by Anna S. Lae
Table of Contents
An Enticing Ride
Publishing Page
Dedication
An Enticing Ride
About the Author
Also Available
Also Read
Thank You
An Enticing Ride
by
Anna S. Lae
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
An Enticing Ride
COPYRIGHT © 2015 by Stacy S. Brewer
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by Diana Carlile
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com
Publishing History
First Scarlet Rose Edition, 2015
Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0158-7
Published in the United States of America
Dedication
To My Editor Sharon,
For taking a chance on an unknown author
who wondered if she, herself, could.
Thank you for believing.
An Enticing Ride
Abby looked down at her phone as Fat Bottom Girls by Queen alerted her to a new text message. She reached over, scooted aside the glass of chocolate milk her son had been drinking before he left for his father’s house, and gently unplugged the charger cord from the phone’s base to get a better look at the sender’s name.
Zack.
“We rode the snowmobiles up and I’m at the bar, wanna meet?” it simply read.
She’d already settled in for the evening. It had been a long, tiring, and uncomfortable day. In fact, the first thing she’d done when she got home from work this evening was reach behind her body and strip her ill-fitted, painful bra off before gleefully throwing it into the kitchen’s trash can and commencing the “happy at last” jig. She wasn’t a big girl, not a rail-thin model either, but no matter the size, if a lady’s bra did not fit her, you could guarantee it was going to be a long fucking day.
The weather had started out a little colder than usual for this time of year, averaging around twenty-nine degrees and along with the unexpected drop in temperature, a lot of soft, fluffy, white snow. Any temperature below sixty degrees was freezing to her and called for a pair of her comfy flannel pajamas, a cup of hot, soothing tea, and a warm blanket. She wanted nothing more than to curl up on the couch with her dog and dive into her latest romance book. No, leaving this spot was not what she had in mind tonight.
It had been a week since she last heard from Zack; in fact, she’d thought maybe he’d gone over a cliff somewhere and died. They were supposed to meet for an actual date—a real date. None of this come here to see me, or drop what you’re doing and make me the most important person in your life because I’m so busy crap that had been going on. However, she had not seen or heard from him that weekend or in the days since. She wasn’t accustomed to being stood up and didn’t appreciate the lack of communication from his end. She could have just as easily sent him a text. But if he was truly interested in her, he would have gotten ahold of her.
I’ve been single too long.
It was a bitter thought. Either way, the last thing she needed was a serious relationship at this time in her life. She wasn’t angry with him. She was hurt. There was a big difference between the two emotions. Zack really wasn’t the type of guy she would be with forever anyway.
Dating tended to be harder for a single mother. Some people say it’s like a job interview, and she had personally experienced that on many occasions. The vast array of thoughts that fly through a gal’s head on a normal date triples when you consider how that person would influence your kiddo’s life.
She hit reply. “I’m already in for the night, maybe next time.”
With the message sent, she took a sip of warm tea and allowed the flavor to rest upon her tongue before the smooth liquid slid to the back of her mouth and down her throat. She leaned her head back, forming a picture in her mind of the little ten-year-old, red-haired boy she used to know.
He had grown up in a small home down the street from where she lived, and they spent several summers together playing as children. He had bright intense eyes, a smile that spread from cheek to cheek, and a quiet, shy personality. But he’d been eager to branch out and spread his wings, exploring every nook and cranny of the neighboring farms with her.
His family moved away one day and life went on, until the multimedia application called Facebook came out. They had reconnected over the social Internet site and met in person on New Years’ Eve at the very bar he was now sitting at with a group of his friends.
He was no longer a little boy though. His hair had lost that glorious red sheen as he aged and settled into a dark brown that contrasted with his fair skin tone, leaving just a hint of auburn that probably highlighted his crown in the summertime.
He’d grown up and now towered over her with broad, strong shoulders and a wide, solid chest. His lean torso and long back connected to the cutest ass she’d had the nerve to look at in a long time. When he hugged her goodbye that evening, he’d had to lean down to reach around her and pull her in tight with his strong arms, up against his solid body. There were nights she dreamed of him, with those arms around her, holding and consoling her as she allowed the stress of parenting to release from her body and free her spiritually. She desperately wanted to enjoy life with a partner who cared not only for her, but for her child too.
It had been so long that when she saw him for the first time, his intense male personality and surrounding aura reawakened her senses and tugged at her heart. She was not the only one; the other patrons’ voices had silenced, heads automatically turning in his direction when he ducked low and cleared the entrance of the bar. Without effort, he demanded their attention and recognition and his presence in the room had been acknowledged.
