by LK Collins
I’ve been staring at myself in the mirror for what feels like an hour. When I left Mitch, I didn’t bring anything with me, so my clothing situation is not the best. It’s more like a hodgepodge of whatever I’ve picked up for cheap along my travels.
I smooth my hands down the front of the soft, white cotton dress I’m wearing and blot my lips. Chase said we’d leave for dinner at five, and I don’t know if I should go to his house or not.
Is this a date? I mean, I’m meeting his parents, surely that can’t be how he’d spend a first date. Feeling uneasy about what to do, I check my email. I’ve been waiting for a response back from Better Gardens and Homes regarding writing a column on St. Helena for them. My jobs since leaving Portland have all been freelance, which is all I could get after leaving my last job without so much as a phone call. But I am slowly rebuilding my reputation with the help of a few loyal friends who understood my need to leave. Clicking on my email icon, it opens right when there is a knock on the front door. Instantly, my heart is in my throat. It races rapidly.
What is he doing to me?
Getting up without even checking to see if the email came through, I walk to the door, take one deep breath, and open it. The second I see Chase, that one breath is stripped from my lungs. He looks so sexy in a button-down white dress shirt and a soft pair of jeans.
“Yo-you,” I stutter and nervously push my hair behind my ear before continuing, “look great.”
He swallows, not saying anything to me. His eyes narrow, which make me really nervous. Why isn’t he speaking? Does he not like how I look? It’s the dress. It has to be. I knew it was too frumpy.
Fuck, he’s too good for me.
Then he responds with more than words and wraps his arms around me, pulling me flush against his body. His scent intoxicates me, awakening every single nerve ending inside my body. I melt into him as he holds me tightly, his eyes blazing into mine. Then he does it, our lips mold together, a combustion of fireworks ignite in a brilliant burst behind my eyelids. This is the sort of thing dreams are made of.
A small groan escapes him, making my pussy throb. He knots his fingers from one hand into the back of my hair, still holding on to me with the other and we kiss. Our mouths and tongues are a tangled mess. The room around us seems to spin. My body is racing with adrenaline, wanting so much more to happen than a kiss hot enough to set the world on fire. But that is what I’ve realized in the short time I’ve known him—he makes me want to do crazy things.
Chapter 6
Chase
A repetitive vibration in my pocket makes me slow the kiss even though it’s the last thing in the world I want to do. With our foreheads resting together, she looks me in the eyes, and I feel alive.
“Hello?” I answer my phone, not breaking eye contact or pulling away.
“Where are you?” my mother’s question makes me pull away and look down at my watch.
“We’re about to leave, it’s only five, Ma.”
“Yes, and we talked about eating early this week, remember?”
Obviously, I hadn’t remembered, not that I’m going to tell her that. “Yup, I remember.”
“Great, now hurry up. I can’t wait to meet this girl.”
“Bye, Ma.” I still have one arm around Hope when I hang up and place my phone back into my pocket. I can’t help but kiss her again. This time, it’s a gentle peck, which she returns.
And before I can say anything, she asks, “Do we have to go?”
Fuck! She has no idea how badly I wanna skip dinner and keep doing what we’re doing.
“We do. But this—” I kiss her harder, smashing my lips against hers in a brief but demanding movement—“isn’t finished,” I say as I pull away.
She doesn’t respond, and I take her hand, leading her to my house where my ’69 Porsche is already waiting for us with the top down in the driveway.
I give Ray, the front desk clerk, a wave goodbye as we pass in front of the inn on the way to my place.
“Who is that?” Hope asks as I open the passenger door. My cock grows as her dress rides up when she sits down.
Jesus, her legs are fucking amazing.
“That’s Ray. He runs the front desk at the inn,” I tell her and then walk around the car, shifting my cock, which is still rock hard, before getting behind the wheel.
“Why were you here the other night when I came, then?”
“It was his night off, so I was covering.”
I turn the key in the ignition, bringing the engine roaring to life. The sound makes her squirm in her seat, which makes me want to do a whole lot of bad things to her.
Pulling away from my house, we head toward my parents’ house. The wind whips through her hair, and I have a hard time keeping my eyes on the road.
“You good?” I ask when we come to a stop sign.
She nods, and I proceed up the road, the setting sun turning the sky an orange-yellow color. Her skin glows in the light, and I can’t stop myself from sliding my arm around her shoulders.
“So besides the inn, what do you do?” she asks.
“I help my parents with the vineyard.” I launch into a brief explanation of what I do, and she nods along.
“I can’t wait to see it.”
“You’re gonna love it.”
And she will, especially this time of year. I know we just met, but there’s something about Hope that makes me feel so comfortable. As if I’ve known her all my life.
Glancing over, she has her eyes closed, her face tilted to the warm late-day sun coming through the windshield.
God, she’s fuckin’ perfect.
Then she opens them and looks at me, smiling, and I . . . I’m lost for words. She’s stripped every word from my vocabulary.
Pulling up my parents’ driveway, I find my brother’s car already there, and Cab, our old dog, is sitting waiting for me. He’s always been my boy, but my dad loves him just as much, so I never asked to take him when I moved out.
