by Claire Raye
Lu’s head falls back even as she laughs a little. “I’d say it’s very late actually,” she says, smoothing her hands down my chest and sending a shiver all through me. “But it’s okay, I’m on the pill.”
I exhale against her neck, sucking at her pulse. “I’m, you know…clean.”
She nods, lifting her head and finding my mouth with hers. “I know, I trust you, Jack,” she whispers as her hands trail down my stomach to my boxers.
I lift my hips this time as she pushes them down, her hands moving to my dick, fingers circling around it as she slowly starts to stroke me.
“Fuck,” I whisper, sliding my hands higher where I brush my fingers lightly against her panties before pulling them to the side, my finger brushing against her and making her moan. Slipping one hand round to her hip, I urge her up before slowly lowering her onto me, both of us groaning as I bury myself deep inside her.
“God you feel amazing,” I whisper against her mouth.
“So do you,” she says as she slowly starts to move.
Both of my hands circle her hips now, guiding her as she rocks against me. She kisses me constantly, her arms around my neck as she holds me against her. I need to feel her skin though, so I lift off her shirt, before moving my hands to her bra, pulling it off her where it joins the rest of our clothes on the floor.
Lowering my head, I kiss a path down her neck to her breast, before sucking a nipple into my mouth. Lu groans as her head falls backward, never stopping her hips as she continues to slowly ride me.
I tease her with my teeth, alternating between nibbling and sucking, as I slip a hand back under her skirt to where we are joined and gently start to work my thumb against her.
“Oh jesus christ, Jack,” she moans. “Fuck, that feels so good.”
I switch to her other breast as I press my thumb harder, rubbing a little faster. Lu moans again, her hips moving faster against me now as I slide in and out of her.
“God, I’m so close,” she says, nails digging into my back.
I work her harder as I kiss my way up her neck, nibbling at her jaw before finding her mouth again. “Tell me,” I whisper.
She lets out a loud groan, her nails digging in even more as my name falls from her lips.
“Tell me, Lu,” I repeat.
“God, I’m coming,” she whispers, kissing me harder as she works herself against me, our hips grinding together. “God, Jack, yes…yes.”
And then I feel her, clenching around me so tight that I can no longer hold back, pushing up into her one last time as I come with her.
She collapses against me, her pounding heart against my chest mirroring what’s going on with my own heart. I always knew this would be intense between us, that if Lu even felt half as much as what I feel, that it would be crazy hot when we finally got naked together. But even this blows my mind, far exceeding any of the millions of fantasies I’ve had about being with her.
“Can I make a confession?” she suddenly says, her mouth against my neck.
“Okay,” I say, a little warily.
She lifts her head so she can look at me. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips swollen and red from all of our kisses. “I don’t really hate you,” she says.
I burst out laughing, kissing the end of her nose as I say, “Beautiful, if this is you hating me, then I’m all for it.”
She giggles. “Also,” she adds, her cheeks flushing a little more. “I did actually miss you after you left,” she admits, brushing a hand across my cheek as I raise an eyebrow in surprise. “I even wrote to you.”
“What?” I ask, shocked. “I never got any letters.”
“I never sent them.”
I grin, leaning close to kiss her. “Right, the I hate Jack factor, I get it.”
She smiles at me. “Mmmm,” the only thing she admits to.
I laugh. “So what sort of things did you write to me about, aside from admitting you liked me of course?”
“Well,” she says, head cocked to the side. “I can show you?”
“You still have them?”
She nods. “Yep, in a box under my bed.”
“Well,” I whisper, leaning in to kiss her lips. “Your bed is where we’re gonna end up anyway, so this seems like as good an excuse as any.”
She giggles again, her laugh punctuated by a low groan as I lift her off me. Standing, she holds out a hand, pulling me up off the couch. I kick off my jeans and boxers, leave them lying on the living room floor as I follow her back to her bedroom.
