by Green, Vicki
“I’m so sorry, Tanner. That must have been so hard,” she whispers, her voice rough.
I give her a small smile. “It was. Still is. I miss them both.” I feel bad talking about all the love I got to have when she didn’t have any. I sit up and put a smile on, trying to lighten the mood. “Anyway. Now you know some of my past. I sold my dad’s business because truthfully? I didn’t want to work there or run it. I never did. I didn’t want him to know that. I’d have done anything for him. I would have hated being in a suit and doing something I didn’t enjoy, but I would have done it. For him.” I let out a deep breath. “I made enough money to buy this house, my truck, and still have enough to live on for a long time.”
She sits up and turns towards me, pulling her legs up beneath her. “Then why do you work at Battle Ground? Sounds like you don’t have to work in order to live comfortably.” Her face softens but there’s a look of interest in her eyes. I’ve never really had someone curious enough to know me that well. Not since….
I shrug but give her a smile. “I love to keep fit. What better way to do that then to work at a gym? What else would I do with all my free time?” The corners of her mouth lift. I reach over and grab her arm, pulling her over to me, and then onto my lap. “Besides, there’s this really hot chick that works there.” I kiss her lips hard as her arms move around my neck.
“Oh, yeah? Tell me about her,” she says against my mouth.
Reaching down, I grab her toned butt and pull her into me, rubbing my hard cock against her. “She’s got these cool tatts and a belly piercing.” I kiss her hard and elicit a moan. “She’s kind of a spitfire. That’s one of my favorite things about her.” I push my tongue inside her mouth and deepen the kiss. She starts moving up and down against my aching cock. I don’t think I’m gonna last long.
“She does sound pretty cool,” she says then starts kissing my jaw and down my neck, her fingers thread through my hair causing me to moan.
I push her yoga pants down and fumble with the zipper on my jeans. Once I’ve freed myself, I push her panties to the side. “She’s very cool. You’d like her,” I murmur. She doesn’t hesitate to lift up and we both moan as she slides down onto my very hardened cock.
“God!”
Her head tilts back, her lips part. When she raises her head and looks down at me, the fire in her eyes makes my cock twitch inside her. That look. It’s for me, for how I make her feel. God I wish I could take a picture of her right now. She cups my face, and I close my eyes at the feel. Her soft touch. She makes me feel the same way, like I want to explode. Like I need to be closer to her. Like I’m the happiest person alive to have her in my arms. “I love….” My eyes open. The words I’ve longed to hear seeping from her lips. She stops. Unsure. “I love the way you feel inside me.” Not what I was hoping for, but I’ll take it. I’ll take anything she wants to give me.
We move in sync until the buildup starts to make me crazy. I grab her upper arms and flip her over onto her back, never breaking our connection. I start pounding into her, like a madman. Maybe I am. Mad about her. Crazy for her. Her legs wrap around me instantly, her feet digging into my ass, just what she loves. What I’ve come to love. She pushes. I pound. My head is all over the place. My feelings are out of control. Her scent is all around me, intermixed with the aroma of sex. Fucking amazing. She grabs my biceps and digs her fingernails into them so hard I can feel them through my t-shirt. Her head moves back and forth as our desire escalates. Our moans and movements the only sounds in the room.
“Jolie!” I moan as I begin to shudder with my release. I struggle from collapsing on her, my arms straining. Every part of my body tingles. My eyes are clouded over, and it seems like I can hear my heart beat filling my ears. The most intense orgasm I’ve ever had. Not that I’ve had that many to compare. Only with Jolie. Not sure she figured out that I knew she was a virgin the first time we made love, but I did. I could tell the minute I had a difficult time pushing all the way inside her, feeling that barrier that had never been broken. Not sure she could tell it was my first time as well, but it was. It was so worth waiting for. She was worth waiting for.
