Breathless (Meadowlarks)

by Ashley Christine

He started yawning just after midnight.

  “You're going to be tired in the morning.”

  He shoved the last of his popcorn in his mouth, some fell out when he tried to talk. “Yeah, so?”

  “Mmm, mmm, mmm. Alex Cole, you're just the epitome of sexy. Do you know that?”

  “Yeah?” He answered. Like it was even a question. He smirked, his cheek puffed with popcorn.

  I laughed and got up to turn off the TV. “Bed, let's go.”

  “Oh, yes ma'am!” He jumped up and almost tackled me like a football player. He bent and lifted me up over his shoulder so I was dangling down his back. He held tightly onto my legs and I had to cover my mouth so my giggles didn’t wake the children.

  When he got me into the bedroom, seconds before throwing me down on the bed, I smacked his ass. That gorgeous ass of his, in those jeans. Oh, what I wouldn't do to this man.

  “It's been four very long days.” Alex pulled off his shirt and threw it on the ground, where it'll stay until I pick it up, I’m sure. He unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, leaving them open but not off his body.

  I drool. “How long?”

  “You're about to find out!” He crawled up the bed and hovered over my body, he looked down at me and smiled. “You're beautiful.”

  “You don't say...”

  “You know I still wake up and have to pinch myself to see that you're real. That you're really here and we're together?” He said, and looked seriously at me. “You've been the love of my life since I was a kid. Then you became my lover and the mother of my child. How is all this possible?”

  I took his face in my hands and kissed him. “It was meant to be.”

  Alex trailed kisses down my face and chest, lingering around my breasts and tantalizing each hip with a bite. He lifted each of my legs and licked and sucked my calves, up behind each knee and into the inside of my thighs.

  I was ready to explode if he didn’t hurry up.

  But he knew it, and he was drawing it out as long as he could.

  “Alex, please,” I begged him.

  “Not yet, I am gonna let go the second I am in you. I want to wait.”

  The torture was blurring my vision and sending me into a frenzy. I clawed the sheets and bent my back with insane pleasure when he finally brought me to the hilt and I released over and over. The second his mouth left me I started panting, my lungs praying for air. But one sharp inhalation was all they were going to get when Alex thrust in deep and I cried out for him.

  “That's it, baby. Let it go.”

  I unraveled like a ball of yarn—tossed down a hallway, sent skittering across the floor and leaving a big mess in my wake.

  He brought my knees up to my chest and leaned down into me, he was so deep I thought I was going to pass out, it was like nothing I had ever felt before.

  “Fuck,” he growled through gritted teeth. “You're squeezing so tight.”

  Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead and landed on my chest; I was surprised when they didn’t evaporate on the spot from the heat of my body. Even though I have already inexplicably fell apart twice already, I felt the build once more and when Alex started to push as hard as he could through his own orgasm, I rippled through another and held a pillow over my face to stifle my screams.

  ***

  “You're k-kidding!” Addison sputtered coffee from her mouth when I told her about the Dane Sullivan Encounter in Maine. “Holy crap, I can't believe it.”

  “Tell me about it, I thought I was trippin'.” I put my face in my hands. “You have no idea what seeing him almost did to me, girl.”

  “I cannot believe he dared to show his face around you. After everything.”

  “I know. I'm just glad it didn't happen when Isaac was with me somewhere.” I breathed in a sigh of relief and sipped from my bottle of water. “How could I explain that one?”

  “Isaac will need to know about Dane someday. Just not today.”

  I smiled and nodded at my best friend. Addison was right. Isaac deserved to know why his “father” wasn't around his entire life, and why we were so much better off without him. Dane swept me off my feet; had me in a beautifully dangerous choke-hold and then left me pregnant at eighteen and all alone.

  I found out right after my first ultrasound when I was pregnant with Isaac that Dane Sullivan was actually a twenty-four year old married man with a ridiculously older Sugar Mama.

