“I guess I do need some clothes. I can’t live in your t-shirt.”
He grinned, showing off his awesome smile. “You could live out of it.”
I leaned back and nudged him lightly with a bare foot.
“Okay. You win. You can take me home, but will you pick me up by two o’clock? I have a feeling I won’t want to be there for long.”
“That I can do. Even better, we’ll stop and get you a prepaid cell. That way you can call me if you need me.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I stretched my legs out and put them on his lap. He rubbed my bare shins, warming me.
“Because I really like you.”
He looked at me unsmiling, his eyes bright and his face full of sincerity. I smiled softly in return, and reached a hand out toward him. He took it and we connected on a level that was quiet and soft.
“I like you too, Saul.”
He held his other arm out, indicating he wanted me to come closer. I moved my legs from his lap and tucked them behind me and then scooted closer to him. I had intended to just lean against his side, but he wrapped his arms around me and moved me onto his lap. I leaned against his bare chest as his strong arms held me tight. I felt his lips kiss the top of my head and I snuggled closer.
“You smell good,” he whispered. “Like sunshine and honey.”
I could feel a hardness in his lap.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, sensing me tense.
“Uh…” I was a bit too embarrassed to explain that I could feel his manhood.
“Hattie, you’re on your sixth shade of red. What is it?” He looked genuinely concerned.
I started to get off his lap but he kept a hold on me.
“Ah, sorry about that,” he said, finally realizing what was wrong. “It has a mind of its own.”
I looked away, somewhat mortified and really not sure how to handle the situation. All I had wanted during the night was to explore his body and vice versa, but now, fully awake, I suddenly felt self-conscious.
“Hey, it’s all right. I swear I’ll keep it in my pants and make it behave.”
He began laughing, and I knew by how hot my face felt that it must be my awkwardness that he found funny.
“Oh my God this is embarrassing,” I groaned.
“Hattie. Look at me.” His voice was deep, soothing, and very serious.
I looked at his chest, and he placed a finger under my chin to encourage me to meet his eyes.
“That’s better,” he said quietly.
We just looked at each other for a long moment. As the silence grew awkward, I acted without much thought. I leaned forward and placed my lips upon his. I had hoped he’d take it from there, but I felt his body tense and he didn’t kiss me back quite like I had expected. I backed away just far enough to look him in the eyes again. His face had a softness about it, and his eyes were full of longing in contrast to his lack of response to my feeble attempt at romance. He was breathing deeply and slowly. I placed a palm against his chest and slowly moved my legs so that I was straddling him. His lap was still telling me he was interested, as were his eyes. I felt the rise and fall of his chest with my hand, and gently placed the other on the side of his face. His face was rugged, and his stubble unexpectedly soft.
I leaned forward again, kissing him on the lips a bit more firmly. As I tasted him and inhaled his scent, he finally responded as I had craved. Together we deepened the kiss, our mouths hungrily taking each other in.
He slowly moved his mouth from mine, trailing his tongue down the side of my neck to my ear. “Are you sure you want this?”
I leaned back a bit, nodding softly. He took hold of the bottom of the t-shirt I was wearing, and gently lifted it upward. I raised my arms as he pulled it over my head. I had never sat naked in front of a man before, and swallowed hard in fear that he might hate what he saw.
“You’re beautiful,” he said with a soft sigh.
He placed his large hands over my bare breasts, kneading them gently and lovingly. I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes. My body began to take over and I ground myself against the bulge in his pants.
“Oh good God,” moaned Saul just before he was back to kissing me deeply.
Suddenly he stood, with me still on his front. I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me to the bedroom. Suddenly I was lying on my back on his bed, and he was on top of me. Supporting his weight on one arm, he looked down at me.
“We shouldn’t do this, not yet,” he said, making sure I was listening.
“I need to feel you,” was all I could manage to whisper.
