Jolene clung to him as hard as she could.
When he had tired a little Patrick pulled up next to them and leaned over to grab Storm's reins and pull him back hard enough to slow him to a stop rather than taking him to an abrupt jerk of a stop.
When they stopped, Patrick jumped off of Coal Minor speaking to Storm in quiet tones. Storm's rolling eyes focused on Patrick and he stilled under his hand long enough for Patrick to pull Jolene off of him just before another lightening flash and thunder clap send Storm darting off again like a rabid animal into the storm.
Patrick's silk suit was soaked through and his dark hair was plastered on his forehead. Water poured down his face leaving his eye lashes spiky. He hit her with furious eyes. "What did yer think you were doing? What has gotten into you?"
Jolene could feel his heat, even though the suit. The smell of him, his light, spicy cologne rose damp and primitive off of his skin. His violet eyes fixed on her with focused fury and his mouth was set in an irritated flat line.
She tried to pull away from him, but he held her fast to him within the circle of his muscled arms. She jerked helplessly against him then let her head fall to his chest so that she was staring at his black leather shoes getting completely soaked. "It is you! I hate you Patrick! You and your stupid Leona!"
He shook her, bringing her gaze instantly to his eyes glowing with dark blue inferno. "So that is the way of things is it?"
She trembled in the warm rain and tried to tear her gaze from his in a futile effort to hide the love that she had stored and stoked for him for years.. "There is no 'way of things' Patrick." She sobbed knowing the lie was in her eyes.
The lightning flashed in his eyes followed by a roll of thunder that shook the very ground. He laughed softly. "Well you've tempted me too many times now Jolene. I've wanted yer for so long I canno' even remember when I didn't want yer."
Her stomach clenched around his words. "Then why did you wait so long?"
He growled and his lips came crashing down onto hers, hot and severe. He crushed her to him so hard that she was breathless in the wet heat of his arms and body.
He pushed her mouth open with his hard dancing tongue that tasted slightly of bourbon. Jolene groaned and opened her mouth fully to him, like the flower that had waited forever for the sun.
She frantically pressed her hands under his coat starving for the feel of his skin. His own desire matched hers and she felt her zipper and then her dress being pulled up so that she had to let go of his mouth.
He threw her dress away and looked at her in her black lacy undergarments with fevered eyes.
"Oh God Jolene, I canno' say no to yer though I know I should, Jesus Mary and the Saints I should say no to you now." His voice was raspy and soft carried on his heavy Irish lilt. "I've no right." Even while he said the words his lips came back to her neck, his tongue flicking along her throat and up to her earlobe where he thrust it deeply inside.
Jolene moaned and pressed into his hard erection.
Her fingers fumbled with his clothing until she found the opening of his coat and she yanked his coat down his shoulders and he let it drop to the ground where it dissolved into a dark puddle in the rain. "Patrick, I want this and only from you," Jolene panted. "Hurry Patrick, don't look back, especially in a storm…never turn back."
There was a fever, hot and white, dark and windy.
Patrick stayed her urgent fingers. "I'll not be in a hurry, sweetheart, not on yer life. I'll be loving you right and proper even if it is on the grass." His fingers skimmed across her hips to her inner thigh pressing urgently yet with infinite gentleness
He pulled her lacy black bra straps down slowly while the rain pelted them with gentle kisses. Jolene's body bucked into his hand. He leaned down and gently bit her shoulder then sucked in her wet skin along a path to her breasts above the lacy bra. There he stopped and flicked his tongue along the lacy edge, stabbing her with his urgent hot tongue.
Jolene let her head roll back. Water ran into her eyes and mixed with her tears of love and joy. Jolene sighed deep pressing herself closer, wet heat dampening her lacy panties.
"Now what kind 'o bra is this for yer to be wearing?" He rasped as he unfastened the frilly undergarment and flung it to land on his coat. "I am not sure what you were learning at that school."
Jolene laughed softly and plucked his shirt buttons open and drug his soaked shirt down his arms and let it drop in a white heap on the ground near his coat. "I've been learning things about what men like."