  Mrs. Lerner-Sullivan was one of the wealthiest women in Maine, having survived four of her previous husbands, she finally married someone younger and more agile.

  Dane.

  He came into Mrs. L-S's life just as he did mine—in the driver's seat of a landscaping truck, muscular and ready to get down and dirty.

  My parents hired him to give our landscape an overhaul, and he came every day with a crew of almost as gorgeous men and turned our property into a masterpiece.

  I flaunted every single bathing suit that I could find in front of him. Laying unnecessarily long by the pool in the back yard, or undressing in front of my open bedroom window whenever he was around.

  How stupid was I?

  But my, oh my...he was a delectable vision. Constantly working without a shirt on, his body was a work of art itself, completely overshadowing anything I had ever seen at that point in my life. His torn and well-worn jeans hung from his hips in the most delicious fashion, his tanned skin was always glistening from sweat and I remember how the sight of him would make my insides scream and claw at me.

  Old Sugar Mama hired him for the same reasons, except he ended up marrying the broad. Without any type of pre-nup, which sent any family she had into a mad frenzy.

  I remember the newspapers had a field day when she died a few years ago in California, from complications of some plastic surgery. Dane became a widower and collected millions, and that's when the support payments to my son nearly quadrupled.

  “Dane made it quite clear he never wanted a child.” I half-smiled. “But he wanted Isaac provided for, regardless. And now he'll be able to go to any school he wants, without having to pay a dime.”

  Addison got up from her chair and took my empty water bottle along with her coffee cup and set them on the counter. “Well, all that matters is that he's a very happy child, he's loved so much.”

  “I can't tell Alex.” I looked at her and furrowed my eyebrows. “I don't want to upset him.”

  “I don't think he would he mad about what happened, not with you any way.”

  “He's protective, you know that.”

  “True. Maybe we'll just keep it between us, kay?” She smiled. “Let's go and do something! Get out of the house.”

  We each got a manicure and pedicure, babies on lap and all. I am all about retail therapy, so I was happy when I suggested some shopping Addison happily agreed.

  “Riley, you have no idea how bored I’m getting with my clothes. I wear jeans almost every day now. I can't remember the last time I wore a dress.” She pouted.

  I bulged my eyes at her. My, how we've changed. I took her hand and pulled into a shop a few doors down from the nail place.

  Inside the store the music was playing something country—big surprise—and when I started singing along with the song I couldn’t believe myself.

  Addison looked over at me from the other side of the clothing rack and laughed; she is humming the song too.

  We both turned our heads when we heard giggling coming from the back of the store near the dressing rooms.

  Four teenage girls were standing there, holding dresses up to themselves, posing playfully and taking pictures with their cellphones.

  A tiny thump ripped through my heart. I missed that. Not so much missing being a teenager again, but missing my girls and laughing at almost everything. I turned to Addison. “When did we get so old?”

  She smirked. “I know, Ry...I know.”

  “You know, I wore an old dress to The Club when I went out with the girls, it still fit me like a freaking glove,” I said, then lowered
my voice, forgetting that Scarlett and Seth were in our arms. “Even with all those little bitches in that place, I was still the hottest one in there.”

  She smiled at me and rolled her eyes.

  “But then I come back here. And I’m Susie Homemaker. I might as well be wearing a muumuu or jogging pants.”

  “Riley!” She laughed loudly, as the teenagers looked at us and rolled their bitchy little eyes. “You're not old. We're not old, stop this!”

  “Thirty's coming, babe. Better get ready for curlers and a house coat.” I found a deep red dress and checked the size...

  Four!

  Yes!

  I whipped it off the hanger and toted Scarlett into the dressing room with me to try it on.

  Scarlett sat on the vinyl bench in the small room and stared at herself in the mirror, giggling at her silly faces and leaving little fingerprints all over the glass.

  “Okay, baby...what do you think?”

  I turned to face her, wearing the long sleeved red dress. It was so short it barely covered my ass, and even though it completely covered my chest, the back was wide open and dipped way down to the base of my spine.

