Love Notes

by Michelle Windsor

  Her head tilts so she can look me in the eye as she whispers back, “But?”

  I grin mischievously. “But then we may never make it to dinner, and I’m hungry.” Instead, I place my lips on hers for the briefest of moments, so I can get just a little taste and then pull away, her eyes following me. “Come on, let’s go in.”

  I take her hand, pull her away from the truck, and then shut the door before leading her inside the restaurant. They seat us at a quiet table next to a window overlooking the street, and we both agree it’s perfect for people watching. We order wine, and I’m ecstatic that she’s not one of those girls that orders a salad and then just picks at it. She orders a rib eye and mashed potatoes and actually eats it.

  During dinner, we talk about how college was for her, and how not going to college was for me. We talk about how books feed her soul and about the story ideas she has floating around in her head. I tell her it’s exactly how I feel about music and writing songs. She finally tells me more about what she writes, even confessing that she recently sent a book she finished this winter off to several publishers and that she goes to the mailbox every day checking for a reply.

  The more we talk, the more connected I feel to her, and the guiltier I begin to feel knowing I’m leaving in the fall. I don’t want to lead her on, but since I’m not really sure I even know where this is going yet, I don’t know if I should say anything. I watch as she takes another sip of her wine, her delicate lips on the edge of the glass, and know this is a girl I don’t want to be unfair to. I need to be upfront with her, so I take a deep breath and blow it out before I begin.

  “So, just to be fair, you should know I’ll be leaving for New York in the fall.” I watch her set the wine glass on the table and nod her head.

  “Yeah, Kelly mentioned you said something to her about that.” Her fingers trail around the base of the glass as she continues. “So, it’s a sure thing then that you’re going?”

  “I leave in September. I’ve been planning and saving up for the last two years. I have a friend with a small record company in Brooklyn. We’re going to make a demo album and try to get it out to some of the big labels.”

  She takes a sip of her wine and looks up at me with a small smile on her face. “It’s a good plan, and you are so talented. I’d hate to see you waste that here in a small town.”

  “It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of. My whole life, for as long as I can remember, all I’ve ever wanted to do is play my music to thousands of people.”

  “Then you’re doing the right thing. You have to follow your dreams, Justin.” Her smile is genuine, but I can also see a sadness in her eyes.

  “The problem is, now that I’ve met you, and now that I’m getting to know you, I don’t want to stop.”

  “Who says we have to?” She shrugs lightly. “I mean, do we have to have a bunch of rules around this? If we like spending time together, can’t we just do that then? Whatever happens, happens. I mean, it’s only May. September is a whole season away.”

  Is this girl for real? My mouth almost hangs open in shock at how easy going she’s being about this. “Seriously?”

  She laughs softly. “Seriously. I mean, who knows? By July, you may end up running away with Sheila.”

  My eyes fly open in surprise. “Sheila from the pub? The one Kelly calls Bozo the Clown, Sheila?”

  She laughs out loud and then covers her mouth when she realizes everyone in the restaurant has turned to look at her. “Well, she is your biggest fan.”

  “Oof. I think I’ll stick with you if that’s okay.”

  She smiles sweetly at me and finally responds, her voice quiet. “That’s okay with me.”

  * * *

  CHAPTER NINE

  H e pays the check, helps me put my coat on, and leads me back to the truck to take me home. We’re both quiet for a few minutes; I think both of us are digesting our dinner and the conversation we just had. When I can’t stand it any longer, I reach out and motion to his radio. “Okay if I turn it on?”

  He nods. “Sure.”

  I push the power button on and turn to look at him as soon as the music pours over the speakers. The song “Linger” is playing, and I wonder to myself if this is a damn sign. Before I can even ask, he reaches for the eject button and pushes it, a Cranberries disc sliding out. He takes it, slips it into a pocket on his visor, then looks at my stunned expression and shrugs. “What? I like that song.”