He leaned forward and pulled one of her burgundy nipples into his scorching mouth with a long slow suck. Jolene dropped her head back as the spikes of intense pleasure shot through her. He held her so that she didn't fall on her weakened knees. He played with her other nipple already under the rain's gentle assault leaving her weak with need.
"You are so hot and so beautiful." Patrick whispered against her skin, causing her to buck up to his inviting lips.
After he had completely ravished one breast, he moved to the other on a single minded suckling assault that did send Jolene to her knees.
He made a soft low guttural sound and pushed her the rest of the way down to the wet soft green grass and followed her down, his gaze locked with hers. His purple eyes raked over her before he gently touched his lips to hers stoking the heat that left her shaking. "Yer so beautiful Jolene...so hot under my hand."
Jolene shivered hot under his words. "I am not. You know I'm not…you got all those girls running after you, pretty girls, rich girls…"
"Stop that." He lightly bit the freckles that ran along her shoulders and moved to her neck, his breath hot as it ran along her skin. "Ah but you are the most beautiful woman I have ever known, Jolene, inside and out…I canno' say no to yer any longer, God save my soul. You make me think o'things, dark lusty things I've no business thinking."
Jolene threw her head back surrendering to his pressing hot assault.
How many times had she dreamed of Patrick saying just that to her?
The warm rain continued to fall covering them in the rights of spring.
He moved on top of her slowly kissing her from her belly through the valley between her breasts to her neck and back to her lips. His lips scorched and promised. His fingers followed the same delicious path.
He bit her earlobe with his own soft moan. "Jolene you taste like summer rain."
He moved his hand between her thighs testing her soaked panties and Jolene moved her knees apart for him. He pressed her cotton-lace black panties to reveal her aching core. "See how beautiful you are." Jolene pressed into his hand craving more of his touch.
He fingers slid beneath the lace and across her with feather light rhythm. Coupled with the rain dancing along her skin Jolene was near madness, bucking against his hand. "Easy now." He breathed into her ear tugging her panties down. His fingers stroked her drenched skin pulling her opening tenderly.
The pressure built higher and higher and Patrick pressed his fingers inside of her with gentle firmness while flicking her nub with his thumb. Jolene screamed with pleasure.
She knew.
She had seen Aunt Paula and several of her boyfriends doing "it".
But only by accident.
It didn't look nice or fun. In fact, it looked horrible.
Not like this.
He unfolded her lips further, moving in long strokes that sent her arching up to his hand like a hungry lamb. Simultaneously, he drove his tongue into her mouth pulling the fire between her legs higher and higher. Jolene knew that primitive cry was hers, but she didn't care.
Her world exploded under his teasing hand and Patrick pressed himself into her swiftly and surely. She felt pain for an instant and recoiled back into the green earth.
Patrick hesitated, his breath pulled back. Then he pressed his hot tongue in her ear moving all sensations away from the pain. "Now my beautiful little filly, relax and let me ease everything for you." He moved slowly further inside of her, filling her, str
etching her and fulfilling a need she didn't even know she had.
He moved in and out of her with gentle strokes that demanded every pleasure. And the rain came harder and harder. The lightning flashed so close Jolene felt it crackle her hair. But it didn't matter, it didn't bring fear...only a sharp danger to the moment. The rain was warm and she soon met his strokes with a fast powerful gallop.
Jolene felt herself floating along the green grass in a furious pleasure daze right before she toppled over into a delicious heaven that left her quaking in wave after wave of unbelievable pleasure.
Somewhere in the pleasure-rain-haze she felt him breaking hard on top of her and he groaned and spilled hot inside of her.
In the boneless enchanting aftermath under a light rain, she rubbed his rib cage reveling in the feel of his toned fine muscle. He reminded her of a stallion.
The rain had stopped but Jolene was reluctant to move under his weight and gentle breathing.
