by Vivian Wood
She’s so quick to switch gears, she could have called it quits at any minute.
In front of him, she leaned down to squeeze through another small space. Jack reached out, desperate for just a touch of her. To feel her ass in his hands again. Just like that night in the bathroom.
Just like his dream when she let him cradle her cheeks in his hands while she rode his face, demanded with her body that he tongue her clit generously before he dipped it into her center. “Fuck me, please.”
He still remembered Dream Addy and how she’d begged for it, even while knowing she was in control. She could have asked anything of him.
“Is that the sun?” Her voice in real time broke his trance.
“Looks like it,” he said. Jack commanded his erection to subside by the time they reached the exit. “Stop.”
She turned. “What is it?”
“You can’t just go out in the sun like that. You have to stay here a minute, let your eyes readjust.”
They leaned against the cool walls of the cave, half in the darkness they’d just shared and half in the sun. Addy squinted into the sunlit greenery. She turned to him and opened her mouth. Just one word, and I’m yours, he thought.
“I could use a beer,” she said, and stretched overhead.
“Yeah, okay. Let’s find a bar,” he said, deflated.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop eye fucking her.
16
Does that sound too serial killer?” she asked.
Addy pointed to the first highway sign for food that they passed after spelunking.
“Noah’s Ark Burgers and More? No, not at all,” Jack said.
She was exhausted. Addy leaned the seat back and pressed her palms against her thighs. There was a dull burn where the belt had dug into her skin. Still, it had been worth it.
She’d never felt so alive in her life. And being with Jack in the dark, the sexual tension between them, the way she’d felt his eyes on her ass every time she was in front of him—it had been intoxicating.
Addy kept waiting for him to kiss her, to throw her against the wall, to do anything at all, but he’d behaved the entire time.
It wasn’t just the spelunking that had exhausted her. Waiting, maddeningly so, for him to make a move was even worse. She thought she’d explode by the time they’d reached the exit.
What, does he think I didn’t notice him checking me out all day? Does he think I didn’t do the same every time he looked away?
She shook her head and stared out where her window should have been as Jack exited toward the macabrely named burger joint.
You need to get it together, she told herself.
What did she expect? For him to slam her against a cave wall and fuck her wildly in the dark?
Well, maybe, she thought. Even the idea of it got her wet and she squirmed in the seat. But he’s such a classic bad boy. And such a bad life decision.
The little restaurant was decorated with a huge mural of an ark. Happy animals, two by two, climbed onboard.
“What are they so happy about?” Jack murmured. “Cows, pigs… all the animals they probably serve in there on a bun.”
“No penguin, I hope,” Addy said.
She pointed to the black and white cartoon animals. He chuckled, but it wasn’t enough to cut the tension between them.
Fortunately, the menu was pretty all-American basic. They ordered two cheeseburgers with a basket of tater tots to share. Ice cold beers arrived with the made-to-order lunch and Addy pounced on it, famished.
At least I can feed one kind of hunger, she thought. The cheese melted onto her fingers. She sucked it off greedily.
“Hey,” Jack whispered.
“Don’t give me any crap,” she murmured. Addy didn’t take her eyes off the burger. “I’m hungry, okay?”
“No, not that. Look.”
Addy looked up and Jack gestured with his eyes toward the other side of the restaurant. “What?”
“See that old couple? They’ve been staring at us. Maybe this is one of those serial killer towns,” he stage whispered.
Addy realized it was an old couple from her hometown. The two who were always in the soda shop for the early bird breakfast special. She couldn’t recall their names, but she knew they were huge gossips. It was all they had to do.
“Oh, God,” she said. Addy dropped the burger and buried her head in her hands.
“What? Hey, watch it. You’re going to get cheese in your hair.” Jack leaned across the table and swatted her hands away from her face.
“I know them,” she said.
“You do?”
“Well, not really. They’re the town gossips. I’m sure they’re taking notes, ready to report back everything they see.”
“Oh. Well, then let’s give them something to talk about.”
Quickly, Jack moved to her side of the booth and wrapped his arm around her. He brushed his lips against her ear and instant goosebumps spread across her skin.
He cupped her chin in his hand and forced her face upward. Limp in his arms, she opened her mouth slightly for his kiss. It was warm, pillowy, and simultaneously familiar and exotic.
Addy melted into it, even though she was aware it was for show. But she couldn’t help herself. She wanted more. She clutched at his shirt and pulled him closer, opened her mouth to welcome his tongue against hers.
Jack obliged and explored her mouth. He moved to her jawline and inched toward her neck. As she started to make those little animal noises in his ear, he felt his cock stiffen.
She felt his hand graze against her breast while her nipple hardened to attention. There was almost nothing between her nipple, which begged for his kisses, and his fingers. Just two flimsy pieces of fabric.
She wanted more than anything to press herself against his touch. To encourage his hands to roam freely. Open her legs so he could feel how she’d started to soak through those yoga pants at his touch.
But Addy fluttered her eyes open and saw that the old couple had already left.