  I feel my cheeks lift and nod back at him. “It’s recently become a favorite of mine, too.” I unbuckle my seatbelt and slide closer to him so I can see what other CDs he might have hidden in his visor when the truck comes to a screeching halt. His arm is out and holding me in place, keeping me from flying forward as I clutch the dash.

  “You okay?” He looks over at me and then back at the road. I nod my head, tongue-tied and still in shock at the abrupt stop. “Look.” He points out the window. “There are baby foxes in the road.”

  I look out the window, and sure enough, there are three little babies in the middle of the road surrounding something. “Is that their mom? Is she dead?”

  “I’m not sure.” I watch as he flips the hazards on and hops out of the truck. “Stay put while I check it out.”

  Well, that’s not going to happen! I open my door, climb out of my side, and sneak around the front of the truck where he’s crouched down and investigating. His head pops up when he sees me, and a frown appears on his lips before he looks back down at the foxes. “It looks like one of the babies got run over and they don’t want to leave it.”

  I scoot closer, but slowly so I don’t scare the little ones away. “Is it alive? Can we do anything for it? Do you think the mom is around?”

  He shakes his head. “No, it’s definitely gone. The mom’s probably not far away, but she’s smart enough to stay out of the road.” He reaches up and runs his hand through his neat hair and sighs. “I think the only thing I can do is move the dead one off into the woods and hope the little ones will follow. At least we can get them out of the road that way.”

  I nod my head at his plan. “Okay, what can I do? Anything?”

  He points to the truck. “Can you grab my work gloves out of the side pocket in the driver’s door?”

  I run around him and the foxes over to the door, grab the gloves, and then run back and hand them to him. I can’t believe no cars have come by yet. I guess it’s one of the advantages to Sunday night in a small town. I watch him pull the gloves on and then gently push the little foxes away from their dead sibling as he scoops it up. He carries it over to the side of the road, walks about ten feet into the woods, and sets it down.

  I’m so happy when I see the other little ones actually follow behind him and scurry into the woods and off the road. He walks out of the woods, clapping the gloves together to loosen away any of the fur and grime, and I run up to him and throw my arms around him in a hug.

  “That was so amazing!” I kiss him quickly on the cheek and step back. “You’re their hero!”

  He grins sheepishly and puts an arm around me to lead me back to the truck. “I couldn’t leave them in the road to get run over.”

  “Many would have driven right by.” I beam up at him, feeling like he saved my life and not the foxes’, and think I might be falling just a little bit in love with him right here.

  “Come on, up you go.” He lifts me up into the truck on the driver’s side and then slides in next to me. I stay in the middle, wanting to be close to him, and rest my hand on his leg as he starts the truck and continues the drive back to my house.

  His rests his hand over mine, and I shiver each time his thumb runs back and forth against my skin. We’re both quiet, both stealing looks at each other, both feeling something more building. When we finally get to my apartment, he jumps out, pulls me across the seat, and wraps his hands around my waist to lower me to the ground. I look up at him as he lowers me and, for the first time, notice how dark his eyes look. He takes my hand and leads me u
p the stairs. “Come on.”

  At the top, I dig my keys out of my purse and unlock the door. I step inside first, and he follows, shutting the door and then pressing me up against it as his lips slam against mine. I drop my purse and keys to the ground and wrap my arms around his neck, gripping onto his hair as his hands find my face. His tongue sweeps across my lips, and I moan, giving him the invitation to explore further with his tongue, our teeth clacking as we cling to each other almost desperately.

  His hands slide down my body and under my legs, lifting them, urging me to wrap them around his waist, and he grinds into me. The sensation against my core causes me to moan, my head thrusting back and slamming into the door. “Ouch.” I reach up and rub the back of my head, and he swings us away from the door, walking the short distance to the couch.

  He spins again, sitting down, my legs shifting so I’m straddling him, his hand moving to my back, pulling me flush to him. “Better?”