She wanted an alpha male and a leader, but she wanted one who was confident enough in himself that her independence, strengths, and friendly personality weren’t a threat to him. She wanted a man who was bold, assertive, and emotionally stable. He would need to allow her the freedom to be herself yet empathetic with strong arms to catch and hold her when she fell as she so often did when it came to the struggles of everyday life.
There has to be a do-it-yourself guidance book somewhere on this crap. She sat and debated her options before coming to terms with herself. What the hell? Grow some balls Abby, you have no kids tonight.
Queens’ lyrics once again rang loud through the device in her hand. “Ohh, you gonna take me home tonight, Ohh, down beside that red firelight.” The ringtone brought her back into the immediate present as his one worded reply came back to her.
“Please. ”
****
After laying claim to a table hidden in one of the corners of the shit hole bar they sat in, Zack kept looking down at his phone, checking for her reply to come through. He was surprised she even answered him back when he sent the first text. By rights, she should hate him for standing her up last weekend. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he probably had.
Day after day, Zack battled an internal conflict between childhood sentiment and the lust and infatuation he now felt for her that threatened to break through his walled up and protected heart. He
wanted to please her sexually, capture her in his arms, and hold her next to him with every ounce of devotion he had within himself for the rest of eternity.
As a little girl, Abby’d been a highflying, free spirit, wandering about without a care and experiencing the world around her with such fascination and wonder. She wasn’t afraid of anything and jumped into new adventures with enthusiasm and vigor. Being just a few years older than he was, she taught him things every other young boy would have only dreamed of, leaving him with many fond, enticing memories.
One particular memory that had stuck in his mind over the years was the night Zack and a buddy secretly watched Abby and some friends skinny dip in their neighbor’s pool. Her soaking wet, bare bottom would crown through the water as she dove under it, reflecting the full moon’s light off the plump cheeks before disappearing again beneath the pool’s rim and then within seconds, she would reemerge on the other side of the pool with her soft breasts floating gently on the water as she brushed the hair from her face.
As a full-grown woman, Abby exhibited the same ease in life, but now radiated personal and sexual confidence, demanding attention from others without realizing she did so. From the moment she flashed that broad white smile in his direction, his heartbeat had increased and palms grew sweaty. His feelings for her reemerged with such a fever and passion they ignited a violent reawakening of every memory tucked away in his mind. She had stood before him with the neon light reflecting off of her, and he knew without a doubt he still loved her.
And he wasn’t worthy of her. He wasn’t worthy of her love, and as much as he wanted it, he wasn’t worthy of her body either. When he saw her in the light, she personified perfection, beauty, and confidence. She was out of his league and would not be interested in a man like himself. And he cared enough for her to not pursue her or muddle in her life.
He had gotten into some trouble with the law over the years after leaving the small community where they’d grown up. Zack was doing well now, but events from the past occasionally remerged and haunted him. Abby needed someone who could and would provide well for her, not just comfortably, and someone to protect her from all the elements she faced every day in her current mommy struggles.
That pressure alone scared him to death. He had never dated a single parent before. Occasionally he saw the pictures of her son on Facebook and noted he had some of her adorable features. They had the same shining eyes, defined, determined curvature to their nose and chin, and a small gap between their two front teeth.
He had dreamed of becoming a part of their lives, attending different sporting events—since she was so competitive as a child, he probably would be too—and rooting him on while he sat next to her with pride, holding her hand. No, Zack didn’t deserve her; Abby deserved someone who would without a doubt, love her and him for eternity.
“Hey? Hey? Did you hear anything I just said to you?”
A familiar male voice near him broke through his thoughts and led his mind back into the present.
“Are you okay, man?”
“What? Of course I’m okay. I was just thinking is all.” His buddy had a slightly bewildered look about his face. Zack reached forward and refreshed his phone’s screen, hoping to see her reply flashing back at him.
His buddy, Rich, raised his beer to his lips and took a long drink, placing it back down on the table in front of them with a heavy thump. “Did you text that girl? She’ll text you back. You know that right? I would text you back.” He finished off by shrugging his shoulders and offering up a low belly laugh. “If I was into that kind of thing, I mean.”
Zack picked up his phone and anxiously refreshed the screen once again, “I don’t know, man. I may have blown it with her. I’d be lucky if she stopped to check on me while out driving if she spotted me broken down and standing next to my sled, freezing to death in a snowstorm at this point.”
****
Abby sighed at the smiley face he sent following his plea. She typed, “Fine see u in a bit.” She took a deep breath in and contemplated the crumbling protective barriers around her heart. How eager was she to risk personal heartache again?
She stood up to get dressed, wondering if she’d given in too easily to his plea.
There was no doubt that deep down she physically desired him. Hell, she’d even joked about having a love affair with her phone when they had texted frequently. But practicality settled in her mind, and she battled her heart using the facts of her life—she was and should be incapable of allowing herself to love again.