My eyes begin to clear, her face materializing before me. She looks as stunned as I am, her eyes glazed over, her body quivering. I hiss when I pull out of her, squeezing myself beside her on the couch. Sliding my arm underneath her, she rolls over onto her side, and I wrap my free arm around her. She snuggles into me. I can feel her warm breath on the base of my neck, coming out in pants, matching my own. I start rubbing her back as we come down from our releases. “That was so – hot,” she whispers. I look down and see those big blue eyes looking up at me, taking away what little oxygen I had. Fuck, so beautiful. “I think I like talking about that chick at the gym. Really gets you worked up,” she says in all seriousness. I let out a laugh and pull her into me, tightening my arms around her. We lay here in silence, just wrapped up in each other. “I’d like to see a picture of you as a kid,” she whispers. I look down, but she’s looking at my chest as she runs her finger over my t-shirt. “I bet you were sexy even back then.” I let out a laugh.
“If you like big ears that look like they were bigger than my head.” She laughs, still rubbing across my chest.
I lean my chin on the top of her head. “I have some pictures you can look at some time.” I feel her look up and then down again. “Do you have any pictures of you from when you were little? I bet you were as gorgeous as you are now.” I feel her stiffen and know I shouldn’t have asked. Finally, she relaxes.
“Nah. Not really.”
I pull back and look down. “Jolie….”
She looks up quickly and yawns. “How about we clean up and go to bed. I’m really tired.” I only nod. Shit! What a stupid asshole!
We cleaned up our mess in silence and went to bed. She snuggled into me and I held her, but I laid awake, staring at the ceiling. Sometimes I think this is a dream, one I’ve had for so long, not able to believe she’s here in my arms. I rest my head on top of hers, tightening my hold. She lets out a sigh in her sleep. Comfort. Beauty. Peaceful. I’m afraid it won’t last. Afraid I’ll lose her but I’ll be damned if I won’t breathe her in every chance I get until then. Finally, I close my eyes and let my dreams of her take me.
Jolie let me drive her to the gym this morning. She said she was going over to the coffee shop first and will order me something when I told her I needed to stop over at the gas station. Told her I heard a rattle in the engine yesterday and took a look myself. I think I need a belt but wanna make sure. She’d told me to take it over there and have Hailey help me. I tried not to laugh, but I couldn’t help it. Oh, I’m sure Hailey is competent but just feels weird having a girl look at my engine. That doesn’t sound quite right. Must be a guy thing.
I pull into the station by a pump thinking I should probably gas up while I’m here. After setting it up and putting the pump in the tank, I head inside.
“Thank you.”
As I walk in the door, I look over at the counter and see Hailey handing change to a customer. I walk around the aisles, looking at chips, jerky, and various other foods, things I don’t eat but look enticing. “Well, look who the cat dragged in.” I look over at her and see her standing with her hip cocked. Her hand on her coverall covered waist. “What brings you in my station this morning?” She looks around and then back at me. “Where’s Jolie? I thought you two were inseparable.” She gives me a smirk. I get it. She thinks I’ll hurt Jolie. She’s right but not by choice. I start walking towards the counter slowly.
“She’s over at Shaw’s waiting for me.” I nod over at my truck. Hailey’s eyes follow mine then look back at me. “I think I might need a new belt or something. Heard a noise yesterday.” I make it to the counter, Hailey just staring at me, leaning down on it. Uncomfortable. She doesn’t trust me. She pushes herself up and starts walking around the counter.
“Okay. Let’s have a look. Just bring it around to the left bay door.”
I watch her walk past me and through a back door then I walk out the front door to get my truck. Tank is full when I get there so once I’ve gotten everything back in order, I drive over to the bay she wanted me to bring it to. I see her standing inside so I pull in. Leaning down, I pull the lever and pop the hood then jump down out of my truck and walk to the front. She’s already bent over, looking around inside.
“Thought you’d be the kind of guy that fixes his own truck? All macho and shit,” she murmurs as she twists caps and looks at the hoses.