"Patrick, I always expected an Earl to cheat, I just didn't think it would be with a poor Appalachian girl from the hills of Kentucky that he has taken in and I certainly didn't expect it to happen before we were married."
Leona's cold voice rang over the hills. Patrick stood up slowly his face closing, blocking Jolene from Leona's view as best he could. He grabbed his pants, donning them with more arrogance and utter dignity than Jolene could even think of mustering as she dove into the sodden grass and shook on her ruined dress.
Patrick turned his face to Leona with a regretful profile. "Leona, you are right about what you said that is for certain. What I have done here is unforgivable to both of you and I am more ashamed than you can imagine."
Jolene had tossed on her soggy dress and it dripped with mud and water in the light rain. The clouds began to clear and Storm stood nearby neighing softly and tossing his head.
Jolene, still coasting on the moment, crossed her arms and glared at Leona. "Well, I am not ashamed in the least. In fact of the matter I don't think Patrick should have gotten engaged to such a terrible snob as you in the first place."
Leona pointed at her, tears welling in her eyes. "See Patrick, she set this whole thing up to seduce you and separate us. She's nothing but white trash."
Patrick turned to Jolene, his violet gaze burning with a surprised question. "Is that what this was about, wanting me to break up with Leona?"
"No of course not! I am just saying I have always hated her."
He shook his head looking within his own bewildered thoughts as if the truth suddenly hit him. "After all I've done for yer Jolene, you'd not wish me well with the girl I chose to marry?"
Jolene stood facing him across the proverbial bridge she could see was on fire. "Patrick, she isn't the right woman for you…she is calculating and manipulative, can't you see that?"
Leona glared at her with covetous hatred. "Well you are a little bitch, after what you have done here, that is for sure!"
Patrick strode over to Jolene and grabbed her arm. "What a terrible thing to say about someone, especially after the hurt we have both caused right in front of her eyes."
Jolene felt biting jealousy and bitterness rise to white hot. "You know she is only marrying you for your money and title."
Leona took several steps forward, the rain melting her eye makeup down her face. "Why you little piece of redneck trash! Patrick showed me where you lived with your Aunt Paula you know." Her eyes became cold slits. "But then everyone all over town knows what trash Paula is…looks like you are following in her footsteps laying out in the grass with any man that comes along...stealing other people's men like some slut."
Jolene wanted to choke over her humiliation. She turned to Patrick with burning eyes. "You took her by where I lived so you could both feel sorry for me and you could brag about your charity? You wanted to humiliate me?"
Patrick slackened his anger with pity. "No Jolene, Leona was just curious about you is all. She felt very sorry for you."
"I'll just bet."
Leona, with the new weapon advanced forward. "You are so ungrateful after all he did for you. But then white trash is never grateful….you wanted him for yourself…that is why you threw yourself at him at every turn."
Jolene looked up into Patrick's stormy violet eyes feeling his furious heat. "What did you give me Patrick?" Her voice was a dark whisper that belonged to someone else. "You got my family farm for next to nothing so the Earl of Meath could go play horse games in the hills and do charity work for the local poor girl."
A coldness settled in her heart like an impenetrable stone.
Yes, it was true she had wanted them both to pay. She had been broken hearted and hurting over Patrick's engagement…over everything he had done…not the least of which was making her love him when he had taken everything that mattered to her.
Patrick dropped her arm with disgust twisting his lips. "If that is what yer think Jolene than maybe it is time for yer to go. I got money from Storm's winnings and the money we made off of him since then…studding and such. I've been saving it for yer and it is all in the Kentucky Central Bank. All yer have to do is show them yer driver's license."
Jolene felt the world crumbling under her feet, but the anger, degradation and hurt surrounded her like a steal cloak.
"You can bet I am leaving Patrick and I hope I never see you again."
"You go then girl because after today I don't want to see you ever again either."
Chapter 20
.... [On my birthday my father gave me a dime] All that day I kept pulling the dime from my pocket and looking at it. I was so excited about the dime I could hardly wait to spend it. That afternoon, I walked down the railroad tracks to the coal company store to spend my money. As I walked through the store, I eyed the candy, the comic books, the yo-yo’s and then I saw the shelf of beans. I knew then what I wanted to buy with my dime. I walked over and picked out some pinto beans and bought them with my dime.
