by Bijou Hunter
If any night was a good time to speed, it was this one and I raced out of the parking lot and towards Whiskey Kirk’s. I need a few beers and time alone in a booth while working Lark out of my system. While I considered calling Cooper to have him meet me and listen to me bitch, I knew he was home with Farah. The guy loved playing family man in his big suburban house. I suspected the playing part involved the couple running around naked most of the time.
Something was clearly wrong with the world when guys like Cooper and Judd were settled, or whipped as Vaughn like to put it, while I was alone. No one liked the idea of existing as half of a couple as much as me. My parents were still in love after decades together. Even now, their bickering possessed a gooey romantic vibe.
Despite only seeing Lark on a few occasions, I knew her face. Hell, I dreamed of that face. So when I raced past as she walked towards the restaurant, I only needed a glimpse to know it was her.
Turning the Harley around at the next light, I hurried back to where I’d seen her. Lark was making great time, but it would be another fifteen minutes before she reached Denny’s. I stopped the bike next to the spot where she was waiting for me. Clearly, she’d been walking for a while and was soaked with sweat.
“Hey,” I said, frowning at the sight of her flushed cheeks.
“I missed the bus.”
Turning off the Harley, I sighed. “We should have exchanged numbers so I could pick you up.” Noticing her backpack looking heavy with books, I frowned again. “Did you just get out of school?”
“I’m supposed to be studying. My brother was hanging around and I had to sneak off and I missed the bus.”
Lark was hot and tired and her hair was a mess from the long trek. She looked lovely though. Those pink cheeks made me wonder things. Mainly if they’d be so pink after hours of making love with me.
“I thought you were nineteen,” I said once my mind left the idea of us in bed.
“I am.”
“So why does your brother care where you go?”
Lark stared at me with those bright green eyes and waited to be scolded. I hated the look on her face and why it was there. Imagining the countless times she must have been beaten down over the years, I refused to be another disappointment.
“Wanna get some pulled pork over at Stucky’s?” I asked, climbing off the Harley.
Lark blinked hard like she was about to say no, but wasn’t sure how.
“Do you not like barbecue?” I asked.
“I do, but it’s been really slow at the restaurant and I don’t really have money to spend and…”
Lark was sweaty and a hint of her eyeliner had smudged on the right side. Yet, she never looked more beautiful than when I realized she wanted me. No, she fucking needed me..
“Let’s stop playing games,” I said, reaching to wipe the smudge from her face. “This is a date and I’m paying.”
Before she might protest, I leaned down and kissed those lips I had craved since the reception. Lark lifted them to me, needing what I needed. The kiss was soft. Even wanting more, my lips left hers. They returned to suck softly at her bottom lip once more before relenting.
When I stepped back, Lark shivered and gave me a little relieved smile. I knew how she felt. I’d been waiting to do that for weeks.
“Let’s go,” I said, holding out my hand.
Lark’s smile grew and I nearly kissed her again. She looked lovely like a child on Christmas and I was what Santa left. A guy could get used to that look.
Chapter Nine - Lark
After getting our booth at Stucky’s, I headed to the restroom to clean up. My hair looked like shit and my makeup was a mess. I even stunk of sweat. Staring at myself in the mirror, I realized I was smiling. Once again, I smiled even when I wanted to cry.
How badly I wanted to impress Aaron like he impressed me. How much I wished I was special or had a talent to make him think of me in the way I thought of him. Aaron was more than stunning. He amazed me. Every time I thought of the tattoos on Judd, Tawny, and the others, I marveled at the artistry.
Unlike Aaron, I wasn’t really good at anything. I was okay at lots of things, but there was nothing special about me. I felt like a loser smiling at myself in the mirror. However, I recalled his lips on mine. For the first time since arriving, my smile was real.