Biting the bullet, I lean against my truck and cross my arms. “There’s nothing wrong with my truck.” She looks up at me. “I’m gonna hurt her.” Her lips turn into a snarl. “I don’t want to but it’s gonna happen. No way I can stop it.” She stands up, grabbing a rag from the back pocket of her coveralls and starts wiping her hands angrily. “It’s not gonna be physically, Hailey. Not that kind of guy. But her heart, her soul? She’s gonna need you when that happens.” She softens and relaxes but only a little.
“Why? What are you going to do?” she growls. She crosses her arms and gives me a death glare.
“Something’s gonna come out, something I should have told her when I first got to know her. My past is about to catch up with me. Some of it good but the bad might just make her hate me. She’s gonna need a friend. I know she has Jase and Alena, but I know you all have gotten close.”
She gives me a curt nod then walks around the front of the truck until she’s right in front of me. “Why don’t you just tell her, help her to understand. Be there for her?”
I run my hand down my face. “I’m going to. I’m gonna be there for her. I’m just not sure it’ll be enough. She might hate me after.”
Her face softens. “That bad?”
I nod. I reach out and grasp her arm, thinking she’ll belt me. Instead she relaxes more. “You’re a good friend to her, Hailey. I know you’ll be able to help her through it.” I’m surprised when she lays her hand on my arm and gives me a smile, even though it’s sad. I let go and walk to my truck and get inside. I look at her as I back it out of the bay. She looks a little scared but I know she’s tough enough, tender enough, to help Jolie when her world falls apart. Again.
“What took so long?”
I walk into the coffee shop and see Jolie immediately. I mean, who wouldn’t. She’s gorgeous, sitting in a booth by the side window. I walk over and lean down, kissing the side of her head, then sit down across from her, eyeing the coffee sitting there waiting for me. “It’s all good. Just a loose wire,” I lie. Another lie. When will I ever stop lying to the one person that is the world to me?
She smiles and my heart stops. “Oh, good! I wonder why you didn’t see it when you were looking around in there. Oh, well. At least that’s done. So I thought maybe a movie on TV tonight after dinner?”
“Sounds great.” She keeps talking about one of her clients she’s working with today and all I can do is stare into those blue eyes, getting lost in them. My heart soars in her excitement on what she does, how it makes her feel. I couldn’t love her any more than I do right now.
Another long day but I don’t mind as much, knowing she’s somewhere in the same building. I did catch her working out before we left today. Damn, she’s so hot! Later we have a great dinner. I love cooking and then the conversations we have while we eat.
“Come on. Let’s clean up the kitchen then we can watch a movie.” I look over at her, sitting across the table. She gives me her impression of the puppy dog look and a laugh bursts from me. “Ha! It’s not that bad. C’mon. I’ll give you some ice cream for the movie.” Her brow lifts.
“Out of all the things we got at the grocery store, two carts! We forgot ice cream!” Her bottom lip pushes out and I do what any man would do. I rise from my seat, take the couple of steps to her, lean down, and bite it.
“I’ll go get you some ice cream.” I smile against her mouth.
“You’re forgiven,” she replies and kisses me.
I take a step back when she stands, and as she leans over to pick up dishes, I swat her cute ass. “Oh!” She gasps in surprise. “You go get the ice cream, and I’ll clean up.” I lean down and kiss her full lips and smile. Grabbing my keys from the dish on the breakfast bar, I start to walk out of the room. “Hey! Do you mind if I look at those pictures of you from when you were young?”
I look over my shoulder. My smile never left my face. “Sure. They’re in a shoebox on the top of the closet in our room.” Our room.
“Great. Thanks! Don’t be long!”
Oh, I won’t be. This may be the fastest I’ve ever gone to the store in my life. She has no idea what I plan to do with the ice cream I get.
