Love Under Construction (The Love Under Series Book 1)

by Jody Pardo

  The announcer introduced the proud lead sponsors, Stocks and Plots, and Kristi took the lead racing around the serpentine in the arena with me and Sunshine hot on her heels. After making our rounds, we stood at opposite ends of the line as the national anthem was sung. In the same order we entered, we departed out of the arena after making one last lap around waving our flags.

  Outside, we tied the horses to the trailer and gave them water before going back to enjoy the rest of the rodeo. I caught up with Max at Mike and Kelli’s trailer as he was finishing brushing out Treasure. It was a whole new side of Max I had yet to see.

  His smirk replaced the resting angry face he normally carried. I had seen it while he waited or stood around, but he turned to me and smirked or smiled and I melted. Max shut himself off to the world, but for some reason, had opened himself to me.

  Max surprised me with his two-step skills. I had never been one for dancing; Bill never allowed it. He much preferred to schmooze with the higher-ups of whatever party we were attending. We never just went dancing and cut loose. When I would mention it, he would scoff and say we were just dancing at so-and-so’s party and blow me off. Swaying to an obligatory slow song was not the same as the twirling Max was executing on the makeshift dance floor next to the rodeo arena.

  The local band, Knocking Boots, was keeping it lively and couples rounded the floor in two-step swirls.

  “Where did you learn how to dance?”

  “Are you kidding?” Max looked down at me with a questioning look with one brow perked. “Don’t like my dancing?”

  “No, that’s not what I meant. I just wondered where you learned. You’re very good.”

  He looked over my shoulder as if the answer laid beyond then and now, and he had to look for the words.

  “My dad was gone a lot growing up, and it left me to be my mom’s dancing partner. She insisted I learn how to dance so I could woo the right girl.” He held me closer and stepped in-between my legs. Instead of twirling me, we moved as one.

  “How’s that working out for you?”

  His face snapped back to mine in shock like he was slapped but softened as I smiled brightly back at him. He leaned down to me and whispered in my ear, “I will tell you in the morning.”

  Wetness pooled between my legs at the thoughts of exactly what his statement promised. We swirled and swirled around the makeshift dance floor with the other paired-off couples until the band tempo slowed. A twangy slow song brought the couples closer together in embraces, and Max turned me to him holding me to his chest. I stiffened in his arms, and he looked down at me with concern in his eyes and furrowed brows.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, uh-huh, I’m fine, I was just catching my breath. That was quite a dance.”

  “You like to dance?”

  “I … I … wasn’t allow— I didn’t get to dance much.”

  “Anytime you want me to swing you around, just let me know.”

  He held me tighter, and his hands drifted from my waist to my hips and into the back pockets of my jean pockets. With his arousal pressed between us, I looked up to his hooded eyes, and he gently brought his lips to mine. The brim of his hat bumped my forehead, tipping it back, and I reached up to grab it. I replaced it on Max’s head and drew his lips back to meet my mouth. I opened my mouth in a sigh, and he delved his tongue into my mouth, taking advantage of every free space. Our dance slowed to a halt as the other couples continued to drift around us in slow sways.

  Laving my lips, outlining them with his own tongue from crease to crease, he traced my mouth as if trying to remember the path. The band picked up the pace with another two-step and a young teen couple bumped into us spinning their way across the dance floor. We laughed, and I tried to get out of the way of oncoming dance traffic, but Max held me fast and kissed me deeply again before dragging my lower lip out in his teeth.

  “Wanna get out of here?”

  “Before we get trampled? Yes, please.”

  We hurried off the dance floor and walked the path around the arena to the parking lot. We made our way past the lines of horse trailers, some with their horses still tied to them as their owners danced and drank the night away. Beyond the cattle pen, Kelli’s truck was parked behind the Stock and Plots building. I reached into my pocket for the key, and Max grasped my hand.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Home.”

  “Let me take you home.”

  “I can drive. I wasn’t drinking. Not one sip.”

  “Me neither. That’s not it. I want to take you home. Will you let me?”

  My lips were still swollen from his kisses and my face flushed as he kicked at the dirt around his feet waiting for my reply.

  “I understand if you don’t want me to. I will just—”

  “I’m never going to be able to get out of this parking lot. I’m blocked in,” I interrupted before he could back away any further. “I have to come right back tomorrow anyway.”

  He looked up and grinned widely and grasped my hand in his. I shoved my key back in my pocket and followed his lead to the street.

  "Where's your truck?" I asked, looking around for the pickup that had Brewer Construction on the side.

  "It's connected to my trailer. It will be fine overnight."

  "Then how are we getting home?" He held my hand and guided me across the street and took a seat on a bright-green motorcycle.

  "Oh, no, no way. I told you those things scare the crap out of me." I waved my hands in protest.

  "Come on. Do you trust me?" He held out a black skull-cap-style helmet. "I promise I won't even go fast."

  I weighed my options. Walking the three miles or so back to the ranch in cowboy boots was surely no better than walking in sandals, or take a ride with Max. Reluctantly, and against my better judgment, I took the helmet from his hand and placed it on my head.