He tasted better than a guy should taste. I’d kissed plenty of boys since I was in junior high, but it always seemed gross. At the very least, unsanitary. Raven used to laugh at me when I’d say that, but it was true. Kissing Aaron though was better than I could have imagined.
Returning to the booth, I couldn’t believe I had the chance to really know him. He looked so good in a buttoned up shirt, khakis, and loafers. The colors on the cobra contrasted perfectly against the red of his shirt. While Aaron always seemed small when next to Cooper, he wasn’t short or weak. At six feet, his body was tight with muscles. Seeing me approaching, his blue eyes locked onto my face and I wanted to sit next to him and explore every inch of his body.
Instead, I planned to play it cool. In fact, the minute I sat across from Aaron, I started asking questions. A part of me feared if he asked me questions that he might not like the answers I gave him.
“How long have you been tattooing?”
“I started working at the shop of a really talented guy when I was in high school. He took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew. Once I graduated, I worked for him. A year later, he decided to move to Florida. Cooper bought his place and we opened our shop.”
“What does Cooper do?”
“Nothing,” Aaron said, giving me a grin. “He bought the place. I run it. He doesn’t do any actual work and he doesn’t take any profits. He likes saying he owns it, but it was more like a gift to me to make us even.”
“Make you even for what?”
“For putting up with his arrogant ass all these years.”
Laughing behind my hand, I couldn’t believe I was finally having a real conversation with Aaron. Nearly giddy, I was past faking cool. He’d seen me as a sweaty mess and kissed me anyway.
“What?” Aaron said when I smiled at him for too long.
“I’ve been thinking about you since the wedding rehearsal.”
Aaron leaned back in the booth and smiled in that cocky way men smiled when they had a girl on the hook. “Really? What were you thinking?”
“That you were really…handsome. I also wished I could talk to you, but I never got a chance at the wedding.”
Aaron’s smile faded. “I didn’t sleep with that chick. The one I brought to the wedding. I had invited her already and couldn’t bail.”
“I understand.”
Aaron leaned forward and took my hand. His thumb pressed warmly against my palm.
“I thought about you too and I wasn’t going to settle. That’s what I’m saying. I don’t want to play games. I’ve waited too long to fake shit.”
Running my fingers against his, I held his gaze and we simply sat there waiting for our meal. No words were necessary. Even wanting to know everything about him, I didn’t want to interrupt the perfect vibe we shared.
Finally, our food arrived and we used our hands to eat. No matter the great barbecue before us, I only wanted to stare at Aaron.
“What are you hoping to do with your degree?” he asked.
“I’d like to become a paralegal, but I don’t know if I can get a BA. I really want to work in an office and have a dress code that doesn’t involve a uniform.”
“Any reason why?”
Shrugging, I tried to be casual, but lying to Aaron felt obscene. “My family isn’t the kind of people who work in offices. They’re all waitresses, fast food workers, or janitors. Low pay, low skill workers. I want to be different.”
“Isn’t your stepdad that guy with the car dealership?”
“Yeah, but he’s not really family. He’s just my mom’s husband.”
Aaron nodded. “Understood.”
“Are your par
ents together?”
“Yeah. Nearly fifty years.”
“Wow,” I said, doing the math in my head.
Aaron grinned. “They adopted me when they were nearly fifty. Dad had retired and they wanted to try the family deal again.”
“Do you have any siblings?”
“A sister who’s forty. Anna’s a high powered tax attorney in Miami. She works for a huge corporation and is like my dad on heels.”
Smiling, I hadn’t realized Aaron’s family was well to do. I just assumed because of his tattoos and friendship with Cooper that he came from a rougher background.
“What are your parents like?” I asked.
“They’re two of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. My dad is always laughing this booming laugh. My mom is soft spoken, but tough as nails. They raised me with a crap full of love and I never wanted for anything. I wasn’t spoiled though. It’s hard to explain, but they were retired and focused all of their attention on me.”
“They did a great job.”
