by Christa Wick
Still wired from the night's events and my hair only half dry, I finished brushing my teeth then folded the remaining clothes into a small pile on top of Dare's dresser. I sorted them according to what would more or less fit me, a smaller "maybe" pile as to size and style, and then a large "hell to the no" pile that would have had me walking around with my tits hanging out or questionable text declaring I thought I was HAWT, craved mustache rides or worse.
I Shih-Tzu not!
Groaning, I planted my ass on the bed, propped my elbows on my knees and cupped my chin with my hands. Glancing back at the dresser, I rolled my eyes.
Those were the kind of women Dare courted?
I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. Three years had passed since I last saw him. I had spent the first half of those years walking on egg shells around my mother and her new husband and the second half fighting to keep some semblance of a roof over my head, the wind and rain off my back and a little food in my belly each day. I had been utterly alone the entire time, an outcast, unwanted by my mother, betrayed more than once by her, put in jail--
I pulled back from that particular memory. It was too dark for me to keep my sanity when thinking about it. Dark as the grave.
Swallowing roughly, I stood up and paced the room. If I hadn't been worried about waking Dare, I would have sung to calm myself, using the lyrics and necessary vocal control to distract my mind from the thoughts that threatened to drown me.
I couldn't live if I thought about the past. And I couldn't be around Dare without thinking of the past. Whatever help he had a mind to give me didn't matter. I needed to leave as soon as I could. I couldn't risk more than a few days and I certainly couldn't risk running into anyone else I had known back when Michael Burke was still my father.
Especially Dare's mom -- Bloody Mary O'Donnell or whatever last name she was going by now if she had divorced Frank.
With the looming judgment of his mom suspended above my head like the blade of a guillotine, I stopped in front of the dresser and picked through the tallest pile of clothes once more. At least half the tops were novelty tees and a disgruntled puff of air left me as I read through them.
Blink if you like me.
Orgasm Donor.
I swallow.
I shook my head, knowing with a painful certainty that Mary O'Donnell would find every one of the women represented by that pile a more suitable companion for her son than she would ever consider me. She had already disliked me when I was a high school student, pulling straight As and still a virgin. Just knowing the part of town Dare had rescued me in would be enough for her to condemn me to hell.
Turning abruptly as tears began to sting my eyes, I bumped into a bookshelf next to the dresser. The collision knocked a large mailing envelope onto the floor. I bent down and read the single word written with a thick, black marker as I scooped up the envelope.
Proofs.
Uncontrollably curious, I flipped it over to see if the back flap was sealed. The thin metal prongs were folded down, but it was otherwise unsecured. I let the contents shift inside, guessing by the way things moved that it was several thick sheets almost as large as the envelope and all of the same size.
I glanced at the bedroom door and confirmed that I had locked it before my shower. My fingers danced around the prongs with indecision.
Bad Eden...worst house guest ever!
My lips peeled back. I had more than enough people ready to list my faults and imagined transgressions. My brain could shut the fuck up on that front. If I was even one percent as horrible as the world seemed to believe, I would already have had the contents of the envelope spread across the bed. Hell, I would have rifled through Dare's dresser and closet before bumping into the bookshelf.
And I was leaving in a few days. Maybe sooner. What was the harm in taking a quick look?
My palms starting to sweat, I sat down, wiped my hands on the bed's thin quilt then carefully straightened the prongs. Pulling back the flap, I tried to slide the contents of the envelope out as quietly as possible, guilt making me imagine Dare standing on the other side of the bedroom door with bionic hearing abilities.
The pieces of thick paper came out back side up. Each of them had been stamped with a photographer's studio copyright and a tidy hand had written a short description that included the date, Dare's full name, the location and the purpose of the shoot.
Annual For the Fallen Charity Calendar.
I took a deep breath in, slowly released it, and repeated the process a few more times as a grin slowly spread across my face. Already familiar with the charity that helped fund the education of children who had lost a parent through serving the community as a cop or firefighter, I was absolutely certain that I would find some beefcake photos of Dare when I flipped the sheets over.
