by M. Mabie
“I’m not remembering exactly,” she countered. Being facetious, she spread her leg, just enough, to tempt me. “Help a girl out.”
I had two options, help her out on the way home, or make her crazy and drive a little too slow.
I chose the latter and she was almost climbing out the window before we pulled into my drive.
I heard under her breath as she hopped out. “I bet Joey drives faster than you.”
Before I was out of the SUV, she’d already marched inside, shoeless. I decided to make her wait a little longer, just for fun.
She was already upstairs when I walked through the kitchen door, and I took my time, taking off my vest and hanging it on the back of a chair.
As much as she acted like she hated anticipation, she thrived on it. I got off on making her crazy.
In an old house, you could hear all of the sounds. I listened to her bare feet pat across my wooden bedroom floor and I heard her hop into the bed.
She was still playing with me, too. “Do you need help getting up the stairs? You’re killing me,” she said loud enough I could have heard her outside.
I laughed to myself from the stairs where I was quietly making my way to her.
She didn’t know I was as close as I was. Didn’t know I could see her down the hall as I climbed to the second floor.
She lay in my bed, the duvet pulled back, exposing the white sheets underneath. Her flawless tanned skin contrasted with the sheet and the white lace thing she was wearing.
Whoa. Where did that come from?
Things quickly changed. I didn’t feel like wasting time anymore and almost fell up the last step.
I sauntered down the dim hallway, and when she finally noticed I was coming, she sat up on her knees, letting me see her.
The lace was sheer, and I easily made out all of my favorite spots. Her excitement obvious, two perfect nipples pebbled under the material.
I loosened my tie and watched her lips part the way they did when she liked what she saw. I unbuttoned my shirt, then took it off and threw it on the chair next to the closet door, all the while stalking nearer.
Just as I was close enough to touch her, the lust in her eyes cleared a little and she said, “Vaughn, I’m in love with you.”
Her shoulder shrugged a little with her confession, but her words sunk into my chest.
She’d taken me by surprise. Twice.
Looking like a vision in white on my bed, her hair still perfect as the second I’d picked her up. Her lips a perfect color of pink. Telling me she loved me.
I’d never been that lucky in my life.
I rushed her and lifted her into my arms, laying her back on the bed. I needed her.
Had to have her.
She felt it, too. Holding onto me like I was a life jacket and she was being swept away by a current. I was what she needed and she was so brave and amazing for being so honest with me.
My mouth claimed hers from above and my hand pulled her closer to me with a solid grip on her thigh.
We moved with each other, not caring where we rolled, only caring that we were connected.
Lips on lips.
Skin on skin.
Our clothes somehow vanishing in the heat of the moment.
I couldn’t stop, nor did I want to.
She moved down the bed, greedy and hungry. When she took me into her mouth, she lifted a finger to mine. Wanting me to suck on her, too. I loved that naughty quirk of hers; she’d done it many times.
Before I couldn’t hold back any longer, I lifted her up and rolled her over, losing a battle of will with my patience. Wanting to taste her for myself, I slipped a finger in her mouth and she moaned as she loved on it, just as she’d been doing elsewhere only seconds before.
I licked and bit at her, using my tongue to make her back lift off the sheets and then using my finger to coax out her beautiful orgasm.
“I love yous,” poured and poured from her lips as she rode my fingers and touched her breasts and pleaded with me for more, saying, “I can’t take it.”
She was wrong.
She could take it, and she took it all as I made love to her with my hands and mouth until she came again.
I loved being inside of her after she came, or came twice, as the case was. She was so sensual like that, almost lethargic and drugged from lust.
Our kisses were passionate and slow, and she held onto me so tight.
When she relaxed from her climax, I pulled away to roll on a condom and watched her legs spread open for me, swaying in the light from the lamp on the far side of the room.
Unashamed.
Brazen.
Hungry for more, touching herself in my brief absence.
We liked it hard and fast, and I was only too eager to get to that, but I looked at her and remembered I hadn’t even said a word back to her after she’d told me she loved me.
Heedlessly, I couldn’t wait to be inside her either. My body did what it needed, positioning itself where I belonged. I brushed the hair from her face, holding my weight on an elbow. Still wet, she lifted her hips, impatiently pushing herself on me.
“You’re all I want, beautiful.” The way she was grinding her body against me was clouding my thoughts. Our hips grinding together, perfectly in sync. Deep and intoxicating.
I had to get to my point before I lost myself in the moment, to the way my body was already starting to accelerate with hers.
“Hannah, I love you, too.”
“Yes,” she whispered and moaned.
When the necessary words were out, new energy exploded in my veins and I buried my head in the crook of her neck and gave her everything I had. Her legs wrapped around my waist and her arms found the iron bedframe above our heads.
She held on and I let go, pushing even myself to a limit of rawness and power I’d never experienced. She writhed under me, the sounds of her pleasure filling my ears.
“Yes, everything. Give me everything, Vaughn.”
As she hung onto the rail, I sat back a little, taking her perfect ass in my hands and with every thrust into her, I pulled her to me just as hard, until we were both panting and shouting. I collapsed backward and she followed me, curling up on my chest.