  Scarlett giggled at me. “Mama!”

  I'll take that as approval. “Thanks, baby!”

  “Well, let's see!” Addison called to me from the other side of the dressing room curtain.

  I opened the fabric and stood seductively in the doorway.

  “Holy shit! That's hot!”

  “That's right, baby. Look out little bitches.” I smirked at Addison, and sneered in the direction of the teenage girls who weren’t even in this area anymore, they're now trying on shoes.

  “Well, get it.” Addison beamed at me.

  “You're getting something, too. Don't even think about saying no.”

  “I have one!” She held up a black scrap of material and bounced Seth on her hip. “I need you to hold him while I change.”

  I grinned and quickly changed back into my “Mom” clothes.

  “Okay, ready?” Addison asked.

  “Get out here, sexy!” I cat-called into the dressing room she was inside of.

  Addison stepped out, wearing a tight black sheath dress that hugged every inch of her body.

  I nodded at her approvingly and winked. “That's the one.”

  We bought the dresses and I felt invigorated. Although, as soon as I stepped outside it hit me. “Where are we going to wear these?” I laughed.

  “Well...” Addison laughed too. “I don’t know. To the coffee house?”

  “Let's go out tonight! I mean, really go out.”

  She looked at me with an expression of anxiety and then quickly changed it to a smile. “I bet Sadee would babysit the kids.”

  Sadee, Bobby's girlfriend.

  Good thinking Cole!

  Addison and I got in her car and drove over to Lake's restaurant to see if Sadee is working.

  Hallelujah!

  Sadee was there and she happily agreed to babysit.

  “Thank you, Sadee. You're such a doll!” I beamed at her, and pulled her into a big hug.

  “Oh, no problem! I love these little guys! Isaac too.” Sadee smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. “See ya at eight!”

  I could feel the excitement twisting in my stomach when we pulled under the Blackstock Ranch banner towering above Blaine and Addison's driveway. In the distance I could see Blaine in the field, with an axe slung over his shoulder as he turned to look when Addison honked her car horn.

  I gotta say, he is gorgeous. I don't usually find blondes attractive but his hair is a darker, dirtier blonde, and the way he always has it messy and unruly makes him look like he has had his world recently rocked.

  Alex had adopted Blaine's style, and I silently thank him for letting that rub off on him. Worn and faded jeans, showing just how hard a man can work. And those button up shirts that country men wear...yum.

  It made me want to pry my hands between the seams of Alex's shirt and tear it off, letting the buttons fly all over the place. His dark hair was usually hidden under a backwards ball cap, only little wispy pieces stick out around his neck and above his ears.

  Alex came out of the barn when I stepped out of the car and opened the back door to take Scarlett out of her car seat.

  “Now, there's the two most beautiful girls in the world!”

  “Ahem!” Addison coughed loudly, and smirked at her brother.

  “Three. The three most beautiful girls...what?” He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Give me my baby.”

  Scarlett babbled something to him, and when Alex took her from my arms she plopped a wet kiss on his cheek. “Daddy!”

  “Hey Riley, how's it going?” Blaine asked when he walked up to us. “Hey there, my pretty lady!”

  He took Scarlett's hand in his and pretended to bite her fingers, she laughed and almost shoved her whole hand in his mouth.

  “Hi, Blaine.” I smiled. “Almost done for the day?”

  He looked at Alex, who then looked at me. “Almost, why?”

  “Well, Addison and I want to go out tonight. Out, out.”

  Blaine looked across the car to Addison and raised an eyebrow at her. His look was devilish and I could see from her reaction that she was excited.

  Wow...should we excuse them?

  “Sadee is going to babysit the kids,” Addison said. Then she hooked Seth's car seat into her arm and walked right past Blaine and went into the house.

  He turned and smiled at us before following her inside.

  “They are ridiculous!” I gaped, and Alex curled his lip, probably not wanting to picture his sister like that.

  I heard loud laughter and Addison's voice melodically yelling Blaine's name from inside the house.