Hands shaking, I turned the first photo -- and stopped breathing for a few minutes.
"Beefcake" didn't begin to describe the picture. I ran my finger along the glossy print, tracing the length of the fire hose that curled up Dare's calf and then his muscular thigh, the bronze nozzle and his big hands making sure that his cock remained hidden. Other than the hose, the only thing covering him was the helmet atop his head. He was as naked as the day Mary O'Donnell pushed him out of her womb.
I flipped the next picture and released a dreamy sigh. This time, he only had an axe shielding him. I traced the honed edge of metal, my tongue mimicking my finger's path as I licked at my lips. Tanned all over, his muscles pumped up, he directed his dark blue eyes straight into the heart of the camera's lens as his mouth pulled into something that was half smirk and all challenge.
My body growing uncomfortably hot, I turned the last photo face up.
A sticky note was placed near the center, obscuring what would certainly contain the best part of the picture. I read the message before peeling it away.
:) Looking good - L.Q.
Looking great, I thought, a groan escaping me. The first two photos had been of Dare's front with strategically placed props. This was a shot of his backside. No axe, no hose -- just the most perfect ass I could ever imagine bunched tight and holding my attention for several long seconds before I let my gaze caress the muscled legs, straight torso and thick arms.
With my pussy starting to twitch, I realized my arousal was just one more pulse away from leaking onto the quilt. My nipples ached and my breathing had become erratic. Quickly, I covered his butt with the sticky note, shoved the photos into the envelope and closed the prongs before slapping the envelope onto the middle shelf of the bookcase. I wasn't sure that was the right spot, but the photos were dated from September. Hopefully they'd been in his room almost that long and Dare had lost track of their exact location and orientation. I would die a thousand times over from guilt and embarrassment if he figured out that I had looked at them.
My body still tingling with want, I flicked the light switch off, quickly unlocked the door and crawled beneath the bed and top sheet knowing dawn would come before I managed even a wink of sleep.
Chapter Nine
Eden
I woke to the faint sounds of exercise equipment, a fuzzy memory surfacing of Dare saying he had converted the other bedroom into a home gym. Fueled by the contents of the envelope I had drooled over last night, a picture of him working out naked rose up in my mind slow and delicious.
Dare O'Donnell -- a man who had walked through fire for me and he fucking looked like that on top of it all? My hand was buried between my legs before I could reprimand myself over the dangers of masturbating in Dare's bed with a very accurate mental picture of him. Such an activity was a short distance away from inviting him into the bed. I wasn't staying in Hagersburg and I sure as hell didn't want to be another notch on his axe handle.
The sensible note of caution trilling through my head didn't make me any less wet or horny. I stroked at my clit and tried not to think of Dare as Dare -- just some anonymously hot male who looked like him, walked like him, had the same rough, sexy voice but would happ
ily bury his stubbled cheeks between my thighs and suck me until I came.
Yeah, Dare-Not-Dare licking me, fucking me, his hands and mouth on my breasts. Dare-Not-Dare flipping me on my stomach, fucking me hard from behind, one hand under my belly, teasing my clit, the other teasing my ass.
I jerked in climax, softly murmuring his name.
Rolling onto my side, I hugged the pillow. He may have changed the sheets and pillow cases, but I could smell traces of his scent on the quilt. I pulled it up to my chin and breathed in deeply. If I closed my eyes, I could pretend that he'd just left the room, that he'd just done all the things I imagined him doing and that he was directly responsible for the low throb running through my pussy.
The only thing I couldn't imagine was the act meaning anything to him. Hell, I wouldn't even be able to leave anything behind that was distinctly me when he grew tired of my presence. The shirt I had slept in, whatever items I selected from the piles on the dresser, all of it belonged to other women.
I had nothing -- because I was nothing.