“Move in with me,” I requested, out of breath. I didn’t want to be without her and I had to ask, not wanting to waste any more time.
“What?” she asked, looking up at me, and moving to straddle my legs. I reached down to pull the condom off and tossed it in the wastebasket near my bed.
“You heard me. Move in here. Live with me.”
She was still panting and swiping sweat-soaked hair off her face and her neck. “Isn’t it too soon? I mean...”
I pulled her back to me, wondering if I’d made a mistake by blurting it out like that.
“Just think about it. You don’t have to say anything right now,” I assured her and rubbed her back. “Just think about it, and if you’re ready, or when you’re ready, come be at home ... with me.”
“I do love you, don’t think I’m not...” she anxiously began to ramble.
“Shhh. I said think about it. I’m not thinking anything.”
We fell asleep at the foot of the bed, her on my chest moving her finger around my skin in little circles and me running my hands through her hair.
Later that night, she woke me up my favorite way, nudging her ass into me until I was getting another condom and sliding into her on our sides. It was before the sun came up, and we took this round slow. I kissed her neck and used my hand to touch the front of her as she pushed back against my deep thrusts.
Before long we were coming again, and then we settled back into the sheets and off to sleep I went.
When I woke up again, she wasn’t there.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hannah
I couldn’t fall back asleep. My mind was too busy.
After Vaughn’s breathing leveled off and he was sleeping, I got out of bed and found some of his clothes I could
wear, a pair of mesh shorts and a T-shirt. Then, when I reached the kitchen, I put on his flip-flops and went straight out the door and walked home.
If the shoes would have fit better, I’m sure I would have ran.
When I got to my house, I forfeited the rest of the night and decided to take a shower instead. I thought about working on some fishing things, but then changed my mind, and after filling up my coffee mug, I headed to the shop.
I would tackle Monday’s paperwork a day early.
It wasn’t so much that Vaughn’s invite scared me. It was just such a huge change.
I’d never lived anywhere but home. I’d never not lived with my damn dad. Could I go straight from his house to Vaughn’s without ever even living on my own? Could I be another woman who left him alone?
Sure, I had the cabin, and I knew how to live on my own, but that was so different.
My mind raced on for hours.
By the time the sun was heating up the shop and the sound of cars driving past on their way to church alerted me to the fact that I’d been there for hours, the invoicing was ready for the post office, and the following week’s appointments were sorted for their reminders.
My stomach rumbled and I decided I’d look in the break room for a snack. I opened the garage doors, letting the sunshine in so I could see across the shop. I was heading into the small kitchen area when I heard tires pull into the lot.
I expected it to be Vaughn, so I was shocked when it was Dean instead.
“What are you doing up this early on a Sunday?” I asked as he hopped out of his Cherokee.
“Getting breakfast. Want a doughnut?”
I knew there was little chance of anything better than a granola bar or a speckled, half-brown banana in the break area, so I quickly accepted.
“Yes, please.”
He reached across the seat, pulled out a box, and walked inside.
“Question is, why are you up this early? Didn’t you and Vaughn have a big night on the town?”
He kicked out one of the braces on the truck lift and raised it to the perfect sitting height, something we did all the time.
“We did.”
“And you’re here?” He looked at his watch. “At eight thirty on a Sunday? What’s up with that?”
It was weird talking about it with him, but he was there and he had doughnuts. Plus, I’d already sat down and started eating one. I was kind of obligated to give him something. Besides, I really needed to talk about it with someone. I’d just expected that someone would be Sunny. Not Dean.
“Do you really want to talk about this?” I asked, giving him my no-bullshit look.
“Yes. I do.” He answered then cracked his knuckles, taking a deep exaggerated breath before going on. “Look, I don’t know if you know this, but I’ve always kind of had a thing for you.”
I looked at the glazed doughnut and shook my head. Chewing and not knowing what to say to that. We’d always been close, and there were a few times I sensed he’d wanted more, but he’d never come out and said it.
Then he continued, “But I also think you’re happy. Vaughn’s not a bad guy. He seems to treat you right. So I guess I’m just a fool who missed his chance.”
I looked at him and now he was the one studying his doughnut.
I still didn’t speak.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is ... yeah, at first I didn’t like it. Now, I just have to chalk it up and get used to it. I think he’s good for you.”
That was why I loved Dean. To me, he still felt like my family, and what he was saying didn’t sound romantic, it sounded brotherly.
“Dean, he is good to me. He treats me like ... like ... like I want to be treated. He doesn’t give me too much shit, and he takes just enough of mine. You know? He’s different.”
“I know.”
Finally, we made eye contact and he repeated, “I know. So then tell me why you’re here. I’m not stupid; something happened.”
“I told him I love him.” I popped another bite in my mouth and chewed.
He took another deep breath. I considered maybe I screwed up and should have talked to Sunny instead, but he’d asked for it.
“I asked if you wanted to talk about this and you said yes,” I stated matter-of-factly. I couldn’t take it back now.
