by Croix, J. H.
***
Jared walked into Sally’s with Nathan where they were meeting Trey. Susie was picking him up later since he’d ridden into the harbor with Nathan today. He spied Trey at a booth once he walked in and made his way there.
A good meal and a few beers later, he and Trey were chatting with a group of tourists. Nathan had already left. Jared impatiently checked his watch. Susie had texted that she’d be by soon. Jared watched, bemused as Trey deftly fended off one flirtatious woman after another. He’d been busy doing the same, but it was a new experience. For years, he’d been content to enjoy the temporary liaisons offered by female tourists enamored with the idea of a fling in Alaska. Ever since he’d touched Susie, he wasn’t the least bit tempted.
Susie pushed through the swinging door into the restaurant and caught his eye. She started to thread her way across the room, but was intercepted several times on the way by friends and acquaintances. Maggie and Jason, a local couple, stopped by to chat with him and Trey. Maggie and Jason were high school sweethearts who ran a construction company together. They were a study in contrasts, Maggie with her short dark hair and bubbly personality, and Jason with his shaggy blonde hair and low-key quiet manner.
“Hey guys! How’s it going?” Maggie said, ever enthusiastic. Jason merely nodded and grinned.
The conversation shifted onto how busy summer was when one of the women who’d just been flirting with them walked right up to him and handed him a piece of paper. She was flat out gorgeous—tall and curvy with bright blue eyes and dark hair that fell almost to her waist. “I’m in town another two nights. In case you need some company…” she said with a wink over her shoulder before walking away, her hips swinging.
Trey burst out laughing while Jason shook his head. Maggie, known for being the opposite of tactful, said, “Well Jared, she’s your dream woman. No strings attached and she handed you her number.”
Susie arrived at the table in time to hear Maggie’s comment. Jared internally winced. He had zero interest in the woman beyond an objective appreciation of her beauty. Susie’s eyes breezed past his while she cheerfully greeted Trey, Maggie and Jason.
He wanted to reach over and yank her to his side, but he didn’t. Their relationship had been not so public for its brief existence. Jared felt uncertain in this situation, and Susie’s reserve wasn’t helping. He remained polite through the remainder of social chatter with Maggie and Jason and breathed a silent sigh of relief when they said their goodbyes.
Susie finally looked at him for more than a passing glance. “Are you ready to go?” she asked, a little too politely for his comfort.
At his nod, she waited while he stood and walked at her side on the way out. Trey walked with them, easing the tension for a few moments. Once they were in her car, heavy silence fell.
Susie was quiet on the ride home. Once they got to his house, he watched her carefully, but her face was guarded. She stood to the side of the couch, looking out the windows. Summer was fading fast with the sun starting to set earlier every day. All that was left tonight were faded streaks of pink in the darkening sky.
“Is everything okay?” he finally asked.
A flush spread up her neck and face. “Where is this going?” she asked. Her voice was high, and her words rapid.
“I’m not sure,” he said carefully. He sensed whatever he said meant a lot right now.
Her eyes were bright, her pulse visible in her neck. “Well, maybe you might want to think about that. I’m not blind, I know you’re pretty accustomed to the tourist flings…” her words trailed off in a mumble.
Jared waited a beat, contemplating what to say. “Susie, it was bad timing. I wasn’t even a little interested in that woman.” His mind raced, trying to think of the right thing to say when the truth was, he didn’t know. Susie had him tied in knots.
Susie looked back at him, her eyes bright with tears. It was all he could do not to tug her into his arms, but he sensed she wouldn’t appreciate that right now. Her breath hitched. “Okay, okay. I don’t know…Maggie was right. That woman was like your dream woman. I’m nothing like her. I don’t look anything like her, I’m not just a passing tourist you can have a fling with.”
Foreign as it was for him to navigate these waters, he decided caution wasn’t working. “Come here,” he said firmly.
“You’re ordering me around now?” she asked, an edge of irritation to her words.