Lu ditches the rest of her clothes before joining me on the bed. I watch her, lying on her stomach, as she leans over and pulls a box from underneath it, shuffling through a pile of folded papers until she finds one.
“Here,” she says, handing it back to me.
I roll onto my side, prop myself up on an elbow as I run my hand down her spine. “Read it to me.”
Lu looks back over her shoulder at me, a heated look in her eyes as she considers my request. Not taking my eyes off hers, I lean in and press a kiss to her shoulder before gently biting it, loving the mark I leave on her.
She swallows hard and looks away, unfolding the paper. “Dear Jack,” she starts, groaning as I run my fingers down her spine again, before dipping them between her legs.
“I like the start of this already,” I whisper, sucking on her neck.
“Jack,” she says, her warning tone lost in the husky moan she lets out.
“What?” I ask, feigning innocence.
“You’re distracting me,” she murmurs.
“Sorry,” I lie, running my fingers back up her spine. “Continue.”
She shakes her head a little before turning back to the letter. “Dear Jack,” she repeats. “I hope you made it back to Australia okay. It’s been very quiet and peaceful here since you left.”
I can’t help but chuckle, scooting closer so my body is pressed against hers. “So much animosity,” I whisper, sucking on her ear lobe.
Lu moans again, low and sexy, even as she tries to continue. “I still haven’t forgiven you for the mud thing,” she adds, making me laugh against her skin even as I kiss my way down her spine this time. “Or the million other things you did to annoy me while you were here.”
I slip my hand back between her legs, my mouth lingering at the base of her spine where I press a soft kiss to her arse before gently biting it. Lu sighs, her legs widening a little as though to encourage me.
“Nobody here misses you, in case you were wondering,” she continues, her words breathless and husky as I slide a finger inside her. “I hope your friends in Australia were at least happy to see you again,” she adds, pushing herself against me. “Anyway, feel free to write back, if you want. From Lauren.”
I run my tongue up her spine now, smiling as her head falls onto the pillow. “So obvious you fancied me,” I whisper, my mouth at her ear.
Lu groans, turning her head toward mine. “Is that right?” she says. “You want me to read another one?”
I smile against her mouth. “Nah,” I murmur, rolling my body onto hers. “I think I’ve got a better idea.”
The next morning, Lu and I wake early, fooling around for an hour or so without any interruptions from the kids this time. Everything about it, sharing her bed, waking up with her or just having coffee together in her kitchen feels so perfectly normal, I know that the longer I stay, the harder it’s going to be to leave.
Once again, I’m plagued with conflicted thoughts on what I’m going to do with my life. With wanting to keep this thing between us going, but confused with how the hell I’m going to find a way to stay when I have so many things going on back in Oz that I can’t just simply walk away from.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” Lu asks, half reading my mind.
I smile at her, sitting across from me at the kitchen island, her wet hair pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head. “I’m going to sort out the barrel room,” I say, taking a sip of coffee. “Make sure the rotation is corre
ct, check all the barrels are still useable.”
Lu smiles at me, lowering her mug. “I really appreciate you helping us out like this,” she says. “I know it’s not really your job.”
I return the smile. “It’s all good, Lu,” I tell her. “I like helping you out, seriously.”
She swallows. “Well, I was wondering…”
Her words are cut off by the front door flying open and Oscar and Oliva running inside, their chorus of, “Aunt Lulu,” echoing down the hall to the kitchen.
I grin, even as Lu shakes her head and mutters something about needing to keep her front door locked. The sound of pounding feet comes at us and before long, both kids materialize in the kitchen, their wide eyes looking from Lu to me and back to Lu again.
“Morning,” I say, lifting my mug in salute.
“What are you doing here?” Ollie asks, hands on her hips.
I chuckle, shooting Lu a quick glance before turning back to Ollie. “And what are you, the Spanish Inquisition?”
“The what?” she says, head cocked to the side.