He leaned down again, kissing me passionately. Eventually his lips moved down my neck and when I felt his hot mouth encircle one of my breasts and begin sucking on my erect nipple I arched my back and fought to breathe. His hand slid down my bare side and tugged at the side of my panties. I lifted my butt off of the bed and he slid them down my legs. He never faltered in his attempts to devour my breast as he slid my only remaining shred of clothing past my feet.
He moved his head down, using the tip of his tongue to trace a line from my breast to my belly button. As his mouth moved lower, I began gasping for air.
“Is this ok?” he asked while still working my flesh with his mouth.
“Uh huh.”
He used his hands to gently part my legs, and again trailed his tongue lower until I could feel the hotness of his mouth on my most private of places. I moaned, louder than I had meant to. He groaned against me in response, taking my flesh into his mouth and sucking gently. When his hot tongue entered me, I cried out in a sharp whimper of pleasure. He continued to taste me, long and slow, and it drove me wild. When he stopped suddenly, I looked up to see what was wrong.
“Hattie, I have to stop.”
“Why?” I asked, sounding like a pathetically sad child.
“Because if we don’t, I don’t think I’ll be able to.”
He climbed back up onto the bed with me, half laying on top of me. He pressed himself against me, his shorts still on but doing little to hide his intense desire.
“You have no idea how much I want to take it all the way, beautiful. I don’t want your first time being rushed, or you leaving here feeling like it was a mistake.”
“Saul, I’m sure. It’s what I want. I can’t explain it, but I need you. I feel like I’ve been looking for you my whole life.”
He leaned down and kissed me with deep passion, his hand exploring my side. Without words, he was telling me that he felt the same way.
“I promise I’ll be gentle, if you promise you won’t regret it?”
I nodded. “No regrets. Ever.”
“Okay. Just give me a sec while I grab a condom?”
My body felt like it was on fire with desire and the several seconds he was out of my reach were torture. Facing away from me, he slipped his sweat pants off and I watched as he stood there naked. His butt was firm, and his muscles alone were enough to make me squirm. I could hear him pull open a drawer from the dresser and heard a little foil package being torn open. I scooted myself up in the bed until my head was resting on a pillow. I watched as Saul fiddled with something out of my view and waited for him to walk back to me. The room was cold, so I grabbed the covers that were still messy from our night’s sleep and covered myself. As he turned to face me, I swallowed hard. He was gorgeous; every inch of him.
He climbed into the bed beside me, slipping under the covers so he could feel me. His skin was smooth and warm and my body tingled in anticipation of his touch. He climbed halfway on top of me again, parting my legs with his own. I stroked his biceps gently, exploring his curves. He leaned down and whispered near my ear.
“I’ll be gentle, baby, but let me know if you need me to slow down.”
He looked at me with sincerity and waited for me to acknowledge him.
“I will.”
He leaned down again, kissing me hard. He took my breath away and I tasted his desire as he slowly slid himself inside of
me. Time seemed to stand still as he showed me pleasure that I had, until then, only heard stories about. In his arms, I forgot about the world around me. No thoughts of my family and friends being angry with me. No thoughts about the explosion. No thoughts about my father and his wife.
CHAPTER 9 ~ I’LL CALL YOU
We stayed in bed for another half an hour, quietly talking about random things. I discovered that Saul was deathly allergic to cherries and had a younger sister in Virginia, named Carolina, who he usually called Lina for short. She was the only relative he was still close to. I loved listening to his voice and feeling him next to me. Eventually he announced that it was time to ‘head out’ and face fears.
He searched his dresser and found a pair of exercise shorts that cinched at the waist with a tie, and tossed them to me.
I dressed quietly, sneaking peeks as he changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. My hair was a disaster, so I borrowed a rubber band from Saul and tied it behind my head in something resembling a ponytail.
Like a gentleman, he opened the passenger door to his truck for me and I climbed in. I reluctantly buckled up, not wanting to leave the magic of the little seaside home. It was overcast and cool, and seagulls were circling in the air nearby. As Saul took his seat behind the wheel, I looked over at him and smiled awkwardly.
“I want to stop in town real quick if that’s ok?” he asked.