  Blaine came out of the house and stood on the porch. “Alex! We're done for the day. Dinner is in two hours, bring beer.”

  Addison came out and stood beside her husband. I could clearly see from here that her lips were swollen from some sort of sexy assaulting kiss. She blew me a kiss.

  I winked, and Alex looked at me with an odd expression on his face. I don’t think he had realized that we should go, or we were going to start hearing even more noise coming from that house.

  I remember before they got married; the girls and I were staying there during a visit from back home. Addison and Blaine were so loud in bed that we thought the pictures were going to fall off the walls. It took everything in me not to run out the door and clamber in the dark to Jeremiah's house to find Alex, to have him completely shock my senses.

  Instead I laid there in that old squeaky bed, laughing with the others, applauding Addy and Blaine. His face the next morning was freaking priceless. We teased him a bit about it, then he left Addison alone with us. We surrounded her like she was our prey.

  “Spill!” Camille begged for all the dirt.

  We got it, of course.

  Chapter Four

  “Oh, wow!” Sadee gushed when Addison and I walked down the stairs and stood in the kitchen in our new dresses. “You guys look hot!”

  “Why thank you, love.” I smiled at her and leaned down to slip on my tall black heels.

  “Holy shit.” Alex stopped in his tracks. “Err—crap. Sorry, Sadee.”

  “It's okay, Alex.” She blushed.

  Blaine didn’t say anything, he simply stood in the large doorway between the kitchen and living room and stared darkly at Addison. The sight of him looking at her like that made my stomach clench; he looks like a lion ready to devour a steak.

  I must say, she is a vision in that dress. I have always loved her hair; those dark red curls are just...something you only see in the movies. I don't know how she does it. It’s like she wakes up and just wears her hair like that. No extra effort involved, she is just naturally so beautiful.

  My hair, however, was another story. I had to work for at least an hour to get it under control. My hair was thick like my mother's, and so dark it was almost ebony. I usually wore it in long waves,
but tonight I've straightened it with the flat iron and pulled it into a messily sexy pony tail.

  “Alex, you drive.” Blaine handed him the keys to his Ford and Alex grinned like a cat. Addison climbed in the back of the truck and Blaine got in beside her.

  Oh, I see what's going on here...

  Once we were on the road headed toward my first night out since Scarlett's birth, I sat back in my seat and smiled happily.

  Alex reached over and took my hand, rubbing my knuckles with his thumb, sending tiny sparks into my skin.

  Blaine stretched across the center from the back and turned up the music, then flipped up the rear view mirror so it was facing the roof.

  Alex and I looked at each other and smirked.

  I drifted off during the drive, falling into a semi-sleep. I daydreamed about Dane, and to my surprise I didn’t fight it. Slowly falling into the memory of us together, his hands on me and his mouth barbarically claiming as me his.

  ***

  “Get on your knees. Turn your face and look at me. Don't turn your eyes away,” Dane commanded me. “I want to see how I make you feel.”

  I was pinned down on my bed at my parents’ house, on the night of my eighteenth birthday, about to have this Greek-like god devour and deflower me. Not exactly how most girls lose their virginity, I’m sure, but it was so hot I didn’t care how it happened. I had been teasing Dane for so long, I was dying for this moment and it was finally happening.

  Addison warned me about him when she first saw him at my house after school one day. He was putting rolls of green sod down on the lawn with another guy. He kept working while we walked up the path to the front door, but didn't take his eyes off of us. When he knelt in the dirt and sat back on his heels, he pulled up the hem of the black tank he wore and wiped the sweat off his face.

  “Holy shit, Ry!” Addison reeled when we finally got behind the door, slamming it shut—keeping us at a safe distance from the animal on the other side. “He's so hot.”

  “I know.” I leaned against the door and slid down so I was sitting on the floor. “I want to drag my nails down his back.”

  “How old is he?” she asked, sitting down beside me.

  “Who cares?” I sighed. “He's gonna be mine.”