Trying to avoid the impending pity party, I rolled out of bed and onto my feet. Naked, I brushed my teeth and washed my face, my attention split between the mirror and the sound of the equipment in the next room as he continued to exercise. Finished, I picked through the piles of clothes.
I had already discovered the lack of panties and established that all of the bras were two or more cup sizes too big for my not-quite-a-B-cup chest. I finally came across a silky red top that didn't have a neckline that would dip down to my belly button and a wrap skirt I could cinch around my waist. Hoping that one of Dare's absent-minded lovers had also left behind a pair of shoes, I started my hunt in his closet then moved on to looking beneath his bed. After crawling half way under the frame, I was rewarded with cheap plastic sandals that sort of matched the blouse.
I slipped the shoes on then looked in the dresser mirror. Thin polyester blouse with three-quarter sleeves, brushed linen wrap skirt and sandals -- in the middle of winter!
Laughing at my predicament so I wouldn't dissolve into a pool of tears, I ventured into the hall in search of Dare. I found him sitting in the exercise room, the door open a few inches. He wore shorts and a body hugging t-shirt. Finished with his routine, he was drying the sweat from his face with a hand towel.
He had kept his coal black hair long, the sexy length just barely within the fire department's regulations. It fell forward to cover his eyes. Muscles and veins bulged on his arms and legs, the skin as well tanned as it had been in the September photo shoot. Another big bulge between his parted thighs caught and held my attention for a few seconds before I forced myself to look up.
He hadn't realized yet that I was there, watching him from the doorway. When he finally lifted his head and smiled good morning, my heart dropped to my stomach. Was there ever a more beautiful smile? It reached all the way up to his blue eyes and their sparkling invitation.
My pussy twitching in response, I knew the no panties thing was going to be a problem. The skirt wouldn't remain dry if he turned that smile on me again.
"You ready for some breakfast and the mall?"
I nodded, my tongue too thick from staring at him to form so much as a "yes."
"Good, let me grab a shower and then I'll cook--"
"I learned how to cook from the best," I reminded him. Helen was a menace in the kitchen, but Michael had been everyone's favorite firehouse chef and he had taught me well. "You shower and I'll get breakfast ready."
Dare grinned. "I remember Mike's meals. I can't wait to taste..."
He faltered, his cheeks reddening, but only for a second.
"To taste what you cook up."
With a quick nod, I left and hurried to the kitchen before I before I started fantasizing about what had tripped up Dare's tongue. He couldn't have possibly been thinking that he wanted to taste me.
Possible or not, the thought chased after me, leaving me wet and choking for air by the time Dare joined me in the kitchen.
Chapter Ten
Dare
Eden was shoveling food onto a plate when I entered the kitchen. She handed me one loaded with eggs and sausage and buttered toast with marmalade on the side. Despite having been famished during my morning workout, I might as well have been chewing on cardboard. Not that the food didn't taste good, but nothing could compete with the woman sitting across the kitchen island from me. She totally possessed my senses as I drank in the light flush to her skin, the dilated pupils, and the way her breathing sounded harsh and disturbed.
I had aroused more than my share of ladies in the three years since she had vanished from Hagersburg. I knew wet and ready when I saw it and Eden practically dripped with need. My cock crawled up my stomach as I tried not to inventory the bag of clothes I had dumped on the bed the night before. I couldn't remember seeing any underwear and Eden's pouting nipples, visible through the thin fabric of the blouse, were proof that the bras were all to big.
So, no bra...no panties. All I had to do was lift the skirt and she would be exposed, her thighs wet, her labia and clit swollen and red.
She paused, a forkful of eggs hovering in front of her lush mouth. "You okay? You're not eating."
I nodded absently, trying not to picture her sitting on the island, skirt pushed up around her hips, legs spread wide as I devoured her. "Just eager to take you to the mall. I remember how excited you can be when you go clothes shopping."