She wasn’t just a one-night-stand kind of woman and wouldn’t be able to handle the weight that would crush her heart in a relationship like that. She craved more than just an occasional sexual liaison and struggled to accept the fact she would have to make some changes for any type of relationship to work out.
Maybe he wasn’t ready either?
Abby analyzed her personal predicament as she placed both cups in the sink’s barren basin and headed down the hall.
Maybe I just need a really good fuck. It’s been a long time.
She walked into her bedroom to change back into some regular clothes. Leaning over, she pulled down her pajama bottoms, brushing her forearm against the dark, prickly stubble that had sprouted on her leg since last weekend when she’d actually shaved them smooth.
“That’s confirmed then, isn’t it, babe?” she declared, slightly disappointed, to her four-legged, furry friend as she stood in the middle of her room semi-nude. “No chance of getting laid tonight is there?”
After dressing, she climbed into the cold car and shivered the mere three blocks it took to get there. Abby arrived in the bar’s small parking lot and turned off the squealing engine. Along the outside, fenced patio area and in the side field rested more than twenty snowmobiles, machines built for speed and endurance, neatly parked in the side lot and fencerow. It was apparent the riders all had the same idea when the snow started sticking around yesterday.
Abby yanked her scarf up higher and snugged her open jacket around her small frame while walking through the bone-chilling wind as it bellowed across the lot to the double doors guarding the entrance. A mixed array of typical female feelings twisted like a spiraling tornado deep inside her and roared up like a lighted torch.
Her anxiety startled her, and she grabbed onto the brass handles of the heavy entry doors for anchorage. Steadied, she stood in place for a moment and took a deep breath to help settle down. Then, she placed one foot in front of the other and slowly walked up the slippery, wet stairs, into a room of boisterous voices and loud music.
The neon-lit bar was hopping with patrons as the overwhelmed bartender struggled to keep up with the mass of orders. People, mostly men, were crowded around one corner. They patiently waited their turn in a disorganized line as others opted to sit at the tables while their comrades ordered beverages for them.
She quickly scanned the room and spotted him to her left, sitting among a smaller group already settled around a few secluded tables in a corner, their drinks in hand. The unpleasant smell of oil mixed with gasoline wafted through the air from their heavily insulated suits. The intrusive odor momentarily strengthened with each rider she passed. Not wanting to be rude, she turned to wave to a friend before walking up to Zack and his small circle of male companions.
Zack was sitting with his back against the wall, leaning on the chair’s two rear legs when his eyes locked on hers. She’d approached at a slow pace and nervously flashed a smile, holding eye contact with him, determined not to withdraw first. On a sudden, daring impulse, she bent over and pushed his knees down, righting the chair on all four legs and straddled his lap.
I’m going to have to drill this into home plate; he doesn’t have a fucking clue.
She opened with a simple but direct, “Hi! You know I walk a very fine line between love and hate with you.” Before the look of shock left in his wide-eyed expression, she scooted her hips closer to his and placed both hands on either side of his face,
planting her lips directly on his mouth.
Time and space stood still. The decibel level lowered and the surrounding conversations blurred together in a muted haze. He relaxed enough to allow her to part his lips with her tongue and taste the flavor of hops that lingered from his last sip of beer. Together, two slick muscles mingled and danced to a secret, magical rhythm and then briefly parted before meeting again in a renewed, desperate search for each other.
In the back of her mind, she knew she had to come back to reality. They were in a public place, and there were people who were watching their open display of affection. She wasn’t even sure what stimulated her to do what she had just done.
She broke the kiss and looked around to acknowledge everyone in the group he was sitting with. They were complete strangers, their voices stilled and their expressions surprised and curious.
Flushed pink from the kiss that left her lips tingling and slightly embarrassed, she nodded her head at them. She could remove herself from his lap, but the fiery determination that had bubbled up in her belly still drove her.
She looked at Zack, catching the surprised expression reflected in his green eyes as he stared back at her. Even through his thick, insulated pants, the pressure of his arousal pushed against her jeans. She attempted to steady her heartbeat and silently counted each thump that pounded in her heaving chest.
He started to look toward his crew, but she wiggled just a little harder against his bulging crotch, pressing it up against her own as a friendly reminder that she remained on his lap. The bold action brought a twisted, mischievous look in her direction. It didn’t matter how many people were in the bar tonight, she had his full and undivided attention.
****
Zack could not believe her bold maneuver. He just sat still, bewildered. He’d spotted her the moment she walked in the door, about the same time ten other men discovered her as well. The familiar and dangerous feeling of jealousy rose up along with a brief moment of rage when it dawned on him they were all thinking about how much they would like to bed her.