Perfect. Susie irritated with him was the start to foreplay for them.
“Yup. Come here before I drag you over here.”
She whirled to look at him, her curls swinging, her eyes sparking. She stomped over to him, pausing in front of him. “I’m here.”
Jared grabbed her hands and yanked her onto his lap. She fell atop him, her knees falling to either side of his hips, her skirt riding up her hips. Absolutely perfect.
He slid a hand up her back, lacing his fingers through her curls and bringing his other hand up to trace her lips. “I don’t give a damn who that woman was. Am I doing this just right? Probably not, but cut me a little slack. Are we done talking now?”
Her mouth parted, her breasts rose and fell with her shallow breaths. Her hips settled over him. He could feel the moist heat of her through his jeans. He ground his cock against her. A whimper escaped her.
“You didn’t answer me,” he said softly. “I’ll give you three more seconds and then we’re definitely done talking for now.”
Lust streaked through him. He forced himself to wait a beat longer. Before dropping both hands to her hips and forcing her down against him. As was the case with Susie, he was constantly on edge, confused about his feelings and hers. The internal disorder only served to stoke his lust for her beyond endurance.
Her hips shifted restlessly against him. He held her still for a moment. “Look at me,” he commanded.
Her brown eyes met his, dark with passion. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, and he groaned. He tugged her forward, crashing his lips against hers. She met him stroke for stroke. He could barely think as he tore at her clothes. Her blouse floated to the floor. With a flick of a finger, her bra came undone, her breasts spilling out. He curled his hands around them, leaning forward to lave and suck one nipple and then the other. He traced lazy circles with his fingertip around her damp, pebbled nipples. She arched her back with a sigh, and he gloried at the sight of her. He loved how she threw herself into passion, just as she did everything.
He shoved her panties out of the way, sliding a finger into her folds, already dripping wet. He reined himself in, forcing himself to go slowly enough to work her into a frenzy. He leisurely caressed back and forth, coasting his thumb across her clit. She ground her hips into his hand.
“Jared…”
“Hmm?”
“Please…”
“Please what…”
“I need you…”
She stood abruptly and tore at his jeans, kicking her skirt and panties off as she did. When she bent over, her deliciously round bottom faced him, her pink folds winking between her thighs, he wanted to stand and sink into her right there. The temptation hardened his cock, already so swollen, sensation honed in and all he wanted was to be inside of her. She stood and turned again, navigating his jeans down his legs. She grinned and leaned over, immediately taking him in her mouth.
His head fell back with a groan. He lifted it to find her breasts swaying as she licked and stroked him, taking him fully into her mouth.
“Come here,” he commanded, his voice weak with lust.
She grinned as she lifted her head. “Not yet,” she whispered. Her eyes stayed pinned to his when she tilted her head to lick up one side of his cock and down the other.
His vision blurred when she leaned forward, the curve of her bottom tilting into view. Jared fought to keep the reins in his control. The warm suction of her mouth, the sway of her breasts and her hips shifting as she moved up and down...all of it driving him to the edge of wildness. He almost came r
ight then, but he needed more. “Please...come here,” he pleaded, his voice breaking.
She slowly stood with a soft smile. Straddling him, she started to sink down onto him before he grabbed her hips and held her still.
He held his cock in one hand and dragged it back and forth in her folds, the head cresting against her clit again and again.
“Jared…I…Oh my God…don’t stop…”
Now, he dragged her pleasure out. The sight of her gasping, the sheen of passion on her skin made him delirious. Barely in control, he slowly slid inside—the hot, wet warmth of her channel intoxicating. Intense pleasure streaked through him as she began to ride him, her hips moving in a rolling rhythm. He felt her climax coming and surged deeply inside just as she began to pulse around him. Her hips rose and fell as he pounded into her, shouting when he finally found release. She fell against him, her soft, cushy body instantly relaxing. As he caught his breath, he thought this might be heaven.