“You like dogs?” I ask Hope, putting the car in park.
“I love them.”
“Good, that is Cab.” I point to the chocolate lab standing in front of my parents’ house. “Don’t worry, he’s too old to jump anymore, but he’ll lick you to death.”
I get out of the car and then help her out. The second I grab her hand, that feeling of excitement runs through my veins. She stands next to me and looks all around, taking in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view. Cab limps over to us, and I feel torn between paying attention to him or her. But Hope makes it easy. She bends to pet the top of his head, and he licks her arm. As I watch them together, the front door opens a second before my brother walks out. He looks to Hope and then places both his hands in front of his chest as if he’s holding big tits, mimicking hers, and I flip him off. Coolly, he walks over to us, but I know what’s going on in his head, and I could punch him in his teeth.
“He likes you,” Colt says, and Hope straightens. My eyes fighting with myself to stay on her face and not on her tits thanks to my brother.
“Hey, Colt,” she says, and they hug, but it’s swift. Regardless, I still don’t like my brother’s grimy hands on her. “He’s so sweet.”
Hope’s words have me looking down at Cab as the old boy lies down on the grass.
“We better get inside,” Colt says. “Dad’s already uncorked the wine.”
Bravely, I wrap my hand around Hope’s. She smiles at me, and together, we follow my brother inside. The house smells the way it always does, like wine and a good, home-cooked meal.
“What’s your—” Hope begins, but before she can finish, my mom and dad are standing right in front of us.
“Mom, Dad, this is Hope.” I let go of her hand as a barrage of hugs and introductions take over.
Colt whispers in my ear, “You hit that yet?”
“Not yet.” My response this time seems to make him happy, and he doesn’t say another word or give me any more of a hard time.
Chapter 7
Hope
Sitting on Chase’s parents’ back deck as we all watch the sunset, I swear I could do this every day for the rest of my life. Someone moves to refill my glass of crisp white wine, and I turn to find Chase’s father, Matt, standing next to me. I learned very early in the night that saying no to wine in this house is frowned upon, so I don’t protest the refill. Plus, the wine really is delicious.
“Thank you,” I tell him, and he smiles.
“You’re welcome. How long will you be staying in St. Helena, Hope?” Chase’s mom, Alice, asks.
“I’m not sure yet.”
“She did agree to help me with the inn, so she’s gotta at least finish that before she goes,” Chase says.
“Where’s home?”
“Uhhh, most recently Portland.”
“Most recently?” His mom furrows her brow at me, and before I can respond, Chase jumps in and saves the day.
“Hope is a journalist, so her work always has her traveling. Speaking of which, don’t you need to get back to the inn for that article?” Chase is totally making that up to get me out of here. It is late after all, but the thought of leaving and what will follow has my palms sweaty in anticipation.
“I do, thank you for reminding me. And thank you, Alice and Matt, for having me tonight, it’s been a delight.” I finish my wine, not wanting to offend Matt even though I know I shouldn’t drink anymore. Then we all get up and exchange our goodbye hugs before Chase and I head out.
Once we are out front, a gust of wind whips through the valley, making me shiver. Chase, who seems very in tune with my body, wraps his arm around me.
“That was nice,” I tell him as he opens the passenger door and waits as I settle into the seat.
“It was, they like you.”
“You think so?”
“Oh, I know so.”
He moves to his side and climbs in before putting up the top of the car and pulling out of the driveway. He seems too quiet. I take in his profile, his full lips, the light dusting of five o’clock shadow over his jaw, and ask, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I . . .”
I wait for him to finish, but he doesn’t. My body is humming for him in a way that excites me and, at the same time, scares the crap out of me. I wonder if that is what has him quiet, too. Is he unsure about what’ll happen when we get back? I know it’s crazy, but I want him, regardless of my past, or his, or us just meeting. I. Want. Chase.
He seems lost for words, and he’s gripping the steering wheel with his left hand just a bit too tightly. So, I bravely take his right hand and place it on my thigh. My skin burns where he touches, and I love it. He looks over at me and then down at his hand before taking his eyes back to the road. His grip is soft on my knee until I reach over and thread my fingers into the back of his hair. He groans like he did when we kissed, the noise a straight connection to my pussy.
“I want you,” I softly whisper into his ear and watch his Adam’s apple move, as I lay a few stray kisses on his neck and cheek. Each time I kiss him, his hand moves farther up my leg until, eventually, he’s cupping my sex. I’m panting, annoyed that I wore underwear. The small shred of fabric is keeping him from touching me the way I need.
Sinking farther back into my seat, I push against his hand, and he watches me. “Are you sure?” he asks, and I nod.
With one swift move, my panties are out of the way, and he’s touching me. His hand is so strong and talented as he spreads open my pussy, feeling every bit of my skin down there before touching my clit.
I moan as he rubs me up and down, turning me on more with each stroke. “If we do this, you’re mine, Hope.”
I nod in response, barely noticing that we are pulling into his driveway. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy and so pissed all at the same time. I’m happy we’re back at his place, but angry he has to stop touching me.
