A Nice Boy: Arranged Marriage Romance

by Rocklyn Ryder

  "Hey Josh," Veronica's voice sounds a little different in person than it did on the video calls, "nice to finally meet you in person."

  The taller woman leans in and gives me a friendly hug which I return kinda half-assed because I can't stop looking at Caitlyn.

  Veronica laughs a little, "This is Caitlyn. Cait, this is Joshua."

  And just like that I feel like the whole fucking universe moves about a foot to the left and then clicks into place. Finally.

  I reach for Caitlyn's hand and I try not to hurt her by squeezing too hard with my clumsy mitt as I look into those baby blues, "Josh," it comes out kinda raspy and I hope I don't sound completely lame. I clear my throat a little and test my voice again, "You look really nice, Caitlyn. It's nice to meet you finally."

  Color floods into her cheeks and her lashes flutter in a way that I know is totally involuntary. Her eyes drop off mine and I can fucking feel them making their way over my body.

  It feels fucking amazing and I'm pissed as hell that we have to go inside for whatever a "claydate" is when I could be driving her back to my hotel room to make her scream till she passes out.

  Then I'd take her ring shopping because I want to make it official as soon as possible.

  I don't want to waste another minute without Caitlyn as my wife.

  Chapter 8

  Caitlyn

  By the time we arrive at the pottery place, we've been laughing so much that I've forgotten to be nervous.

  Ronni's trying to tell me about Joshua. He lives in some small town that's about 800 miles away. Ronni says he's driving out instead of flying though, said he was excited to make it into a road trip.

  I've never been very adventurous, I haven't been on a road trip since I was 9. My parents took me to the Grand Canyon. I don't really remember much, my mom was so worried that I'd get car sick she gave me some anti-nausea stuff before we left and I slept through most of the trip.

  Joshua is taking two days to drive out here just to meet me. I feel so special. I wonder if we'll take road trips together when we're married. I think I'd like that. I think I'd like taking road trips a lot.

  I haven't gotten to see any pictures of my future husband yet. I get why Grams won't tell me what he looks like, Grams is the sweetest thing on earth-- even if it turns out she was a little wild in her youth-- she's not focused on what a man looks like. She's more concerned with whether or not he's going to be faithful to me, be a good husband and father, has the means to support a family. All that old fashioned stuff. I completely ignore the voice in my head that reminds me that she would also take into account the size of his equipment if she had a chance. I'm trying really hard to forget I know that.

  Ronni, on the other hand, has made a point of not giving in to my curious inquiries. I've specifically avoided begging for detailed descriptions. I just want to know the basics-- Is he cute? Is he tall? Does he have dark hair or light? What if I'm not attracted to him? Ronni keeps telling me not worry about that, she keeps promising "I got your back, girl, don't worry."

  Pulling into the parking lot I see handful of cars scattered through it. We had a hard time thinking of places to meet that were both alcohol free and still quiet enough to actually talk. Other than meeting for coffee, of course. Ronni thought that was too cliché.

  We settled on the ClayDate. It's one of those places where you pick out something and paint it on site-- mostly ceramics-- and then they fire it in the kiln while you wait. I've never been here but Ronni says her kids love it. So that's good, I think as we pull into a parking space, it's the perfect place if Joshua turns out to be a 15 year old girl.

  I've remembered to be nervous again. Ronni's out of the car already but I hang back, trying to absorb a little of the safety of her soccer mom station wagon for a few more seconds.

  I keep telling myself that I don't have to worry about whether or not Joshua likes me. Our compatibility has been narrowed down with razor sharp precision. At least, as razor sharp as can be considering I didn't even have answers for a lot of the questions on Raven's application.

  The initial application had over a thousand questions on it and a lot of them were about things I just haven't had time to explore. I don't know if I'd rather get drunk or high. I haven't really done much of either. I have no way of knowing if I prefer vacations to tropical climates or cold ones. I've never gone anywhere on my vacations-- I usually just turn off the phone and curl up with a couple of books in my apartment.