Should I tell him? No, she thought. Just one more minute. Just give me one more minute…
Addy closed her eyes and let herself respond to his touch. He was buried in her neck, and as she pressed her breast against his hand she felt a sting as he started to suck her skin.
Already, she knew he’d leave a mark. It made her wetter, knowing she’d be branded as his.
Through her t-shirt, he pinched her nipple lightly. She responded with a moan loud enough that it broke through her consciousness. Addy didn’t care, pushed closer against him.
He pulled at her nipple through the material and she parted her legs. But Jack’s hand stayed at her breast. Frustrated, she reached for his crotch. He was swollen, hard, about to burst through the fabric.
The feel of it shot her into a frenzy. She wanted him, needed him, right then.
Who gives a damn if it’s the middle of a restaurant?
“Hey,” he said suddenly. “Whoa.”
She opened her eyes to see him pulled back. He panted slightly, flushed, but at least he had the wherewithal to keep both of them in check.
“Uh, sorry,” she said. Reluctantly, she pulled away. “I guess I just… got carried away with the whole thing.”
“It’s okay,” he said.
The waitress promptly arrived with the bill and gave them both a hard look.
Shit. Noah’s Ark. This is probably a super-Christian mom and pop place.
Addy shifted her weight awkwardly while Jack paid the bill.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded silently and followed him to the car, head down like a child caught doing something naughty.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as they merged back onto the highway.
“What’s wrong? You know, we don’t need to touch each other or act all cutesy unless Rosalie or Jeremy are around.”
“What the hell?” his voice trailed off. She watched a dark cloud settle across his face. “Fin
e,” he said. “You’re right.”
He stared out the windshield and Addy discreetly inched away so her back faced him. The drive home was long and silent.
She commanded herself not to squirm, no matter how uncomfortable the sticky wetness between her thighs had become.
17
Thank you for unloading the dishwasher,” Addy said formally.
Jack sighed. It had been days since their spelunking adventure, followed by the makeout disaster at that weird restaurant, and the tension was palpable between them. Addy was trying so hard to keep things “friendly but separate” that the whole situation had become incredibly awkward.
And it’s my fault, Jack thought.
“Hey, what do you think about a hike this afternoon?” he asked.
“A hike?”
He heard the falter in her voice, but he wasn’t surprised. Hiking wasn’t totally out of the realm of caving, and they both knew how that had turned out.
“I mean, I’m off at four today, so I just thought…”
“Great! I mean, yeah, a hike sounds good,” she said cheerfully.
“Okay, good. I… I guess I’ll pick you up a little after four then.”
When Jack arrived back at the condo, Addy was waiting for him in what had to be the most unattractive hiking gear he’d ever seen. She drowned in a pair of baggy, shapeless capri cargo pants that looked like they came from the boy’s section of REI.
An oversized t-shirt hung off her petite frame. White socks poked out from above her beat-up purple hiking boots, and all her hair had been shoved beneath a baseball cap.
“I’m ready,” she said with a smile.
“If that’s what you call it,” he replied under his breath.
Jack packed a quick meal in his own Camelbak and tried not to overthink things.
It’s not like she should feel compelled to dress up for me, he reminded himself.
Still, even in that modest getup, he couldn’t stop from checking her out as they headed out. Addy started toward the car, but Jack stopped her.
“There’s a trail just down the road,” he said. “I figured why not explore close to home?”
“Sure,” she said with a grin.
Amenable Addy, he thought. Better than Angry Addy, I guess.
As they hiked toward the trail he’d noticed on his daily commute, the heat pounded down on them.
“Jesus, it’s hot,” he said, and wiped his brow.
“I thought it was hotter in Melbourne than here,” she teased.
“I think I’m spoiled from all the A/C in the ER.”
They hiked in comfortable silence toward the trailhead. Jack noticed Addy as she stole glances at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. He suppressed a smile.
She’s as hard up as I am, he realized.
That made him feel better, like the score was even.
The trail was blessedly shaded and several degrees cooler. As they reached a flatter area, Jack heard the trickle of a stream.
“Let’s follow it,” he said.
“Why?”
“Maybe there’s a lake nearby.”
“There’s no lake here, Jack.” She was right, but it did lead to a small pool.
“Small blessings,” he said as he pulled off his shoes and rolled up his pants.
Addy stared down at him, frozen.
“What, you think I bite?” he asked.
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.” She said it jokingly, but he picked up on the serious undertones.
“C’mon, sit down,” he encouraged.
Grudgingly, she made her way beside him and slipped off her own shoes. Addy made sure there was plenty of space between them. Jack pulled out the snacks from his pack along with a bottle of wine.
“We’ll have to share the bottle,” he said. “I didn’t bring any glasses.”
“That’s fine,” she said, too quickly.
Addy inched a little closer to take the bottle, but he could tell she was still guarded.
Jack handed her the bottle, and pointed out the stars on the label.
“Guess which constellation that is,” he said. Before she could reply, he filled in the silence. “Leo.”