“Jack and I are having breakfast together, Ollie,” Lu says, jumping in. “Is that alright with you?”
Ollie’s head flicks between us again before turning to her brother where they share a secret look before turning back to us. “Yeah, that’s alright with us,” she says, nodding.
I laugh, pushing out my stool and standing. “Well, thank god for that,” I say, rinsing out my mug and leaving it on the draining board. “I would hate to think we didn’t have your approval,” I add, walking over to them.
Oscar stands silent, hands on his hips as he gives me a once over.
“What?” I ask, mirroring his action.
“Aren’t these the same clothes you were wearing last night?” he asks, flicking his hand at me.
I laugh, shaking my head as I reach forward and pick him up, slinging him over my shoulder. “Enough with the interrogation little man, you’re with me,” I say, before turning to Lu. “I’ll see you later,” I add, winking at her.
“Wait a minute!” Ollie shouts and I pause, halfway out of the kitchen. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
I glance at Lu, see the confused look on her face. “What?” I ask her niece.
Ollie gives me a straight up WTF look as she stands, hands out and says, “A kiss goodbye? Isn’t that what the French do?”
I burst out laughing. Fuck me these kids don’t forget anything. Lowering Oscar to the floor, I walk toward Ollie, grabbing her tiny face in my hands as I press a bunch of kisses all over her cheeks and forehead. “Bye, Ollie,” I say.
When I step back, I can’t help but laugh at her flushed cheeks, the embarrassed smile she tries to hide. Glancing at Lu, I see her watching us, a strange look on her face. Unable to stop myself, I step to her next, leaning in and pressing a lingering kiss to her cheek. “Laters, beautiful,” I whisper, before turning, grabbing Oscar and heading outside.
Oscar heads toward the drive, but I call out a, “Hold up,” before running back to my place to grab some shoes. When I come back out Oscar is sitting on my front steps.
“So, no shoes?” he asks, as though prompting me to explain.
I grin, pulling him up, before crouching down to offer him a piggy back. “It’s an Aussie thing,” I tell him. “We hardly ever wear shoes.”
“Right,” he says, arms around my neck as I stand and start walking toward the sheds that house the barrel rooms. “So are you and Aunt Lulu like a thing now?” he asks.
I chuckle. “What exactly is a thing, Oscar?” I ask, stalling.
“You know,” he says, his hand flitting out in front of me. “Like boyfriend and girlfriend,” he explains. “Someone you get all smoochy about.”
I burst out laughing. “Is that what you and your girlfriend do then?”
“Pfft,” he scoffs. “I don’t have a girlfriend,” he says, in a disgusted tone.
“Really?” I ask. “Cause you seem to know an awful lot about boyfriends and girlfriends,” I add, teasing him.
“I just know things,” he says, as though this explains it.
“I see,” I add, offering nothing further in response to his questions.
We walk in silence until we reach the sheds. Oscar jumps from my back and heads inside, me close behind. I grab the clipboard that lists all the barrels Lu keeps and the dates and stock of what they’ve been used for. Just as I’m about to get started, Oscar surprises me with one more nugget of information.
“Well, I like you better than Aunt Lulu’s other boyfriend,” he says, before wandering off toward the back of the shed leaving me to contemplate just who this previous boyfriend was.
Chapter Eighteen
Lauren
It’s pretty hard to keep something a secret in this family, especially when you’ve allowed them access to your entire life. When my wedding failed to materialize I needed them more than I ever thought I would and I certainly can’t tell them to shove off now.
Not that I think I’m fooling anyone because it’s clear that Jack and I are spending a substantial amount of time together. I guess I could chalk that up to the fact that I live alone on a vineyard and there’s finally someone to spend time with. Yet Jack and I know it’s far more than that.