  "Okay, now climb on," he said, patting the space on the seat behind him. I tried to gracefully swing my leg over the seat, but first I hit the back bar then kneed Max in the back.

  "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

  "Don't worry about it. Just climb on. Put your feet on the pegs there." He pointed to the rubber-lined pegs sticking out of the side of the bike.

  I didn't know what to do with my hands. I tried to grab the sides of the seat, but there was nowhere to grab onto. The back bar had padding and was too fluffy to get a good grasp.

  "Wrap your arms around me. Hold on." I paused and Max turned around to face me. "I don't bite. I already promised I wouldn't go fast. You will see I am a very good rider."

  "I know you are a good rider. I saw you on Midnight today."

  "Riding motorcycles and riding horses are two totally different things."

  "How do you figure?" I was intrigued.

  "When you ride a horse, you are guiding him, prodding him, but in the end, he is in control. If that horse wants you off his back, he will buck you off or drag you against something until he does. With a motorcycle, it's just a machine, you are in control. It will do what you tell it to do, and when you are going down the road with the wind on your face, it's the best feeling." He looked dreamy-eyed and wistful as he spoke of riding. "Do you have anything like that? Where you feel free?"

  I thought about his question for a moment, and I couldn't think of anything as spectacular as his description of riding a motorcycle. My escape had always been books. He wouldn't understand, especially since the last year of my life was like living in a cage. I simply said, "I don't know. I have to think about it."

  He started up the bike and revved the engine a few times before turning back to me. "Are you ready?" He grabbed my hands and pulled them tight around him, and my chest pressed against his back. "That's better."

  He pulled out slowly and looked around for any traffic before turning onto the main road out of town to the ranch. I looked over his shoulder and he wasn't going more than 35mph, but it felt faster as the wind blew against my face. When he took the turn, our bodies mo
ved as one, and it was a comfortable feeling. Max did that.

  Max parked his bike alongside the porch and got off first before helping me. He hung the helmet off the handlebar and lifted me off the seat. My feet met the ground on wobbly legs and shook for a minute.

  "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

  "Yeah, I guess the vibrations just got to me. Want to come inside?"

  He pulled me to him and covered my mouth with his with his hard cock in-between our bodies. He plundered my mouth with his tongue before dragging my lower lip out with his teeth.

  Breathless, I asked, "How can you ride with that?"

  He grabbed my hand and held it against his crotch. "This is what you do to me. I can't help it when I am around you."

  "That has to be uncomfortable in those tight jeans. Come inside, and let's get comfortable."

  Max eagerly followed me in the house and grabbed my ass, urging me to move faster up the stairs to the door.

  Suzie

  Max dropped me off in town on his way to work the next morning. The wake-up sex and shared shower was a great way to start the day. The goodbye kiss was just the promise of more after my work day was through. I was walking towards Stock and Plots when a busty brunette stood before me blocking my path. Her black skinny jeans looked painted on atop peek-a-boo toed patent leather heels and her boobs were ready to bust out of the tank top bedazzled with “HAWT” across the chest. I assumed her name was Jenny as per her nameplate necklace that rested on her cleavage.

  “Well, well, well look who is doing the walk of shame this morning? He couldn’t even take you home?”

  I was puzzled by her words and didn’t know how to respond. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. He couldn’t even take you home to change your clothes? You smell like the barn he probably fucked you in.”

  “I don’t know who you are or what you are talking about,” I said as I tried to walk around her, but she stepped in my path again. “What do you want?”

  “Don’t waste your time with Max. Unless you like sharing. You can suck his dick.”

  I was pissed. Who is this whore? She obviously knew Max.

  “Sharing? With you? Doubtful.” I got past her and walked briskly to the entrance to Stock and Plots.

  “Aw, did you think you were the first?” she heckled behind me. “He fucks hard and fast and leaves even quicker.”

  I pushed open the door into the sanctuary of Stocks and Plots and walked straight into Kristi’s office.

  “Hey, girl. How was your weekend?” She looked up at me with concern. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  “Some girl talking smack on the street. I have no idea who she is, I think her name is Jenny, at least that is what her tits said.”

  “What did she say? Why are you so upset?”

  “Do I look a mess?”

  “You look upset. Other than that you look fine.”

  “She said I was doing the walk of shame.”

  “Why would she say that? Her, of all people! You can’t listen to anything that slut says. You find yourself a hookup or something?”

  “No, Max drove me to work this morning. I think she is his girlfriend or something.”

  “Max Brewer? Aubrey’s cousin? I have never known him to have a girlfriend.”

  “She made it very clear she had been with him.”

  “Don’t let these tag chasers run you off. Nothing but whores around here looking for a check.”

  “Seriously? She was pretty skanky and doesn’t know me from Adam. She has a some set of balls.”

  “Don’t let it get to you. We got plenty of work to do. Are you ready?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said enthusiastically as I sat down in the chair on opposite side of the desk from her so we could tackle the mountain of paper. There was another auction that weekend, so the goal was to get everything filed before another round of papers was added to the mix.