  I certainly couldn't answer most of the sexual questions. Not that I haven't had sex before, but I've only been with a couple of guys and they weren't exactly imaginative.

  I didn't even realize how boring my life has been till I filled out Raven's application. Now I'm about to get married, to a man I haven't even met yet. If I ever wanted to experiment, I'm pretty much giving up that opportunity. I don't figure on getting many chances to experiment after I'm married.

  Joshua and I are both eager to start a family shortly after we get married. I expect my future will be full of crock put dinners and homework before bedtime, soccer practice and dance classes, and sneaking in a little good-night sex under the covers before we roll over and go to sleep.

  Maybe that sounds a little boring, I admit as I quiet the butterflies in my stomach and prepare to get out of the car, but that's marriage. That's how life works after you settle down and start having kids.

  Whatever experience I have at this point in my life will have to carry me through. I don't know much about my future husband yet, I only know that my grandparents and Ronni all agree that Joshua is a good match for me. Which probably means that he doesn't have much more experience than I do.

  As I shut the car door behind me, I see the man that Ronni is walking over to meet up with.

  I almost fall off my own shoes.

  Ronni is headed straight toward the man leaning casually against the side of a shiny black muscle car. I watch him smile warmly as Veronica greets him, and it hits me. That's him.

  My gut twists and I fight the urge to turn and lock myself back in Ronni's car.

  He's tall and lean and he looks like he spends a lot of time at the gym. He's wearing a simple t-shirt that looks anything but simple the way it's virtually spray painted over his body. I can see every dip and edge of the muscles that ripple and bulge under the thin, dark material.

  One arm is entirely covered in tattoos. Entirely covered. Down to his wrist. From this distance I can see the swirling designs permanently etched onto his body in deep, vibrant colors and I wonder what I'll see when I get close enough to make out the individual images.

  His hair is cut short on the sides and long enough on the top to flop to one side and hang into his eyes. His beard is full and thick and matches his nearly black hair.

  His blue jeans are well worn but not threadbare and they fit tight over thighs that I imaging are just as thickly muscled as his arms and chest, but relaxed enough that they hang low on his hips and I can't help but drop my eyes to his crotch and wonder...

  I realize I'm standing not far from this man now. My eyes have traveled the full length of his body and landed on exactly the spot that's the most conspicuous thing to get caught staring at. My heart is beating in double time and I'm not sure I'm still breathing as I realize he's watching me.

  Shit. Not only am I totally caught eye fucking this man, but I think he likes it.

  "Cait, this is Joshua," I hear Ronni make the introductions. There's a note of amusement in her voice and I'm pretty sure she knows that this man is not at all what I was expecting. I half wonder if this is a joke and my real match is waiting inside.

  Joshua steps forward and takes my hand in his. I watch my hand disappear as his fingers wrap around it and I force my eyes up to his perfect hazel gaze.

  "Josh," he introduces himself less formally and his voice is all whiskey and broken glass and it does something wicked to me in the most intimate places of my body. I'm so glad the bra I picked out is padded because the thinner one
would give me away right now, showing the stiff peaks that my nipples become at the sound of his voice.

  He clears his throat and I vaguely hear him compliment me in a voice that feels like being scrubbed with a pumice stone and then wrapped in warm fleece. The heat from his hand and the sound of his rough voice combine into something that blocks out everything but just the two of us.

  My eyes fall off his and move down his body, taking in the muscles and the tattoos and the way his stomach is flat as a board as it drops down to the ridge along the zipper of his jeans. I feel heat flow through my core and I'm very aware that my panties are not as dry as they were a moment ago. My body's reaction to him catches me off guard and I feel the heat burning in my face as I realize he's watching me stare at him again.

  This can't be the man that I'm supposed to marry, I think as I pull my hand from his and hurry inside. Grams said Josh was a nice boy. This man looks like a parole officer's nightmare.