Jack and I were supposed to get together for dinner, but he’s running a little behind; texting me about an hour ago to let me know he’s still working on something. He called it a little surprise and I didn’t push for more information. It’s kinda fun and cute the way he’s been sneaking around working on something. I have yet to figure out what he’s up to and I’m not sure I want to know. He’s made surprises fun again.
Instead of quietly waiting for him I decide to do something fun in return. I had already opened a bottle of wine to have at dinner and it’s currently sitting on the counter breathing.
I grab two glasses, filling them about half way and then proceed to set up my phone to capture what I’m about to do. As ridiculous as I know it is, Jack will get a kick out of it.
I strip off my t-shirt and bra, tossing them over the island trying to land them near my bedroom door. I grab the two glasses, position them in front of my boobs as I sit down on a stool at my island and then I hit the timer on the camera.
I’m poised and ready, a cheeky smile on my face as the camera starts to beep notifying me as to when it will snap the picture when Ellen’s voice rings out loud and clear through my house.
“Hey! Oscar forgot his iPad,” she calls out as the front door slams, and there’s that damn iPad sitting just inches from where my supposedly sexy picture is about to be taken.
My house isn’t big and it will take her maybe ten steps before she reaches my kitchen and my damn t-shirt and bra are a solid twenty steps from me.
Why the hell did I send them flying across the room like that?
I reach for the first thing I can get my hands on, a dishtowel that’s draped over the sink to dry, and I slap it in front of my naked boobs just as Ellen walks into the kitchen.
She dead stops in her tracks to find me standing in my kitchen with no shirt on and a damp dishtowel covering me.
My eyes are wide as if I’m a deer caught in the headlights of a car heading straight for it. I can’t move.
I’m the stupid deer.
Neither of us says anything until the damn camera clicks at the most inopportune time and my face feels like it did when I fell asleep in a tanning bed circa 2001 and burned like the fire of a thousand suns.
Right now I’m pretty sure I’d take the tanning bed burn over this any day.
“I don’t even want to know,” Ellen says, grabbing the iPad from the island and holding her other hand up as she turns her head away from me. “Back to whatever it is that you were doing. I’ll be going now.”
I listen for the front door to close and I collapse onto the counter, my arms covering my head, as I lay there mortified by what just happened and hoping the coolness of the quartz countertop will soothe my b
urning and humiliated ego.
I’ve gotta start locking my doors.
After I’ve recovered from the embarrassment, which I know will not fade as quickly I would like it to because Ellen will never let me live this down, I grab my phone and look at what my camera did capture.
It’s a beautiful shot of my belly button and the bottom of a dirty dishtowel. It’s definitely not what I was going for and there’s not a chance in hell I’m going to try to recreate it now.
I guess sexy wine-related pictures are not my thing.
I wake up the next morning with Jack’s warm body pressed against mine. Despite showering last night, he has this amazing sweet smell of grapes mixed with cedar and I press my lips to his bare chest.
I have no idea what time it is and I don’t bother looking. It’s a rare occurrence for me to sleep in and forego work, but I own the place and I need to start doing it more often. I hire people to make sure things go smoothly and I’m entitled to a morning off every now and then.
Jack stirs a little and lets out a low moan, sliding his hands down my body. I kiss my way down his chest, placing kisses on his well-defined muscular stomach as I lead my way down a little farther.
He’s more than ready and I wet my lips, my arousal as ready for him as he is for me. Jack pushes the sheets back and I look up at him as I slip my mouth around him. He moans and it makes me weak, I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anyone.
There’s something between us, something unspoken and intense. I felt it the day he walked back into my life, something I mistook for hatred has built into a deep intense desire and need for each other.
“Lu,” Jack moans, his words husky, his voice deep as he slips his fingers through my hair. “I need you.” But I don’t stop, my mouth sliding over him until his hands guide me back up his body.
It’s now Jack who begins to explore my body as I lay stretched out on the bed, his mouth finding every sensitive spot, my body so responsive to his touch. It feels like every part of me is screaming for him to touch me, for him to be inside me.
