by Peggy Hunter
Randy's thousand-watt smile reflected in the dim streetlights. His brown eyes sparkled with mischief. “Would you care to join me?"
A jolt of electricity coursed through Ally's body at the thought of doing just that. She imagined his hands on her breasts; his lips at her throat; his legs between hers as he slowly probed her moist core...
She shook the thought off. She could dream later. Right now she was on a mission and being screwed by Randy Gallagher wasn't part of it.
She rolled her eyes. “Trust me, my days in the backseat of any car are long gone,” she said sardonically. “Just get in, will you."
Randy chuckled as he bent to get in the passenger seat. “As I said before—"
"Yeah, yeah, my wish is your command.” Ally waved a dismissing hand before she got into the car and started it. When she put the car in gear, she looked at him. “Let's see if that's really true."
"Let's,” Randy replied, a grin crossing his handsome face.
April swallowed hard. Oh Lord. He really was more handsome now than he was in high school. Her body trembled at being so near him again. She gasped, trying to draw air into her lungs. His presence was incredibly overpowering, sapping the life force from her, drawing her to him. She so wanted to touch him; to run her fingers through his thick dark hair; to pull him to her.
God. Will I be able to pull it off? And more importantly, will it finally wash him out of my dreams once and for all?
Ally tore her gaze away and peered into the street ahead of her. She had to, damn it. Sam Ryan wanted to make her his wife. And Ally wanted the proverbial white picket fence complete with a stable, reliable husband and children.
So what if there isn't any excitement? Sometimes a woman had to trade off some things to get most of what she needed. On Ally's list of top ten priorities, excitement and good sex were numbers eleven and twelve.
"So are we going, or do you want to sit here in the street all night?"
Randy's voice drew her from her thoughts. Her fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel as she twisted to look over her shoulder for oncoming traffic.
With renewed determination, her foot pressed the gas pedal and maneuvered the car onto the street.
She could do this. She had to do this. Her future with Sam depended on it.
* * * *
At thirty-three, Randy thought he'd seen it all when it came to women. But Ms. Betty Smith definitely took the cake. As the car sped out of the city and into the quiet countryside, he wondered what she had in store for him.
She said nothing as she pulled onto the highway and soon slowed at the exit for Wilbur. Randy had to admit, he hadn't seen that particular off-ramp in a few years. Memories of his childhood flooded his mind.
As a kid growing up in Wilbur, his rugged good looks, athletic body and magnetic personality drew many fans, from guys and girls in his school to their parents.
His popularity in town helped make up for the life he led at home. His father, Seth Gallagher, was considered one of the most elite people in the small town. He was, after all, the only lawyer for miles around. His wife, Barbara, kept their home spotless, always ready for guests. She was, in everyone's opinion, the perfect hostess. Being invited to the Gallaghers’ for dinner meant one was important.
But the Gallagher household was not all it seemed. Both his parents were alcoholics. Seth and Barbara fought constantly, even coming to blows from time to time. And their precious son, the one they constantly bragged about at dinner parties, was almost always considered a failure.
Randy excelled at everything he put his mind to. The star quarterback on the high school football team and an academic honor student, he continuously tried to get his parents’ approval ... and always failed.
But even if his home life was less than perfect, his popularity in school earned him certain rewards. He lost his virginity to Mary-Lynn Baker when he was fifteen years old and never looked back. Having discovered the joy of sex, he went on to conquer many more girls in the next few years of high school.
Shortly after he'd won a full football scholarship to a prestigious university in Toronto, his parents were killed in a car accident. The police never said but Randy was certain his father was drunk at the wheel.
He'd left Wilbur and never looked back ... or at least, tried not to. The town remained very much in love with him. The local weekly paper followed his every move and reported it to the town's devoted citizens.
Just last week, Tom Tailor, former high school friend and now editor of the Wilbur Crier, called for an exclusive interview about the bachelor auction.
As much as Randy would have liked to shake Wilbur out of his life, it seemed the town would never be ready to let him go.
As the car sped past the small town he'd once called home, Randy looked at the woman behind the wheel. “Look, Betty,” he said, even though he had a very strong feeling it wasn't her real name. “I've been silent for over an hour now, but I think I have the right to know where we're going."
Her green eyes flashed at him and she slowed the car and took a hard left turn. “Funny you should ask,” she said. “We're almost there."
"Where's there?"
She slowed the car as she maneuvered it over a bumpy gravel road. “I can't believe you don't recognize the scenery,” she replied.
"Well, for fuck's sake, it's after midnight. I can't see a thing.” But as the car came to a stop, he glanced forward. He blinked his eyes and gazed across the expanse of the lake. “Lake Sherwood?” he said more to himself than to her.
"Yes,” she said as she unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car.
Randy quickly followed. His gaze stayed on the lake. The full moon glittered across the watery spans, a gentle breeze raising riots with the beams of muted light. He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of the water.
God. The last time he'd gazed across Lake Sherwood at night was after his high school prom. He'd come here with his date, Allison Peters. A sweet little thing; he remembered tearing her chiffon prom dress to get at the good parts and took her virginity. He'd been a brute, a pig, an all-around asshole.