“Sure. I’m in no hurry to get back. Oh. Do you mind if I wait in the car, though?”
“Why?”
I rolled my eyes at him teasingly. “Oh…let’s see. My hair’s a mess, you gave me a hickey, my clothes are like ten sizes too big, I’m not wearing a bra...”
“I gave you a hickey?” he asked, seemingly oblivious to his love mark.
I nodded slyly and turned my head to the side for him to see.
“Damn, sorry.”
“It’s okay. I kinda like it.”
I grinned at him and he flashed me a smile as he started the truck and backed it up onto the road out front. The drive into town only took about ten minutes. Tide was low and the mud flats of Puget Sound fascinated me as always. I found myself lost in thought.
“Saul?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you still taking me out tonight?”
“You bet, if you’re still willing to go?”
“What should I wear?”
“Casual tonight. And warm.”
“Jeans ok?”
He looked me over slowly. “Anything on you I’m sure is great. If I’m lucky maybe you’ll let me take your clothes off later.”
I felt my face flush again.
Saul pulled into a parking spot in front of Radio Shack and left the engine running.
“Lock the doors while I’m inside, ok?”
“Sure.”
“I won’t be long.”
“Okay.”
He leaned across the cab and kissed me softly on the lips, and then just as suddenly was standing outside of the truck, closing the door. I pushed the lock button, as he had asked. I watched as he walked into the store. Once he was out of sight, I turned on the radio and the cab was filled with classical music. I tried to change stations but quickly realized it was a CD. I hadn’t figured Saul for a classical music kind-of guy.
After about fifteen minutes, he came back out holding a small plastic sack. I unlocked the doors for him and he slid back into his seat.
“Ah, you found my music.”
I nodded. “It’s soothing.”
“Here, this is for you.”
He handed me the bag, and I looked at it questioningly. I reached inside and pulled out a brand new iPhone. It was white with a pretty hard pink cover that had little half-pearls and clear sparkles in the shape of a daisy on the back.
“No, Saul, I can’t take this.”
I looked at him, afraid I’d hurt his feelings.
“That’s okay. It’s mine. You’re just borrowing it.”
“Saul!” I said, giving him a funny face.
“You need to be able to call me. I was due for an upgrade so just went ahead with a second line. It’s really not a big deal.”
“It’s too much, really. A cheap flip-top would have been fine.”
“Sure it would have. But they don’t have pretty pink cases.”
I frowned a bit, without really meaning to.
“C’mon. You lost yours in the explosion. Just let me do something nice for you, okay?”
I sighed and looked at him. “Okay. But I’ll pay you back. And I’ll only use it to call you.”
“My number’s programed in already. But it’s unlimited talk, text, and data. Use it as much as you want, for whatever. Or whoever.”
“You’re really sweet, Saul. Thank you.”
“Your e-mail is all set up too. I just used Outlook to create an account.”
“You promise to answer if I call?”
“Of course. Always.”
He started the engine and put a hand on my bare knee, giving it a quick squeeze before backing out of the parking spot.
“The charger’s in the box in the bag. Make sure you plug it in as soon as you get home.”
“What time are you picking me up?”
He looked at his watch. “It’s almost twelve-thirty now. How about three o’clock?”
“Sounds good.”
We listened to his CD for the rest of the trip, while I browsed through my new phone in a pretty pink case.
“Okay, we’re here.”
I looked up. The ride from the store to my house had gone by a lot faster than I had hoped. Joe’s car was there in the driveway, with Miranda’s parked next to it. I found myself greatly relieved to not see Everett’s truck there. I made no effort to leave Saul’s vehicle. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone except for the man beside me, nor did I feel like explaining myself to anyone.
“You okay, sweet thing?”
I looked over at Saul and shrugged. “I guess I need to get it over with.”
“Want me to come in with you?”
I forced a smile. “Yes, but I should deal with them alone.”
“Is that guy here?”
“I don’t see his truck.”