  We worked straight through the afternoon and ordered in subs taking a break only to eat before resuming our task. We had things well under control by four o’ clock when the bell over the door jingled.

  Max

  I went to Stocks and Plots to see if Suzie was ready to head back to the ranch. I looked forward to seeing her all day. I could have kept working a few more hours, but I was ahead of schedule so it was all good. I pushed the front door, and the bell jingled. Kristi and Suzie were in the office.

  “Hey, Suzie, are you ready to head out?” She looked up at me with daggers in her eyes. Gone was the happy smiling woman I dropped off less than eight hours ago.

  “I don’t need your help. Kristi can give me a ride home.” Kristi’s head shot up from the pile of papers she was sorting, and she looked at me with wide eyes.

  “I told you I would drive you home. I can wait if you are not quite ready.” Kristi was shaking her head slowly as Suzie stood and faced me.

  “I don’t need your help, and you certainly have enough help of your own. Just go and leave me alone.”

  “What the hell did I do?”

  “Go ask Jenny. While you’re there, I’m sure she will be glad to suck your dick. No sharing necessary.”

  Before I could ask another question or find out what on Earth she was talking about, she stormed out the back door of the office toward the stockyard, leaving me with a wide-eyed slack-jawed Kristi.

  “I know nothing,” she said, quickly raising her hands in surrender.

  “What the hell was that about?”

  “I’m not sure but maybe you should ask little Miss Jenny.”

  “Jenny? What the heck does that whore have to do with anything?”

  “Apparently, she had much to say about who should be sucking your dick,” Kristi said flatly before following Suzie’s path to the stockyard.

  I had no idea what Jenny possibly could have to say to Suzie or why, but I was going to find out. I knew where to find Jenny. I got in my truck and headed to Brewer’s Taps.

  Max

  I pulled into Brewer’s Taps, and I was so livid I almost forgot to put the truck in park before jumping out of the front seat. The truck lurched forward, and I quickly hopped back in and depressed the brake pedal and placed the column shifter into park.

  It was happy hour, and the crowd was light. The usual suspects speckled the bar, and I found Jenny perched upon a stool in the middle of the bar. I stormed the bar and grabbed her by the arm.

  “Hey, hands off, creep. What do you think you are doing?” she squealed.

  Her demeanor quickly changed when she turned around and saw it was me. “Aw, Max, if you want it rough all you had to do was say so.”

  “Cut your shit, Jenny. What did you say to Suzie?”

  She feigned innocence, dramatically placing her hand on her chest.

  “Who, me? All I did was tell her like it was.”

  “And how exactly is it?”

  “What? All I told her was I didn’t mind sharing especially since my jaw was sore for a few days after our last romp.”

  "You're lucky that's all that's sore."

  She placed her hands on my chest and leaned into me. "Oh no, baby, my pussy was sore for days. I loved it. We can get out of here and go for round two."

  I grabbed her by both her wrists and pushed her back onto her bar stool and shook her. “You little whore. Stay away from her,” I growled through clenched teeth. She was trying the last ounce of my patience.

  “Like she is any different,” she said with a sneer, bringing her face close to mine.

  “You don’t deserve to share the same air, you cum receptacle.”

  “You weren’t saying that when you were fucking me!” she screamed back at me.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder and an elder ranch hand from the neighboring property to Aunt Kelli’s was holding me back.

  “Hey, man, it’s not worth it.”

  “You’re right.” I looked in his face, which held no judgment. Instead, I saw a warning I was about to cross a line. I nodded slowly an
d turned back to Jenny.

  “You’re not worth it. Stay away from me, and stay away from Suzie. Get out of my bar, Jenny." I took the pint glass of beer sitting in front of her and poured it down the well drain turning it upside down on the rubber mat. "Your privileges at Brewer's Taps have officially been revoked. Go find your next victim somewhere else.”

  “Hey! You owe me a beer! You can’t throw me out, Max. You’re nobody,” she spat with her lip curled in a sneer.

  “Get out! I never want to see you in here again.”

  “Memaw! He can’t do that!” she whined over the bar.

  Memaw shook her head slowly and pointed to the sign above the Brewer’s Taps sign above the bar.

  “As long as his name is on this bar …Yes, he can, Jenny. Hit the bricks, doll. You’re officially banned.”

  The ranch hand placed his hand on her back and escorted Jenny to the street. The whole while she screamed obscenities and how she was going to ruin me. I didn’t have anything to ruin. Just when I thought things were headed in a good direction, leave it to a whore to ruin everything. Suzie hated me. I was nobody.

  Suzie

  Time was flying by, and I need to go check on things back at home. I needed to at least pick up some of my mail. Now that the weather was changing, I would also be needing some of my cold weather clothes. I still had plenty of time left of my vacation, and my income from the office had been enough to cover my rent and expenses. I had barely touched my vacation paychecks besides the auto drafts that came out of my account for my cell phone bill and my PO Box. Monday was a slow day at Stocks and Plots, so I decided to head back to Dallas and take care of business.