Aaron smiled then startled me by standing up and walking to my side of the booth. Leaning down, he smelled of barbecue, Coke, and a hint of cologne. My lips opened for him without me even thinking. Instinctually, I wanted to be closer to him. Hell, I wanted everything from him. My mind was already imagining him against me in bed. I planned to explore with my lips every tattoo on his hard body.
When Aaron removed his lips, he licked them and I shivered. He returned to his side of the booth and acted normal. However, I could almost feel his heart beating and I knew what he felt.
“I wish I could go home with you right now,” I said, losing my filter.
Aaron’s blue eyes held my gaze and I saw such warmth. Yet, for a second, I spotted another harder emotion and felt him pulling away emotionally. The coldness in his eyes lasted only long enough for him to blink, but it cut deep into me.
I realized Aaron didn’t trust me.
“My family is low class, but I’m a loyal person,” I said. “Like I don’t steal or lie or anything.”
Aaron frowned at me. “Why did you just tell me that?”
“You looked like I might run off with your wallet.”
Smiling slightly, he leaned back and studied me. “More worried about you running off with my heart.” When I didn’t say anything, he laughed. “Yeah, sounded corny, but I can see how you’d do a number on me. Good thing you’re the loyal type, huh?”
Nodding, I felt uneasy like I needed to prove my worth or he might never kiss me again. A lifetime of insecurities rose up and I panicked a little.
“When I like something, I like it forever. I love the same foods I loved when I was kid. I love the same music. The same everything. I’m loyal.”
Aaron leaned forward and exhaled softly. “You’re so beautiful and I can’t get your face out of my mind.”
“Really?” I asked like a dope. “No one’s ever said that before. Well, no one who wasn’t trying to con me into sleeping with them.”
“I don’t want to con you into anything.”
“You don’t need to.”
Aaron’s smile widened. “I’d take you home this very second except I sense you’re supposed to return home in an hour or so. No way would I be able to let you go that quickly.” Leaning back in the booth, he sighed loudly. “I guess we’ll just have to pick another time for you to visit my place. I can show you my dogs and…”
Aaron didn’t finish. I saw him conflicted over finishing then he shook his head. “I’ll just show you everything.”
“I want that.”
Aaron studied my face and I felt so alive with his gaze focused on me.
“I should be taking this slow. Playing it cool like I don’t really care,” Aaron said. “I know how to play the dating game. Act interested, but not too interested. Make the girl work for it. I know that shit, but I don’t want to play anything with you. It needs to be real and the reality is I want you.”
Smiling wider, I sighed. “I’ve never been good at dating. If I was good at it though, I still wouldn’t pretend with you.”
“I came into Denny’s three times trying to talk to you. Each time, I came in when you were on break or it was another server’s turn. I wanted to ask for you, but what if it seemed creepy or like I was stalking you. Games haven’t worked, so I’m all in with the truth from now on.”
Laughing like an idiot, I could barely control myself. “I told myself you came in to see me, but felt stupid thinking that. I was right though.”
Aaron laughed too. “How fucking lame was I? Like a high school punk trying to woo the hot girl.”
Shivering, I wanted to touch him so badly. I wanted everything and had no patience for eating or small talk. My brain said to climb over the table and just take him. Picturing this sent me into hysterics and Aaron followed suit. We were just laughing like idiots because months of longing and plotting and failing had brought us to this cathartic moment.
After settling down, we smiled at each other. “Did Cooper know you liked me?” I asked. “Was that why he offered to have you fix my butterfly?”
“Yes,” he said then studied me. “Why do you have a worm?”
Still smiling, I felt a little of my confidence leave me. “My stepdad thinks tattoos are trashy. Larry doesn’t see them as art. When I went to get my butterfly, he sent his son to stop me.”
“I don’t get it. You’re an adult. What the fuck does he care what you do with your body?”
“He’s a control freak and thinks everything reflects on him.”
“He sounds like an asshole.”