  “Better.” I fuse my mouth to his, and we are all tongues and hot breaths and moans as I rub my core over his hardened length, his hand tangled in my hair. I’m so hot and move to take my jacket off, which he helps me with once he realizes what I’m doing. Next, he’s pulling my shirt over my head, his eyes fixed on my lace-covered breasts once it’s off. I pull back slightly and begin unbuttoning his shirt as quickly as I can, pulling on the tucked in portion until it comes free of his pants and then slide it over his shoulders and off his arms.

  I run my hands over the smooth planes of his chest, down his bumpy abdomen, and then back up again, finally resting them on his shoulders. He’s so Goddamn beautiful in his perfection that I just want to run my hands over every inch of him. I push against his shoulders and then stand up, looking down at him, his brows furrowed and head tilted in question.

  I hold my hand out. “Come with me.”

  * * *

  TAKING HER HAND, I stand, thanking the heavens above that she isn’t telling me no. I follow her as she walks through the bathroom, which leads to her bedroom. I chuckle as she drops my hand and moves to the bed, quickly scooping up a pile of clothes and moving them to a chair in the corner of the room. “Sorry. I can be a bit of a slob.”

  I nod my head, move to stand in front of her, and then bring my fingers to the tie holding her pants up. “Why don’t we add these to that pile over there?” As I lower my lips to hers, I untie the knot. They slide to the floor, and she steps out of them as I move my hands to my own belt, making quick work of it and my button, before shoving them down my legs. I don’t want to stop kissing her, so I toe my shoes off and then step out of my pants as I push her down onto the bed.

  Lowering myself over her until I feel her skin against mine, I slowly thrust myself against her, my cock straining against my briefs. Her back arches off the bed, her covered breasts rubbing into my chest as her hands clutch against my back, her nails digging in. Sliding my hand down over her breast, I feel her hardened nipple and continue down, slipping it between us until my fingers brush the elastic of her underwear.

  My hand glides under the fabric and then lower until I feel her core under my fingers. I drag my finger through her wetness, eliciting a long moan as her hips surge forward at my touch. I continue rubbing as I kiss her neck and then suck on a taut nipple through the material of her bra. Her hand moves over my cock, grabbing it and then squeezing, and I groan loudly.

  “Condom? Do you have a condom?” she asks between heavy breaths, and I nod my head, reaching on the floor and into my pants pocket for my wallet. I pull the condom out with my teeth, and she grabs it, ripping the packet open and handing it back to me, then moves to push my briefs down over my hips. I roll to my side and slide the condom on as she pushes her own underwear down and off her legs.

  I roll back over and lower myself slowly, finding her gaze before moving any further. “Are you sure?”

  “Oh my God, yes.” Her hands find my ass, and she moves me between her legs in desperation. I line myself up to her core and push the tip in slowly. I want to keep my eyes open so I can see her face, but she feels so Goddamn good that they close in ecstasy as her core tightens around me. When I’m all the way in, I stay still for just a moment, savoring the feeling of her pulsing around my cock, and then pull out and surge back in.

  “God! Justin, that feels so good!” She’s clutching my back, meeting me thrust for thrust, as I continue to move in and out of her. I grip the pillow under her head, bringing her face to mine, and kiss her. I want to feel every piece of her.

  I move over her and change my rhythm, grinding my hips against her, feeling myself rub against her clit. She grips me harder, her mouth falling open. Her eyes scrunch up. “Oh, I’m going to come. I’m going to come.”

  Thrusting harder, I grab her hair in my hands now, pulling her head back as I push in one last time, exploding as I feel her insides clench onto my cock in a tight grip, before pulsing madly. “Fuck, you’re so perfect, so fucking perfect.”

  I loosen my grip on her hair and look down at her as I feel her grip on my back relax and the muscles locked around my cock soften. Her eyes flutter open, her lashes brushing against her flushed cheeks as she blinks, her lips puffy from our kissing. I lean down and brush my lips lightly against them as I slowly pull out of her and roll over.

  I roll the condom off and then carry it to the toilet and flush it away. When I walk quickly back to the bed, I notice her eyes are following my every move. “What are you looking at?”