Chapter 18
Jared watched a shoe fly over the loft railing. He was downstairs in his house while Susie remained upstairs in the loft bedroom. It was his shoe for crying out loud. “Do you mind? If you’re going to throw things at me, how about giving me a wide berth?” He hollered up at her. He paused for a breath and couldn’t quite believe he was dodging running shoes.
Susie huffed. “Oh my God! Don’t be melodramatic. I wasn’t trying to aim at you!” The sound of her stomping across the floor reinforced how angry she was. Jared wasn’t quite sure how the conversation had started, but next thing he knew, Susie had demanded to know if they were going to ‘date forever’ and if he’d ever thought about ‘something called commitment.’ He’d been taken off guard by her question, so he’d answered vaguely. They’d been upstairs getting dressed, and she’d promptly thrown her towel at him.
In the midst of her anger, he couldn’t think straight. She stormed down the stairs and marched up to him, coming to an abrupt stop with her hands on her hips. Her cheeks were bright and her brown eyes flashing. His body did what it always did around her—electricity buzzed through him. He itched to grab her and bend her over the counter right there. She glared at him. “I’m going to work. Maybe you could think about this while you’re out fishing today,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her words.
She whirled around, her curls swinging in a circle. She quickly searched out her clogs, one under a stool by the kitchen counter and the other by the couch, and stomped out the door. Jared glanced around the room with a sigh. There were marks of Susie’s presence throughout his small house. Dishes were piled up by the sink, a bright red scarf hung haphazardly over the stair railing, and a sock stuck out from under the couch. Jared shook his head and set to work washing the dishes.
He knew they needed to talk, but somehow it was easy to avoid. Ever since he’d managed to get back in her good graces, he was afraid to bring anything up for fear she’d shut him out again. He needed someone to talk to and soon. He had to get his head clear and figure out what the hell to do.
***
Susie was driving home after work when she impulsively turned down Jared’s road. Nathan’s truck was in the driveway when she arrived. She heard voices from the back on the deck, so she began to walk around the house. She froze when she heard her name. She hadn’t come around the corner of the house yet, so she was hidden from their view.
“So what’s up with Susie?” Nathan asked.
Susie held her breath because she was dying to hear what Jared might have to say. There was a long silence. Nathan spoke again. “Not really sure what that means.”
“It means I’m not sure. Things are great, amazing really, when we’re together as long as we’re not talking about us. I still don’t know where this is going. Susie’s amazing and she damn near blows my mind, but I don’t know. I don’t know what I want long-term. She got mad at me this morning, said I needed to think about where things are going. I know we need to talk, but I don’t know what to say,” Jared said.
Susie’s stomach felt hollow. She forced herself to stay put. She waited quietly.
“Isn’t this how you two ended up not speaking to begin with?” Nathan asked.
Jared’s sigh was heavy. Susie could picture him shrugging. “Yeah, guess so. I feel caught here. I can’t seem to stay away from her, and now she’s expecting things from me. I need a little time.”
Susie couldn’t stand to hear anymore. Anger fired inside. She strode around the back of the house. Jared and Nathan turned together. Jared froze in place, his hand hovering over the deck railing where a beer sat. Nathan’s gaze quickly shifted from startled to concerned. His blue eyes searched her face carefully.
She pointed at Jared. “I don’t expect anything from you! Because you make it perfectly clear I can’t. We need to talk, so consider this our talk. We’re done. You don’t need to worry about me anymore.”
She paused for a breath, her heart hammering so loud she could hardly hear. Her head pounded, and she felt sick. Looking up at Jared, her heart clenched. While she may not allow herself to expect anything from him, in a tiny corner of her heart, the place she shoved her ridiculously romantic wishes and hopes, she’d fallen in love with him and wanted the happy ending. His eyes were dark, his jaw tight. “Susie…”
She waved her hands. “No, no! Don’t talk, don’t say something you don’t mean. You said it yourself, relationships are messy. Lord knows, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” She straightened her shoulders, clinging to the remnants of her dignity. Her cheeks were hot, tears pricked her eyes, and her throat was tight. “I’ll be polite when I see you and eventually this will pass. Please don’t call me or try to stop by.”