“How do you know?” she asked, genuinely surprised. Finally, the wall she’d put up started to crumble.
“I was obsessed with stars when I was a kid. I thought when I grew up, I’d be an astronaut. That’s one goal that will never be reached,” he said sadly.
She smiled as she took a swallow of the wine. “I can see that. I bet you were a cute kid.”
“The cutest,” he corrected. “Hold on, I think I have some photos on my phone.”
“Oh my God, you were so freaking cute!” she exclaimed. He watched her expression as she scrolled through the photos. “Ugh, it makes my ovaries hurt to look at you.”
“Thanks?” he said with a laugh. “But I was… well, precocious doesn’t quite cover it. Looks can be deceiving. What about you? What did you want to be when you were a kid?”
“A horse trainer,” she said without hesitation. “Never mind the fact that we couldn’t afford a horse. I was determined.”
She shook her head at the memory.
“When I was twelve, my parents saved up and bought me a trip to horse camp for a month in the summer. That was the best summer I ever had,” she said wistfully. “It was the summer before my mom got sick.”
“Ah. Adults getting sick does put a damper on things, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” she said quietly.
He saw her going down a road he wanted desperately to save her from.
“When my dad died, my mom went into a tailspin,” he said. “Well, that’s a nice way of putting it, actually. She was drunk all the time. Pretty much stayed that way ever since.”
“Yeah?” Addy asked. Her ears perked up. “Your mom has a… a drinking problem?”
“She’s an alcoholic, yes,” he said.
“Oh. Is that why you were so good with my dad?”
“Probably,” Jack said with a shrug. “I’ve been dealing with it my whole life, basically.”
Addy sat back in silence, an intense expression stretched across her face.
“Can I ask you a question?” Jack asked.
“Sure.”
“What are your goals?”
She let out a small laugh. “Is this a career counseling session?”
“I’m just curious.”
“Well, taking care of the restaurant, making sure we stay afloat. Taking care of my dad. Making sure Kenzie doesn’t get into too much trouble—”
“You’re just telling me what you’ve been doing the past few years. Not that you’re not kicking arse at it,” he said. “But I mean your goals. Those are the goals set by your mom and dad years ago. Tell me what you want to do.”
Addy looked at him in surprise. “I don’t… I guess I don’t know. Nobody’s asked me that in so long …”
“Come on,” Jack pushed. “I know you’ve made a list. What’s on it?”
“Okay,” she said with a blush. “You’re right. Well… I want to travel.”
“Where?”
“London, Paris, Rome, all the usual places. But also Pondicherry, Istanbul, I want to see the monarch butterfly migration in Mexico. And… I want to fall in love.” She said the last part with a shrug, almost like an apology.
“Travel and love,” Jack said. “Those are both reasonable.”
“Can I have some more wine?” she asked abruptly.
He gazed at her intensely, then purposefully set the wine aside. As he leaned toward her, he watched her blue eyes flutter shut.
It was like touching a flame to tinder. Her mouth opened to his greedily.
Jack couldn’t tell if she pulled him on top of her, the plush green clover below them, or if he pushed her down. Either way, as soon as they were on the ground, they started to rip each other’s clothes off.
The stiff, too-big shirt she wore came off with ease. The hat came with it
and her hair spilled out down her back. She pulled down his pants while he turned her khakis inside out.
Jack lunged for her, desperate to be inside her, but Addy was faster. She went straight for his cock and plunged his length deep into the back of her throat.
He moaned into the forest as she began to work him with an expertise he would have never guessed she possessed. Addy gently cupped his balls.
He looked down at her slender back as she crouched before him. Jack wrapped her long hair around his fist to get a better look of her licking and sucking his hardness. With one hand gripped at his base, the other teased him. She knew exactly how to command his body.
“Fuck,” he whispered. “You’re going to make me come.”
She smiled up at him, her hand still clenched around his base.
“Right here,” she said. Addy stuck out her tongue and tapped his tip against it twice. “I want to taste you.”
As soon as she took him into the back of her throat again, he exploded inside her. It took all his strength not to grasp her head and stay buried down her throat.
She moaned in pleasure at his taste. The vibration of it milked more out of him than what he thought he had.
Addy wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Did you… did you swallow?” he asked, shocked.
She grinned and felt her jaw. A trickle of his come had run down her lips.
“Well, most of it,” she said. She started to search for her clothes to get dressed—but she hadn’t wiped all of it from her face.
“Not so fast,” he growled.
She squealed as he gripped her thighs and flipped her onto her back. With his thumb, he wiped the wetness from her jaw and spread it across one nipple and the next.
Jack bit her neck and kissed his way down her torso. He flicked her wet nipples with his fingers as he made his way to her mound. Addy spread her legs wider, eager and welcoming.
Jack plunged his tongue into her and she let out a cry. He teased in circles around her clit. She wiggled beneath him, desperate for his lips on her. When he finally did lick and suck at her clit, she writhed in pleasure.