“Okay. Try to get some rest. And just call if you need me.”
I noticed the front door open. Joe was standing there; obviously irritated that he had to wait for me.
“That’s your brother?”
“Yeah. Joe.”
“He looks pissed.”
“Yeah.”
“Hattie?”
“Hmm?”
Saul looked at me intently. “I’ll miss you.”
He brought a genuine smile to my face. “Me too.”
He leaned forward and kissed me. It felt almost like he was saying goodbye in a way I feared, and my heart skipped a beat.
“I’ll be here at three o’clock,” he whispered. He leaned his forehead against mine and gripped the back of my neck gently with one of his hands. “I’m not sure what spell you’ve cast, Hattie Leonardo, but you’re turning my world upside down.”
I reached up and grabbed his wrist and closed my eyes. For a moment I wished we were back in his tiny home, just the two of us.
“Promise me you’ll come back?”
He kissed me again, harder than before. “I promise.”
He let go of me. I made sure I had my new phone, and I slid out of the truck. I turned my back to the house and waved as Saul carefully pulled away from the curb. I could sense Joe standing behind me, but kept facing the road until Saul’s truck was gone from my sight. I already felt an emptiness within me.
“Hattie.”
Joe’s voice from behind me caused me to turn.
“We’ve all been worried, Hat. Are you okay?”
“I told you I’m fine,” I said as I began to walk toward the house.
“That’s all you have to say? You run off in the middle of the night with some guy you don’t know and none of us knows why? You come home wit
h a hickey on our neck and all you have to say is ‘I told you I’m fine?’”
Almost to our porch, I stopped walking and whipped around to face him.
“Bullshit, Joe. Everett knows why I left with Saul.”
“Saul? So the mystery guy’s name is Saul? And what are you talking about Everett knows what?”
“What did Everett tell you?”
“That you got drunk after we left, some guy showed up saying he knew you, and you left. He said he begged you to stay.”
“Joe. You know me. You’ve known me our whole lives. Everett got a little too demanding last night. He tried to kiss me and wouldn’t stop when I said no.”
Joe laughed at me, making me furious.
“It’s not funny!”
“We’ve known Everett since we could barely walk, Hattie. He’s not like that. He was probably just wasted.”
“You did not just say that.”
I turned and walked into the house, ignoring Miranda and Justine. I took the stairs two at a time and went to my bedroom, where I slammed the door before taking a couple of deep breaths to calm down. I could hear Joe downstairs, talking to the other women in a raised voice. Within moments all three were yelling, and it was clear they were all blaming me for overreacting. I set my pretty new phone on my dresser, stripped out of my borrowed clothes, wrapped myself in a bathrobe, and crossed the hall to the bathroom. Once inside, I locked the door and took an overly long shower. I was hoping everyone would be gone when I came out.
Once towel-dry, I put on a touch of make-up and lightly dried my hair. I decided to wear it down, but brushed it away from my face with a white cloth headband. To my relief, I didn’t hear any more yelling from the main floor of the house. I put a simple pair of small silver hoops in my ears and headed back to my bedroom.
I could hear Miranda calling up for me as I slipped into pink lace panties and matching bra. I slid into a pair of faded blue jeans that I knew hugged my hips just right. I layered two tank tops, one lavender and one light blue, and threw on a lightweight white sweater, which I left open in front. I ignored Miranda and eventually she gave up on calling for me. A pair of white sandals left me ready to leave again. I looked at the clock and saw that it was only two o’clock. I checked myself in the full length mirror on the back of my door. My tanks were both low cut, the top one more so than the bottom, and I was pleased that just a touch of cleavage showed. Voices below began again. I picked out Justine’s over the others. I really wished they’d all just leave. I picked my new cell up off the dresser and flopped onto my bed. I had forgotten to plug it in, so fished the charger from the bag and rolled onto my stomach so I could reach a nearby outlet. Once attached, the phone chirped and an image of Saul smiling at me came on the screen.
This Side of the Sun (The Sun Trilogy) Page 6