“He is.”
“Well, even if I didn’t think you were the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, I’d turn that worm into a butterfly. The damn thing makes me sad. It’s like someone’s torn off its wings.”
“I had been embarrassed about it, but whatever you do will be a million times better than what I would have gotten. Not that the guy who was doing it wasn’t good, but your tattoos are…I don’t think there’s a word.”
“Are you into art?”
“I love art, but I’m not really an artistic person. If that makes sense.”
“It does. My parents are the same way.” Aaron ran a finger over the knuckles on my hand. “Mom took a few art classes, but she has no ability to create what’s in her mind.”
“I would love to take an art class at school, but I can barely afford the required courses.”
Aaron looked ready to say something, but stopped himself. Instead, he wiped away the sweat on his glass.
“Is it just you and your sister and the step siblings?”
“I had a little brother. Phoenix died when he was almost four.”
“How?” he said, taking my hand again.
“We were supposed to be watching him,” I mumbled, just saying the words without picturing what happened. “Raven and I were in dance class and we were practicing outside while Phoenix played with his little plane. We weren’t watching him and he must have dropped his toy in the pool and went in to get it. We weren’t paying attention and he drowned.”
“How old were you?”
“Six. Raven was eight.”
“Why were you watching a child?”
“Our stepdad was hung over and he told us to watch him.”
“Fuck that,” Aaron muttered angrily and the darkness in his eyes excited me.
“Phoenix was really sweet. Smart too and a good swimmer. I think that’s why he thought it would be okay.”
Aaron let go of my hand and joined me on my side of the booth. Startled by the suddenness of his gesture, I froze until his arms wrapped around me.
“You smile even when you’re sad,” he murmured. “It kills me to see that.”
Gazing up at him, I let my fingers slide over the cobra’s fierce expression. The tattoo was so realistic that I was surprised not to see my reflection in its cold black eyes.
“Phoenix was amazing. I wish every day we had watched him better and he could
be here now.”
“It’s not your fault,” he said, nuzzling his lips against my hair. “You realize there’s a reason the state doesn’t license children to be daycare owners.”
“I know that in my head. In my heart, I feel like I let him die.”
“Kids always think shit’s their fault.”
Even knowing what he was saying was true, I thought everyday of Phoenix floating in the pool. Raven and I were showing off and having so much fun while our baby brother drowned yards away. Logic didn’t stand a chance against the pain of such memories.
Aaron must have realized words wouldn’t soothe because he kissed me softly. My lips spread for his and I tugged at his tee. My leg wrapped over his as I sucked gently at his tongue.
Making out in public seemed so trashy when I saw others doing it, but now I couldn’t get enough of Aaron. Heaven was at my fingertips and I never wanted to let go.
Chapter Ten - Aaron
My mom always said I was a dreamer and she wasn’t wrong. In fact, one of the trickiest parts of growing up was learning to keep my dreams in line with what I could realistically attain. If I dreamed too big, I would end up disappointed. Disappointed enough and I’d be filled with unhappiness. My life was too damn good to be unhappy.
Never was letting go of a dream more difficult than while kissing Lark in the Stucky’s parking lot. My petite muse sat on my Harley with her legs and arms wrapped around me. My hands deep in her dark hair, I kissed her as if hoping to steal her breath and keep it with me forever. This moment was hotter and more beautiful than any before and I never wanted it to end.
The dreamer in me imagined taking her to my bed and keeping her at my house and making her mine. Just forget about her shitty stepdad or the stepbrother she ditched at the library or her weird mom. Forget about school and work. Nothing would matter beyond knowing Lark. I craved to discover every inch of her body and every moment of her life before I met her. I wanted everything right then and waiting for tomorrow was like a kick in the balls.
The realist in me forced my lips from hers, but I still held her close. As Lark stared up at me with those bright green eyes, I knew she wanted what I did. The world was merely a backdrop to this moment.