But he was young ... and a very horny brute, pig and asshole. She'd willingly given herself to him. Too bad he hadn't taken long enough to enjoy her touch, to really feel her need for him. His brain was located in his cock at the time. He expected she'd been left disappointed.
Betty kept her back to him as she walked to the shore. “It's so peaceful here,” she said softly. “I love this place."
Randy frowned. Suddenly there was something about her voice, the way she moved.
She looked different now but there was no mistaking it. Her hair was long and curly as opposed to the short crop she wore then. Her frame was tiny, almost too slender, not at all like the just-this-side-of-pudgy girl he'd known in high school. Was it possible?
He slowly approached her. “Ally?"
She didn't move. She stood stark still, her spine ramrod straight as she kept her back to him. “Allison,” she corrected. “Everyone calls me Allison now."
Randy's hands gripped her shoulders and whirled her around to face him. He gazed down into her incredible green eyes. How could I have missed it before? “I don't care what everyone else calls you,” he said. “You'll always be my Ally."
She pulled out of his grasp and took a step back. Her eyes sparkled with anger as she met his gaze. “I'm not your Ally,” she said tightly.
"So why did you bring me here?” He gazed past her to the lake. “This is where we made love fifteen years ago."
Ally's face flushed. “I know,” she said tightly. “I brought you here to finally wash you out of my life. I brought you here so I could do to you what you did to me."
Randy frowned. What the fuck is she talking about? “What did I do to you?"
"You took something from me,” she said between clenched teeth. “You took something I've never been able to get back."
Randy splayed his hands. “I know you were a virgin
but if you want that back—"
"Shut up!” Ally cried. “I'm not talking about my virginity. I was glad to be rid of it. It's more than that."
"So tell me.” Randy wasn't sure what she wanted from him.
"I loved you!” she cried. “I loved you with all my heart. You brought me here, got what you wanted and left. You never looked back. You didn't care what happened to me."
"That's not true at all. I cared about you,” he replied. Fact was he knew all along her parents didn't approve of him. “I never meant to hurt you."
Ally took a step toward him. “Didn't you?” Her eyes shimmered with anger. “For the last fifteen years, I've wondered about that."
"My parents died in the car accident shortly before the prom,” Randy said. “I was in a bad place at the time. I meant to call you. I meant to see you again, but my life was such a fucking mess at the time."
Ally nodded as she took another step toward him. “And I left several messages on your answering machine,” she said. “I wanted to be there for you."
"I never got a single message,” he said. “Aunt Elise probably erased them and never thought to tell me you'd called."
Ally shook her head lightly. The moon reflected off her long red curls. “None of that matters now,” she said softly.
Randy frowned as she closed the distance between them. Her sweet little body pressed against his as she reached up and placed her hands on either side of his head. He felt powerless as she drew his face down to hers. “There's only one thing that matters now,” she said as her breath fanned his lips.
Randy would have made a smart-ass comment if he'd had the strength to do so. But when her tongue touched his top lip and slowly slid over it, nothing came to mind other than drinking from her; taking what she so clearly wanted to give.
His hands circled her waist and pulled her closer to him as his mouth closed over hers.
Ally gave herself to him freely; her lips parted to accept his kiss; her body mellowed to accept his touch. Randy's head swam as his hands slid down her back and cupped her buttocks. He curled his fingers into the jean clad hips, wishing he could feel her flesh.
She sighed when his mouth left hers and slid down her throat. She slowly lowered herself, pulling him with her to the sandy lakeshore.
As her hands moved behind her to brace herself, Randy quickly slid his fingers beneath her t-shirt and cupped her breasts. He hummed against her ear as his fingers pushed beneath her lace bra and slid over her erect nipples. “They feel heavier in my hands,” he said absently. “You've grown up since the last time I touched your breasts."
As his lips scorched a path from her throat to her lips, he kneaded her breasts. “Do you remember how it was that night?” he asked. “Your pussy was so hot and slick, so ready for me."
His fingers shot to the fly of her jeans. He wasn't sure how'd he managed it, but within seconds, he pushed them over her thighs and freed her completely. He was vaguely aware of the denim flying off her legs. His hands quickly parted her knees as his fingers slid up one thigh and touched the V at her core.
"No!” Ally said softly. “This isn't why I brought you here."
Yet her thighs parted willingly; her core beckoned his touch. And when his hand lightly cupped her, she raised her hips to greet him.
Randy rose slightly and gazed down at her lovely face. “Admit it,” he said softly, his gaze set on her luminous eyes. “You want this."
He didn't wait for her response. His fingers parted the lips of her vagina and deliberately dragged over her slick core. As his thumb nudged her clitoris, he slowly, gently, pushed two fingers inside her.
Ally squeezed her eyes closed as she raised her hips to receive his touch. Randy set the pace. With each stroke his fingers made inside her, his thumb pressed just a bit harder on her clit.
He wanted to rip the rest of her clothes off, desired to suckle her nipples as he finger fucked her.
But she was holding out on him, keeping something from him. He didn't want to pressure her for fear she'd run.
His cock grew and stretched against his cotton pants, begging to be released, wanting to feel her touch. Randy struggled to keep himself in check as he slowly brought Ally to completion.
