full of food and drinks. She’d had an entire breakfast spread on the table when I woke up, including homemade cinnamon rolls. Then after breakfast, we packed our gear into her Jeep and hit the road.
It had taken us an hour to get to the lake. I had planned on taking us to a good swimming and kayaking spot where I always used to go as a kid, but she said, “Keep driving another mile and turn left.”
I did as she asked, wondering where the hell she was taking me. She directed us to a small turnaround where we parked and unloaded all our gear before hiking down a wooded path. “Trust me” was all she said with a grin that lit up her angelic face. She must have taken Lord there before because he led the way right to the small creek inlet off the lake. The landscape was breathtaking, high trees where the sun streamed through. The private inlet was shallow, yet deep enough to get on the boards and paddle out.
Lord was with us all the way in this little adventure. Who knew dogs liked paddle boarding? Juliet put a life vest on him, and he proudly sat at the front of the board.
Juliet laughed at my wobbly start when I stood on my board—well, Ivy’s board, which she didn’t mind me borrowing—but I got the hang of it quickly. We paddled down into a remote area of the lake, about an hour out.
There were small islands scattered through Boulder Lake. Juliet had taken me to one I had never been to. She explained that there was shallow water for about half a mile, and boats didn’t come out this far for fear of getting stuck.
I threw the ball into the lake, entertaining Lord, while she laid out a whole picnic for us. The amount of gear in the backpack she had was startling. She had a small speaker playing music on her phone. I had the cooler of beer and food strapped to my board. We lay on the blanket laughing, telling stories, and feeding each other strawberries. I had my head on her lap while she played with my hair when I decided to open up about losing my brother.
I felt her body stiffen and her hands stopped. She was listening intently, letting me spill things I had never told anyone. Then a single tear slid down her sun-kissed cheek. She tried to wipe it away without me noticing it. It touched me deeply, knowing that she cared that much.
I tilted her face and brushed her lips with mine. The kiss we shared was so sweet, so pure—it was more profound than just lust. The connection I had with her at that moment was deeper than I had with anyone my whole life.
Thankfully, the island she chose was deserted, the only sounds were the splashing water against the shoreline and the birds. Behind large boulders, I spent the next hour worshipping her body. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have sex—I made love. I knew I was not just falling for her—I was already in love with her. I felt like such a girl having feelings like that. I didn’t care. I never felt this before, and all I knew was I never wanted to let it go.
Chapter Twenty
Rage
We strolled through the produce section of the grocery store. Juliet explored the vast amounts of fruits and vegetables, grabbing anything that she didn’t forge in her garden. She wandered the aisle like some women did jewelry stores. She had a look of pure bliss on her face as she found the perfect papaya, holding it up high in the air and shouting, “Oh, my God! It’s perfect! Have you ever tried this?”
I felt eyes on me the whole time. A little boy was following my every move. The only time he peeled his eyes away from me was when making a big decision between an apple and a banana. He was as bad as Juliet.
The boy was there with his mama and baby sister. His mom had on her hip the little girl with a way-too-full diaper. Juliet and I ended up in the same check-out line as the family. There was only one cashier, and the woman in front had a huge cart full. Juliet seemed oblivious to the boy and his family as she organized all the fruit in the basket while waiting for our turn in line.
“Come on, Jacob,” his mother snapped, pushing him forward as he examined the apple he held in one hand and the banana he had in the other. When we took our place in line behind them, the boy turned and looked at me from my feet all the way up to my face. He took a step back and smiled at me.
“Are you a wrestler?”
“No, little man, I’m not,” I answered with a grin. I noticed his faded WWE shirt that was a little too small.
“Well, you look just like the wrestlers we watch on TV.” I didn’t think the kid believed me.
“I’m going to be a big wrestler someday,” he said, popping out his chest.
His mom was paying no attention; she placed her bottle of liquor and a couple of bags of Ramen noodles on the belt and asked the clerk for a pack of cigarettes.
“Who is your favorite wrestler?” I asked. His big brown eyes grew wide, and without hesitation, he yelled, “John Cena!”
“He’s a good choice.” He smiled big with several missing teeth. He then gestured for me to come close.
“Is she your girlfriend?” he whispered loudly, staring at Juliet.
I squeezed my lips together, trying not to laugh at his attempt to ask quietly. I smiled at him and whispered back, “Yes.”
His eyes widened and mouth gaped open. “Wow! She’s really pretty.” Juliet smiled, hearing his innocent appraisal.
He turned back around, his brown hair flopped in his face. He stretched out his arms, reaching up to the conveyor. “Mama, don’t forget my apple and banana, you promised me. I’ve been good and did all my chores,” he reminded.
I smiled down at him, admiring his purchase. “You know, if you want to be a wrestler, it’s really important to eat your fruits and veggies.” Juliet agreed, smiling at the boy and then at me.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, you’re going to have to put something back. You’re a few dollars short.” The clerk said, leaning close to the boy’s mother. She examined the items and looked at the boy. “Jacob, you can get an apple and banana next time.”
A sad look that was all too familiar crossed the boy’s face. “We don’t need those things right now,” she snapped.
“But Mama, you promised. We haven’t had apples or bananas in forever.”
“Jacob,” she scolded. “I said, no.”
It was like hearing my mother’s voice. Anger torched through me. Poor little guy, all he wanted was fruit. His mom had a pack of cigarettes and liquor but couldn’t afford an apple and banana? I reached down in my pocket, pulling out a few dollar bills. I s
lammed them down on the counter. “Please pay for the apple and banana for my little friend here,” I told the clerk.
His mother gave me an unappreciative look and said, “That’s not necessary.”
“But ma’am, it is,” I said coldly. I leaned in close, the smell of smoke and booze was overpowering. “What’s not necessary are cigarettes and liquor,” I whispered in her ear so not to let the little boy hear.
Still smiling his toothless smile, the boy said, “Thanks, Mister,” grinning as if I gave him a million dollars.
I kneeled beside him. “You are very welcome. Now, you be good for your mama, keep eating your veggies, and you will be big like me.”
Hugging the fruit to his chest with one arm, he agreed enthusiastically. He looked at me like he was memorizing me. His other hand reached out to touch the logo with my name on the patch. “Rage,” he said.
I nodded.
“I’m Jacob,” he held out his hand, “and my baby sister is Sara.”
“Jacob, let’s go, now.” His mother pushed him toward the exit. She looked over her shoulder, giving me a nasty gaze.
“Have a good day, buddy,” I waved.
“Thank you, Mr. Rage,” he yelled over his shoulder.
When they were out of earshot, Juliet turned to me and said, “Rage that was super sweet of you.” She got on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek.
“Yeah, well, I’d had an awful mother, who drank and smoked and couldn’t care less if my brother or I ate. I recognized that kid. Shit, I was that kid.”
Juliet
With every week that went by, the idea of leaving Rage became harder. It had been less than three months since we became a couple, yet it seemed like we had been together for years. It was almost like the world was a million-piece puzzle and our two pieces came together in a perfect fit. We had developed a routine and often finished each other’s sentences. Rage made me laugh harder than anyone ever had, which his brothers found strange because he was the brooding one of the bunch.