She smiled, lowered her lashes at me then cast her gaze to the side. "I'm not fourteen anymore, Dare, and you only drove me to the mall that one time."
"So, does that mean no squealing?" I couldn't help but tease her a little. It was only fair considering how badly she was teasing me, even if she had no idea how obvious her arousal was and how it squeezed at my cock.
"I guess we'll find out," she answered, a blush flowering across her cheeks. "After you eat your breakfast."
She took her empty plate and juice glass over to the sink and rinsed them while I dutifully ate my food at warp speed. I started to rinse my dishes but she took them from me.
"If you think you're doing any cooking or cleaning while I'm here, you are out of your mind, Dare O'Donnell."
Without a doubt, I was out of my mind. Already, I could imagine returning home to Eden from work, spending the weekends in bed with her, driving her senseless and leaving her too tired to even think about lifting a finger to do any housework.
Knowing my entire face had to be flushing a shade redder than her blouse, I snatched my truck keys from the hook by the door. "I'll start the truck so it's warmed up then find a jacket to keep you from freezing until we get to the mall."
She nodded, her mouth a wriggling line that made me think she wasn't sure whether she wanted to smile or cry.
"Hey," I said, stepping close to her, my free hand instinctively cupping the side of her face. "We'll get everything sorted...get your life back to normal."
She dipped her head, hiding her face, but I could hear the way her throat constricted as she whispered her thanks and I could feel the tear drop that landed on my hand. I realized I had said the wrong thing. "Normal" couldn't be a very good state of being for Eden given the part of town she had been living in.
"Better than normal," I amended. She offered another nod and a sniffle, but wouldn't look up. Hoping to distract her, I jingled my keys. "Want to drive?"
The question provoked a laugh and she lifted her gaze, a genuine smile finally stretching across her beautiful face. "Lost my wallet in the fire, remember? And I haven't driven since Michael died. I'll need to learn all over again."
I grinned back at her, relieved that her mood had brightened and happy to have one more thing I could help her with, one that would definitely require time together, our bodies close.
"I would love to teach you," I said, my enthusiasm for the task so obvious I felt my face reheat. Damn, the things being around this woman did to me. I felt like I was green and still in high school.
Trying to recover my composure, I gave a short nod and a suggestion. "We can start tomorrow if you'd like, there's always a lot less traffic on Sundays."
"I would love to have you teach me," she softly answered, her gazing seeming to shine with arousal once more and her cheeks a most becoming shade of pink.
With another nod, I stumbled my way into the garage to start the truck. I made sure I shut the door behind me. She didn't need to see the way need squeezed at my chest or how awkwardly I walked because my dick felt three -- maybe four -- times its actual size as my mind replayed her answer.
I would love to have you teach me...
A raging hard-on possessed me as I thought about all the things I could teach Eden. A lesson for each hole, one for those soft lips, another for that auburn-covered pussy and a final one deep into her shapely ass. Throw in a kink or two or ten, her bound to my bed, my face between those pale thighs, suckling at her clit while my fingers stroked her cunt...
Shoving the key into the truck's ignition, I shook my head with the realization of just how badly I wanted Eden Burke not only in my bed, but in every corner of my life.
Chapter Eleven
Dare
"We'll hang these in my closet for now." My fingers skipped past a silken white bra to grab a pair of jeans and slide them onto a hanger. "I'll move the exercise stuff to the garage in a bit and we can look for a bedroom set tomorrow between the driving lesson and the party."
I watched from the side of one eye as Eden's face shuffled through a quick series of contortions. Halfway through our time at the mall, Cam Stevens had called me with the news that Bailey had been released from the hospital and how a little celebration was planned at Cam's house a few blocks over from where I lived. Whether Eden would attend with me remained an open question.
Turning to study her face more fully, I realized that I had thrown too much stuff at her all at once with the party, the driving lessons, the shopping trip and now the suggestion that I planned on restoring the spare room as a bedroom for her benefit.