  “Just your fine ass.” She giggles. “I mean, I’ve always thought it looked pretty good in your jeans, but damn, it’s even better in the flesh.”

  I slide my boxers on, find her underwear on the floor and hand them to her, and then slide back in the bed next to her. She wiggles the lacy panties on and then lays across my chest, her blonde hair spilling across it like a blanket. I run my fingers through it, loving how silky it feels against my skin. “That was pretty amazing.”

  “Uh-huh.” Even from here, I can see her cheeks flushing pink. “Definitely amazing.”

  “Who knew foxes were such a turn-on?” I chuckle, her head bobbing under the movement.

  “It wasn’t the foxes. It’s what you did with the foxes.” She turns her head toward me and raises her eyebrows. “Seriously hot.”

  “Really? Saving a few foxes?” I shrug, not sure what to think. I deal with animals all day long so it doesn’t really seem like a big deal to me.

  “Justin, you sing beautifully, you’re a gentleman, you are insanely good looking, seem to be fairly smart, and now you saved some wildlife. If a girl’s panties don’t get wet over that, there’s a problem.”

  “You think I’m insanely good looking?” I smile, getting slightly full of myself.

  She rolls over and climbs up my body, finally resting in a straddled position over me. She brings a finger up to my lips and runs it slowly down the center of my body, not stopping until she’s reached the juncture between her legs. “Do you want to see what your insanely good looks are doing to my panties?”

  Holy fucking shit. She’s a completely different person in bed. A complete wildcat. I grin wickedly and then roll over, pinning her under me, and slide down to find out just how good looking she thinks I am.

  * * *

  CHAPTER TEN

  I t’s only been three weeks since Justin took me to dinner at Tilton’s, but it seems like so much more time has passed between us. We spend almost every night together; me mostly at his place because he has to get up so early to work the farm. But on weekends, he’s been staying with me since I live closer to the bar.

  Every weekend, Justin is bringing a bigger crowd into the bar, so big that we had to actually hire a door person to manage the crowd. It’s been great for me and Kelly, since the tips are rolling in, and we started charging a cover that we split with Justin. I still haven’t heard back from any of the publishing houses I sent my book to, but I keep checking the mail each day, hoping sooner or later I’ll get some news.

  It’s
Wednesday, and just after two-thirty, so I’m at the library, putting away the books Mr. Arnold used today. I have no idea what that man is researching. He tells me it’s a secret project and I’ll know what I need to know when I need to know it. Kids are still in school for another week, but with finals done and out of the way, I don’t expect things to get any busier today.

  The door swishes, and I look up, my lips curving into a smile as a thousand butterflies flutter in my stomach when Justin strolls toward me. “Hey, beautiful.”

  I come around the table and meet him halfway. “Hey yourself.” He wraps me in his arms and brings his lips to mine, their warmth always welcome. After a minute, I push him away, my body heating, and fan myself. “You sure know how to kiss a girl.”

  He beams and plants his hands on my waist then walks me backward until we’re in the far corner, pushing me up against one of the stacks. “I know how to do a few other things, too.” He waggles his brows and bends down, planting soft kisses along my neck and up to my ear.

  “Hmmm, that feels nice.” I run my fingers through his thick locks and close my eyes, my skin pebbling even though I’m feeling warmer. His lips stop, and I open my eyes to find him looking at my hair. “What?”

  “Why do you always have that pencil stuck in there?” He motions to the top of my head with his chin because his hands are currently busy rubbing my ass.

  “My hair always gets in my eyes when I’m reading, so I knot it up on top of my head and throw a pencil in to hold it. Does it bother you?” I pat my hair with my hand, trying to find the damn pencil.

  He shakes his head and gives me a feral grin. “I love it, especially when you wear these tight skirts. It’s sexy as hell.”

  I finally find the pencil and pull it out, my hair tumbling down around my face in waves as I shake my head slightly, and then pull my bottom lip between my teeth, knowing full well what that does to him.