I practically run into the store then I had to make a decision on what kind of ice cream. How in the hell are there so many different flavors? I forgot to ask her which one she wanted, which is her favorite. Dammit! Scouring all the cartons, I finally open several doors and walk to the register with an arm full. Surely she’ll like one of these. The lady at the counter gives me a strange look so I just give her a smile and a wink, making her blush. I’m chuckling as I get in my truck, placing the big bag of ice cream on the passenger seat. It’s the little things in life that swell your heart, make you happy to be alive. I’m giddy as I drive home, thinking about all the things I want to do with Jolie, involving ice cream.
I have a kick in my step as I get out of my truck and carry the bag to the front door, open it and walk inside.
I start whistling as I cut through the dining room and walk into the kitchen.
I smile to myself as I notice everything is clean in the kitchen. I start unloading all the cartons of ice cream into the freezer.
I feel light and full of happiness as I start walking into the family room.
I freeze, and my heart stops when I look at Jolie sitting on the couch holding the picture of her when she was younger in her trembling hands.
I feel my world crumble around me as she looks up, tears streaking down her beautiful face, her eyes wet and swollen as she looks up at me.
I feel my life leaving when her face changes into anger.
“How do you have this?” She holds it up, her hand shaking.
I start to take a step. “Jolie. I….”
I stop when she stands, pictures of my youth falling all around the floor beneath her. “How in the fuck do you have this?” I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Now is the time I need to explain, come clean about everything, and I can’t talk. Her entire body starts shaking as she holds the picture, waving it at me like I’ve never seen it before. Lived and breathed it for years. It’s worn, torn in the left bottom corner, from being handled so much. “Where in the HELL did you get this?” she screams, her creamy complexion red with anger. I cringe.
“Baby. Just calm down and let me explain,” I plead.
She laughs.
Laughs.
How is this funny?
She stops quickly. “Yes, please explain. Please tell me why you would have the one picture my best friend, my only friend, who left me, the one picture he took of me promising to return and get me out of the hellhole that was my life. Please explain how this could be in your possession when I never heard from him again.” She walks over to me, shaking the picture in her hand, until she’s in my face. “Please tell me just who in the hell you are.”
My heart is beating so fast that my ears fill with the sound. “Can we just sit down and….”
“NO! TELL ME!” she screams.
I try to take a deep breath but all the air has left me. I put my hands in my front pockets, trying to show her that I won’t touch her as I begin.
“My dad adopted Stephen.” She squeezes her lips together tight as she
starts to lower her arm. “He wanted two sons to run his business, to share the load of responsibility. He found Stephen through an adoption agency, went and met with him and his foster parents, and decided he could teach him everything so he could take over his business with me. Thought he had potential and he did. Stephen even liked the business. He would have been great at it.” I stop there, letting her mind catch up with my words. Her eyes widen as they do, the red across her beautiful face pales. She takes a step back. Then another. “He talked about you all the time to me. Told me about how bad your life was and how he needed to contact you. Get back to you.” Her eyes start filling with tears as she takes another step back, her body shaking for another reason. I take a step towards her, but she stops me by holding up her hand, palm out. “He was so busy. Eating and sleeping the business, trying to learn. Felt he owed my dad for adopting him. Told me he wanted to work so hard, make Dad so proud that he could tell him about you. He hoped that Dad would help him get you from away from those monsters and bring you home. Thought he’d have a better chance with Dad helping to get you out of there.”
She steps backwards until her legs hit the couch. She slowly sits down, still having a death grip on the picture. “He hated that he waited so long to get in touch with you but didn’t know how. You didn’t have a phone. Email. No way to get ahold of you. He thought about writing a letter but knew those people wouldn’t give it to you.” She looks down at the picture and runs a shaky finger over it. I walk over and sit down on the coffee table in front of her. She allows me to have my legs on either side of hers but doesn’t look up. “He told me everything, Jolie.” Her eyes snap up to mine. “The beatings, the bruises and the welts they gave you. The times you and he spent together.” I watch as she swallows. “I half lied when I told you that I fell in love with you in my dreams. I fell in love with the young girl in that picture long before I met her. I fell in love with her strength, her courage. Her will to live.” She shakes her head slightly, as if she doesn’t believe she was those things.