Ally's head began to thrash back and forth. Randy's fingers continued to press harder as her hips bucked against his hand. “No,” she cried, barely able to contain herself.
"Give yourself to me,” Randy whispered against her ear. “Give me all you've got."
Ally's body wracked with spasms as she felt an earth-shattering orgasm. Tears sprang to her eyes as her hips rose one last time to receive him and then collapsed against the sand beneath her.
Randy leaned over her, touching his lips to hers. “I need to fuck you,” he said as his hands went to the belt of his pants.
Ally's eyes opened and gazed back at him. “No!” she cried as she scrambled out from beneath him. “I can't let you do that."
Randy rose to his knees and gazed at her. “What are you talking about?” he said. “You got what you needed. All I want—"
Ally cut him off. “No,” she said as she rose to her feet and took a step away from him. “I can't let you."
Randy watched as she slowly edged her way to her discarded jeans. She snatched them from the sandy beach. “I wish I could explain,” she said as she struggled to shove her legs into her jeans. “But I can't.” She pulled the denim up. “I just want you to know...” She hesitated as she adjusted her jeans at her waist, clearly uncomfortable. “We're done once and for all."
And then she ran to her car, jumped in and took off. Randy watched as the car quickly sped its way down the dirt road they'd come in on.
He'd been left at Lake Sherwood in the middle of the night with no prospects of a ride home.
Randy slowly got to his feet. He bent to dust the sand off his knees. He knew he should be angry. Instead, he was completely elated.
As he walked from the beach, he touched his fingers to his nose and inhaled. Ally's sweet scent still lingered. She hadn't seen the last of him. In fact, he looked very forward to seeing her again.
Randy trudged down the gravel road toward the highway. He pulled the cell phone out of his back pocket and called a taxi.
Chapter 3
"Touch me!” Ally cried.
"I don't know what you want,” Sam said, his voice laced with frustration.
Ally lay naked against him as she peered at his face.
What do I want? She wanted to feel desirable. She wanted to feel excitement and passion.
She stopped just short of saying she needed Randy Gallagher.
Damn it. There was no reason Sam couldn't fulfill her needs. After all, he was about to become her husband.
Ally squeezed her eyes closed. For the past two days, she hadn't been able to get Randy out of her mind and worse, out of her dreams.
What do I want? Ally sighed heavily. She wanted Sam to drive all thoughts of Randy out of her mind once and for all. She wanted Sam to make her feel the desire she'd felt under Randy's touch. If only Sam would loosen up.
"I want you to put your fingers inside me."
Sam rose slightly and gazed down at her. “You mean you want me to..."
Ally sighed heavily. “Yes,” she said. “Fuck me with your fingers."
Sam's face soured. “That's vulgar,” he said as he pulled away from her and sat on the edge of the bed.
Ally's body cried in frustration as she slowly rose. She sat behind him, her hands slid over his shoulders and rested on his chest. “I don't want to be vulgar,” she said softly as she leaned her chin on his shoulder. “I'm just trying to convey what I need."
Sam's mood remained dour. “So my penis isn't enough anymore?” he said. “You want more."
"I love your penis,” she said. “But can't we explore a little? I mean, you can touch me and I could lick you a little."
Sam swung around and glared at her. “What's happened to you? Last week you were content with the wa
y we made love. And,” his face pinched, “I don't have to tell you I'd have preferred to have waited until after we were married."
Ally moaned inwardly. Her hands slid away from him as she let herself fall back on the bed. “What's wrong with adding a little spice to our sex life?"
"What's wrong?” Sam twisted to look at her. “We aren't even married yet. Every time I touch you, I think of your parents and how much they'd disapprove.” He sighed heavily. “If it wasn't for the fact I have needs, I would never have had sex with you at all."
Yes, let's not forget Sam's needs. “What about my needs?” Ally countered. “What about the fact I need to feel loved?"
Sam took a deep breath. “All right then, what's it gonna take to make you happy?"
Ally wanted to scream. She struggled to remind herself that she was marrying Sam for stability. Excitement had nothing to do with it. Still, why can't I have both?
"All I want is for you to touch me,” she said. “Make me feel desirable."
Sam shook his head. “I'm sorry,” he said. “I don't know what the hell you want from me."
"Then let me show you.” She didn't wait for his reply as she crawled up behind him. She tightened her arms over his shoulders and pulled him down to the bed.
Sam slowly lay back. She hovered over him. “Let me show you how good my touch can feel,” she whispered.
He gazed up at her. “Why are things different now?” he asked. “You've been content with the way I've made love to you for the past year."
"That's it exactly!” Ally proclaimed. “You've made love to me. I've never been a player. I've always just spread my legs and let you screw me."
Sam's body jerked in alarm. “Allison,” he scolded. “That's crude! I will not have you talk to me that way."
"I'm sorry,” Ally said quickly. “It's just...” She had no idea of the right words she could possibly use to describe what she wanted without being scolded again.
She wanted him to taste every inch of her, to touch her everywhere. Her body sang with need. She ached for him to shove his tongue inside her moist portal and...