“Push that,” he orders me, nodding to the garage door opener. I do, still so focused on what his fingers are doing I’m surprised I manage the simple action. Then I close it, and the second we are surrounded by silence, something inside me takes over. Bravely, I reach for his cock, his eyes are blazing with desire and he cups my chin, kissing me hard. I rub even harder through his pants, wanting every inch of him in every way possible.
My mind flashes to what being with Chase will be like, his dick feels big, and I know it’ll be amazing inside me.
With his free hand, he unbuttons his jeans as I watch, panting and in a lusty haze I don’t want to control. Once he is done, he leans back, letting me do what I want. All the while, his hand is still touching me, working my clit so perfectly.
Without wasting another second, I yank out his very hard shaft, lick my lips, and shift so I can take him into my mouth. He groans again, a sound I’ve quickly grown to love, and bucks up into my mouth. His cock is so long and thick, I nearly choke, but I don’t care.
God, I can’t wait to have him inside me.
But first, I get to know every detail of it with my tongue, and together, we please each other. I’m now kneeling on the passenger seat and am tempted to climb onto his lap. But with the top up on the car, the roof is low . . . so low I don’t think I’d fit and be able to ride him.
Pulling back for a brief second, I kiss the head of his shaft, but then his door is open, and he’s gone. My heart stops, unsure of what is going on. I’m still kneeling on the seat when my door is yanked open, and Chase’s hands are sliding up my legs, lifting my dress, exposing me to him.
Oh, fuck, is this really happening here?
“I’m gonna fuck you until you come, okay?”
I nod, which is all the permission he needs before he’s spreading me open, the tip of his head demanding I let him inside me. I grip on to the leather seat, waiting, never having been as turned on as am I right now. Every cell in me poised and ready for Chase to fuck me in his car.
Slowly, so painfully slow, he enters his body into mine.
There’s that groan again.
“Oh, shit,” I hiss through the pleasure. The way he makes me feel is unreal.
“Yes, let me hear you, baby. Let me know what my cock does to this tight little pussy of yours.”
Only, I can’t talk; the words all burn away by the pleasure. I’m instantly about to come, so I start to move. His hands fiercely grip my ass cheeks, and we fuck in a ’69 Porsche in his garage.
His dick is doing things to me that I’ve never thought were possible. Fire fills my body from my head to my toes, my orgasm is teetering on the edge. I haven’t come from a man in close to a year and damn it, I need it. My insides tremble so that I give over to the pleasure, to Chase, to what he’s doing to me. My body is putty in his hands as the world’s most amazing, and earth-shattering orgasm rocks me to the core.
Chapter 8
Chase
With Hope in my bed, there is no way I can sleep. I have never felt the way I do about a woman as I do with her. Sure, I’ve dated, but I haven’t found someone as amazing as she is. Her long, brown hair is messy on my pillow. Her chest softly moves up and down in a steady rhythm. Gently, I cup her face with my hand, and she turns, kissing my palm.
Watching her lips pucker reminds me of when she sucked my shaft in my car, then again in the shower. It all makes me wonder what’s going on in her head. Hell, maybe she does this often. Maybe she finds a new guy in every city, sleeps with him, and then goes on her way. Though, I don’t think that’s the case. I’ll be heartbroken if she does that to me, and yet, I wouldn’t change a second about what we did. Using a condom had not even come into my mind. I needed to feel all of her, and it was amazing.
“Why are you up?” she tiredly asks.
“Just thinking.”
“About?”
“You.”
She smiles a smile that melts my fucking heart.
“What about me?”
“Well, how amazing your pussy is, for starters.” And I wrap a leg around her, pinning her body close to mi
ne.
“What else?” I know I should tell her, I should profess how I’m feeling, but it’s too soon. I worry that I’ll scare her away. How outrageous would it be if I told her I thought I was falling in love with her?
I could envision her flying out of my bed naked and never talking to me again. That’s been my problem all along with women, they always profess their love to me too soon, and it freaks me the fuck out. But why, when all along that’s scared me, am I suddenly feeling that way about Hope, especially since we just met?
She blinks heavily, and I know I should try to sleep, too. Scooting down, I close my eyes, letting the closeness and warmth of her send me into oblivion.
Morning comes quickly, the sunlight warming my body through the windows slowly wakes me. But when I roll over, Hope is gone. The panic is instant. I slide from the bed and yank on my jeans from yesterday.
Her clothes, which had been haphazardly thrown around my room, are missing. Looking through the window, I see her car is still parked in front of the inn, which calms me a bit.
“Hope?” I call out but get no response.
Leaving my place, I walk around the back of the inn and contemplate knocking on her door versus just going in so she can tell me why she left.
Then she comes into view, and I freeze, feeling like an idiot. With a cup of coffee in each hand, she attempts to close the door. Once she does, she turns and spots me.
“Morning,” she says casually, offering me a shy smile.
“You want help with that?” I ask, closing the distance and trying to ignore the way the gravel cuts into my bare feet.
“Sure, I made this for you.”
“Thanks.” I take the coffee from her.
“I couldn’t figure out how to work the machine in your place.”
“Oh, yeah, it is dumb. My mom got it for me. I normally get my coffee from the inn. How’d you sleep?” I feel like I’m rambling.