  I swallow hard as Josh's long legs easily out pace me to the door in time to hold it open for me. OK, not nightmare, I correct myself as I whisper my thanks and step inside, but nice boys don't look like this guy and guys that look like this don't marry girls like me.

  Chapter 9

  Joshua

  This Claydate place is kinda hokey. I'm not too good for hokey I figure as I watch the girls searching across shelves of unfinished ceramic crap to paint during our session.

  Ronni's a cool enough chick. We got along pretty well during our video interviews. I live a little too far from here for it to make sense for us to do interviews in person so we did a lot of emailing and a couple of video chats. I also met Caitlyn's grandparents. Her grandmother is one crazy old lady. I think the old woman made me blush with all the things she wanted to know about me.

  At least I know Caitlyn comes from good stock. Good chance we'll still be rattling the headboard into our 70s if she's anything like Grandma.

  I watch Caitlyn pick up a plate or a plaque or-- fuck if I know what it's called-- it's a flat thing that hangs on the wall. The front of it has a full moon rising behind some mountains and a howling wolf on it in relief and I gotta admit I'm kinda surprised to see her go for that. I thought she'd pick out a kitten or a unicorn to paint.

  Ronni's already claimed one of the tables and set up a tray of paints but I'm in no hurry to go hang out with our chaperon. I'm still trying to figure out how to get Caitlyn alone somewhere.

  I stand close to her and find excuses to touch her like it's accidental. I like looking down at the tops of her tits and watching her blush so hard that the pale flesh burns bright red. Every time I bump against her shoulder she jumps like she's getting an electrical shock.

  Yeah. I feel that too. That's why I can't stop doing it.

  I reach over her head for a dragon figurine that's on the top shelf. I have no fucking clue what I'm going to do with the damn thing, but as ceramic shit goes the dragon's pretty fucking bad ass so I guess if I gotta paint something today that's gonna be it.

  Mostly, I love that reaching past Caitlyn means that I'm turned toward her slightly and my eyes lock on hers as I pull down the dragon without looking at it. Can't, too busy watching Caitlyn's pupils dilate at my chest brushes her nips.

  Not like I can see em or anything, she's got one of those thickass padded bras on that smooths all her natural lines, but from the way her eyes widen slightly and her lips part just a little bit, I know her nipples are hard as rocks under that flowery little dress she's wearing and fuck if the thought doesn't make my dick jump.

  That's not why I almost drop the damn dragon though. I catch it in time and I don't even think Caitlyn noticed that I was about to just grab her. Right here in this little shop with the sweet old lady behind the counter. I swear I was going to wrap my hands around Caitlyn's waist and pull her mouth onto mine. Let the damn dragon hit the floor.

  I don't though. I'm pretty sure the shattering pottery would have ruined the moment. So I settle for pressing a little too close for her to think it's an accident and loving the way her eyelashes do that fluttery thing like she wants to moan.

  I can't think about Caitlyn moaning. If I get that image in my head I'm going to be walking to our table with a helluva bulge in my jeans and as much as I'd like to see Caitlyn's face when she sees what she's doing to me-- I don't need to draw that kind of attention to myself in a place full of kids.

  Caitlyn sits down across from Veronica and I drag a chair up so I'm sitting next to her. I see Ronni smile at us as she paints the mug she picked out.

  I grab a paint brush and the black glaze from the center of the table and turn to look at Caitlyn. I can feel her body winding up tightly next to me and I like knowing it's because I'm in her space.

  I start covering the entire dragon in black glaze.

  "You're just going to paint the whole thing black?" Caitlyn asks as she notices what I'm doing.

  "Yup," I answer seriously.

  "That doesn't seem very imaginative."

  She sounds disappointed. Like she was expecting me to take this serious. I sneak a look at her out of the corner of my eye and grin, "What made you think I'd be imaginative?" I prod.

  Her full lips are pressed together in a little bow and I want to run my thumb across her mouth, stick it between those lips and see if she'll roll her eyes into the back of her head while I make her suck on it.