She turned and walked back around the house. Footsteps came through the grass behind her. “Susie, don’t do this,” Jared said.
She whirled around. A mistake because he was right behind her. Her eyes collided with his heated green gaze. She didn’t give herself time to look long, but she could have sworn his eyes glistened with tears. “Don’t tell me what to do. You had good reasons for avoiding relationships. And you’re right. I do expect things. Like not to be treated like nothing more than one of your meaningless flings.” She turned again and kept walking. “You don’t know what you want, so let me end this. We should have done it already.”
When she got to her car, Jared tried to reach for her arm, but she flung his hand away. “Susie, could we please talk about this?”
Susie slammed her car door and started the car. She refused to look Jared’s way again for fear she might burst into tears. She drove away. Glancing in her rearview mirror when he reached the top of the drive, she saw Jared standing in the driveway, his hands tucked in his jeans. The drive home was blurred by the tears rolling down her cheeks.
Chapter 19
Jared pulled up at Red Truck Coffee and climbed out of his truck. It was just past six in the morning. Trey was already there, chatting with Cammi.
“Morning,” Jared said. “How’s it going?”
Trey grinned. “Perfect now that I have a cup of Cammi’s coffee,” he said, lifting the bright red cup.
“Hey Jared,” Cammi said with a warm smile. No matter how early he saw Cammi, she was always cheerful.
“Hey Cammi. Anyone ever pointed out that you seriously found your calling?” he asked.
She grinned as she got his coffee ready. “You mean making coffee?”
“Well, there’s that and the fact that no matter how early I show up, you manage to be friendly.”
Cammi giggled and handed him his coffee. “I’m a morning person. It’s part of why I did this. But I turn into a pumpkin pretty early at night.”
Jared chuckled as he paid. He glanced to Trey who was leaning against the counter. “Are we waiting for Luke and Nathan?” Jared asked.
“Yup. Luke called right before you pulled up and said they’d be right here. I figure you guys can follow me over to the plane from here. Any word yet from the group you’
re taking over for the trip?”
Jared savored a sip of coffee and glanced at his watch. “Should meet us at your plane in about fifteen minutes. Thanks for fitting us in. I know it was short notice.”
“No problem.”
A few other customers pulled up, so Jared and Trey stepped to the side of the bright red, refurbished bread truck that housed Red Truck Coffee and leaned against it while they waited. For the most part, Jared and his brothers ran guided fishing trips out of Otter Cove Harbor in Diamond Creek. Once in a while, they got requests to do fly out trips to mountain lakes and rivers. Those trips were Trey’s bread and butter, so he agreed to fly them in and out for the trip. They’d fly out for three days and return.
Jared was looking forward to getting out of Diamond Creek for a few days. Ever since Susie had walked off the other day, he hadn’t been able to think clearly. His house, which used to be a haven of orderly peace and quiet, felt big and empty. Whenever he had a spare moment, he wanted to see her. He hadn’t seen her since she stormed away and he hungered for any contact, no matter how frosty. He just wanted to know she was okay.
Trey’s voice startled him. “You okay, there?”
Jared glanced to Trey and shrugged. “Been better.”
Trey nodded, his gaze shifting away to start out over the harbor. “Susie?”
Jared nodded.
“Not that you’re asking my advice, but maybe you should tell her how you feel.”
If only I knew how I felt. Wish somebody would tell me.
An eagle swooped low and landed on the sign for the harbor entry situated just past the coffee place. The eagle carefully tucked its large wings and commenced to stare right at them. Jared had become accustomed to seeing eagles almost daily in Alaska, yet the intensity of their gaze still took his breath away. Their eyes were bright yellow, sharp and fierce. He was consistently relieved not to be their prey for if he were, those eyes would terrify him.