He shook his head as he chewed and swallowed about half a doughnut. “I do. I just didn’t expect that. Go ahead.”
“What? You didn’t expect I’d tell him?” I was confused about what he meant. Wasn’t that how things went?
“No. I didn’t. Has he told you that before?” His expression showed he really couldn’t believe what I’d done.
“No. I said it first. What’s wrong with that?” Was that weird? Didn’t people just say it when they felt it?
“Wow,” he said and bobbed his head looking at the ground. Looking maybe a little impressed. “There’s not a damn thing wrong with it. Good for you.” Then he laughed and relaxed a little.
“I don’t get it.” Why was he being so weird?
“No. You do get it. That’s what it’s all about. Having the balls to say it. Telling someone how you feel.”
It was getting clearer.
He continued, “I never had the balls to do it. Good for you.”
“I’ve got big balls, Dean.” I tried to lighten the moment, and he chuckled a little so I went on. “Anyway, that’s not the reason I’m here. After I said it, he said it. Then he asked me to move in with him.”
I waited to see his reaction. I expected him to have the one I thought I should have. That shocked, it’s-too-soon look.
Because it was, wasn’t it?
And when he didn’t react that way, I thought I’d lost my mind.
“So what?” he asked.
“So what? What about my dad? I live there. That’s where I’ve always lived. And the way Dad’s been lately. I’m worried about him being alone. I can’t just leave him.”
“He’ll be fine. You can’t stay with him forever just so he isn’t lonely, Mutt,” he argued.
“It’s just too soon and I hate the thought of that.”
He stood and grabbed one more pastry. “Know what? I can’t even believe I’m saying this. I think you should move in with Vaughn.”
Hearing that come from Dean’s mouth was insanity.
I needed another doughnut.
I stuffed a good half of it in my mouth and plopped back down on my half of the lift.
“Are you shitting me?”
“I shit you not, girl. You said yourself you love him. He loves you. What more are you waiting on? What can’t you figure out along the way?”
It was more complicated than that. I needed more time. I needed to think and I knew the best place for that.
“Okay, these doughnuts are good and all, but I got shit to do.” I hopped up and kicked his foot. “Get out, or lock up for me.”
“I’m gonna fuck around here for a while. I’ll lock up. Go.”
I ran in the office and grabbed my keys then ran back into the garage to say goodbye.
“Dean, thanks for breakfast.”
He’d picked up a broom by then and propped his chin on it as he said, “You’re welcome.”
⟡⟡⟡
The store wasn’t too busy when I pulled up. Everyone was at church. I walked in past a woman about my age in white pants and heels, who I’d never seen before, and thought, “Excuse you,” when she shuffled past me with her one grocery bag and huge purse, putting her designer sunglasses back on her head.
I ran past the counter, heading straight for the coffee. I was out at the cabin.
When I got to the register, Rhonda was giving me a funny smile.
“Good morning, Rhonda.”
“Oh hey, Mutt. How are you doing, honey?” she said strangely. Almost sympathetically. She was being weird.
“I’m fine, thanks. How are you?”
Perplexed and surprised at my answer, she said in a hushed voice, “Don’t you worry
about that woman, Mutt. There are plenty of other men in this town who would knock a bull over to get to you these days.”
What the hell had she smoked? And what fucking woman?
She read my what-the-hell face correctly and added, “Well, honey, that woman just told me she was Dr. Vaughn Renfro’s fiancée. I hadn’t heard she was in town.”
Oh no, she did not just say that.
Was “excuse me” bitch with the bag Rachelle?
“That was her?” I screeched and pointed to the door where she’d just walked out five minutes earlier.
“Yes, Mutt. That’s what she said?” Then Rhonda hit her top speed in checking shit out, knowing she’d just made a huge mistake and that obviously I didn’t know she was in town either.
“I think I said something about you to her too, Mutt. I’m sorry I didn’t know. She asked if I met him and I said how cute you two were.”
I didn’t say another word.
I paid and left.
Then I barked my tires for a good solid block on my way to Vaughn’s.
When I got there, just as I’d expected, her vehicle was parked in the driveway. An ugly red Prius.
What a bitch.
By the time I got to the front door I heard them talking. Mostly, I was concentrated on Vaughn using a tone he’d never used with me.
“I don’t care if he went back to his wife, Rachelle. That has nothing to do with me.”
“It does, don’t you see? I’m back and I’m sorry.”
“You’re back? You were never here! It’s been months and now you just show up? What do you expect from me?”
I stood on the bottom step listening, knowing he probably heard me pull up anyway. Frankly, he probably heard me barrel ass out of the store parking lot. My truck was still too damn loud.
“The lady up town said you were with some Mutt girl.”
That’s when I said, from outside the door on the porch, “He’s been with me.” I opened the door and walked inside, head held high.
“Her?” she asked him, her voice thick with judgment. “You’re with her? Your name is Mutt?” she shouted in my direction.
I looked at his face, disgust from hearing her say Mutt all over it. He hated Mutt, but his reaction gave me a little hope.