  Good thing I'm sitting down now, cause my cock just volunteered to be next.

  "Um," the tip of her hot pink tongue slips between her lips and runs along the top one and I seriously consider just throwing her up on the table and spreading her out in front of me, "I don't know," she admits with a weak little shrug of her shoulders and I swear she sounds like I just broke her heart.

  For some reason, I can't stand to let her think I'd actually just slop some damn black paint on this thing and call it done, "Don't worry, Sugar," I lean over and whisper in her ear, "keep watching."

  I see her whole body shiver as my breath blows against her skin and I risk touching my lips against the spot just in front of her ear. Nothing too crazy, but I need to know what her skin feels like and fuck it's soft and smooth and I know I shouldn't have done that because now I'm not gonna be able to stop.

  Caitlyn gasps but she doesn't pull away and it's damn hard to go back to painting my damn dragon.

  "Hey you two!" Veronica's glaring at us across the table, brandishing her paint brush, "no monkey business on your first date! You two are supposed to be talking."

  I glance at Caitlyn and watch her blush furiously while she lowers her head and concentrates on the scene she's painting. She so fucking cute.

  I just shrug at Ronni, I ain't sorry...and I'm gonna do it again. No sense making any promises I don't intend to keep.

  Ronni shakes her head as her eyes shift from Caitlyn to me and back and then she goes back to her project.

  I wash out the brush and wait for the black base coat to air dry before picking out the next color. While I watch the wet shine of the glaze fade to a dull gray, I lower my hand under the table and let it rest on my thigh while I make sure Ronni's not paying attention. Then I move my hand over and let it rest on Caitlyn's thigh.

  She makes a sharp noise that isn't quite a gasp and freezes under my touch. My fingers gather the fabric of her dress up till I feel bare flesh under my hand. Caitlyn is statue still and I can hear her breathing hard. She's still working on painting the wolf on the plaque and I smile at the way the paint brush starts shaking in her hand.

  My hand flattens on her skin and my fingers slip up the soft inside of her thigh. I have to pull firmly to loosen her frozen muscles so that her knees fall apart and I get access to the place I'm working toward.

  Her panties are soaked through when I get the tips of my fingers against the silky barrier that stands between me and Caitlyn's most private places.

  I can't get the best angle without being way more obvious than I already am so I have to make do, rubbing against the wet fabric with the
pad of my thumb before slipping under the edge of the silky material. I feel her holding her breath and then suddenly her hand flies under the table and grabs me by the wrist. I think she's going to yank my hand off of her and I start to pull back but she holds me in place, begging my fingers to keep sliding along her moist flesh.

  After a moment to catch her breath, Caitlyn moves my hand away and puts it back on my own knee.

  "Um," she announces shyly, "I'll be right back."

  She slides off her chair, careful to smooth her dress along the backs of her legs, "I just have to find the ladies' room," she explains to Veronica.

  "It's down that hallway, to the left," Ronni motions with the end of her brush, "here, I'll go with."

  Veronica begins to set her brush down but Caitlyn quickly waves her off, insisting that she stay here with me and that she'll be right back.

  I can't help but smile watching Caitlyn hurry off for some privacy as Ronni watches her with a curious look.

  "So?" Veronica turns her attention on me, "You two aren't doing much talking," she accuses.

  "She seems nervous," I say casually as I draw my paintbrush over the dragon's scales, "I don't want to freak her out."

  "Well maybe you could do more talking and less kissing and she'd get un-nervous?"

  Uh-oh, I'm in trouble with the chaperon, "Or maybe more kissing would get her un-nervous?"

  Veronica laughs at me with a shake of her head, "You just keep painting your dragon while I go check on her."

  Ronni heads off in the direction that Caitlyn went and I lift my hand and breathe in Caitlyn's scent covering my fingertips. I almost groan at how sweet she is and I know it's gonna be hell sitting next to here without getting a taste.