That night for dinner the beans completed our meal. We had to hold the meal though, because my father was very late getting home. We were all so worried. When my father finally came home, we all enjoyed the meal so much.
Later that evening, I found out that my father had walked all the way to and from work so he could give me the dime for his bus ride. The depression caused many hardships, but it also brought out the good in many people. The depression made me realize that my father loved me enough to give me his last dime. Mary Margarette Donnelly Hill - From her vignettes " Moonshine, Mountains and Memories of my Grandmother."
"He went back with her you know." Aunt Paula kicked the motel door shut with feigned outrage.
Jolene sat down at the small table by the window with her cup of coffee from Starbrew. "I know, I heard. Thank you for being kind enough to stop by to let me know Aunt Paula."
Aunt Paula plopped down on the motel bed and lifted her sandaled feet to admire her new pedicure. It never ceased to amaze Jolene how Aunt Paula would waste so much money on things like nails and pedicures when she could barely afford basic living expenses.
"It's all over Paris about Leona Mason finding you and Patrick rolling around in the grass in the rain. Right proud of you I was…she is such a bitch and everybody knows it. Always flashing her tail and titties around town."
Jolene sighed. Would the humiliation ever cease?
Not in a small town.
She was certain Leona kept the tongues wagging for sympathy and to continue her humiliation. "We were not rolling in the grass."
What had she been thinking to let Patrick make love to her outside in the rain?
Of course, she had not been thinking at all and that was the problem.
Aunt Paula chuckled. "I knew he wanted you the day he brought you by and picked up your stuff. Maybe everybody else is blaming you but I know better. I saw the way he was looking at you that day."
Jolene cut off the extreme desire to scream. "Thank you for taking up for me Aunt Paula. But I think it was as much my fault as his. I don'
t know what happened."
Paula laughed and fell back on the bed looking at the ceiling. "What is to figure out? He is a hunk with a pretty accent. You are a young woman. It is spring. Just nature is all." She turned her head and mascara-thick eyes to Jolene. "All the animals are out fornicating, so is the same for people."
Jolene dropped her face into her hands. "I don't want to talk about Patrick and Leona."
Paula sat up submerging with delight into more gossip. "They are planning a big wedding. I mean, really big and have 'in out at the Lexington Country Club."
Jolene looked up scowling. "Not another word!"
"Have you got an apartment yet?" Aunt Paula sniffed, tucked her feet under her and looked at Jolene with hard eyes.
Jolene stood up and paced around the motel room as she had done a lot while trying to dig herself up from under the rubble of the last few weeks since she left Patrick. "Not yet…I just heard back from UK on my application that I sent out while still at school. I wanted to wait to see if I get accepted before finding a place. I logged in using the wireless internet at the coffee shop on my laptop and found out I had been accepted." She stopped and wiped dust from the top of the old television that sat on a rickety stand. "So, yesterday I found a small house with a fenced yard near the school so I can pick up Finnegan and Oliver from Patrick's place and move us in by Saturday."
Aunt Paula examined her painted fingernail tips. "You could come live with me…just have to pay me a little rent."
Jolene knew what that comment meant. Aunt Paula was out of money. And looking for cash.
Nothing new about that.
The very idea of living with Aunt Paula again was enough to make her stomach queasy. "I am sorry Aunt Paula. We both know it would never work for me to come live with you again."
Aunt Paula pouted. "You hurt my feelings. I know my place ain't fancy like Patrick's but we get by."
Jolene went to the dingy window of the motel to look outside rather than face Aunt Paula. The father of the family that had moved into the motel a few days after her was sitting out in an aluminum lawn seat by the cloudy pool. His two small girls were splashing happily in the pool filled with leaves and a tinge of scum ringing the cracked tile.
Once Upon a Misty Bluegrass Hill Page 15
