Claiming Zoey: A Small Town Romance

by J. B. Baker

  I tense when I hear his voice. I don’t know for how long we have been standing in my kitchen holding on to each other. “Yes.”

  “Why don’t we have a glass of wine on the sofa,” he says.

  I nod, feeling a little put out that he didn’t have anything more momentous to say. I watch him slip his briefs and jeans back on. Fortunately, he doesn’t put his shirt back on. I love looking at the way his muscles flex when he opens the wine bottle we forgot about because of our lovemaking. While he is busy with the bottle, I head off to wipe myself clean and fetch my dressing gown.

  “So what happens now?” I ask when I get back. I watch Noah carefully. The whole atmosphere in the kitchen has changed since we had sex together. I can literally see the tension floating in the air.

  He shrugs as he grabs the wine bottle and two glasses. “I guess we can have the wine now. Nothing like it after some really good sex.”

  Is that all I am to him – good sex? I frown. I don’t like the flippant way he’s behaving. Noah is treating me like some slut he picked up in a bar in New York and took home for a one-night-stand. I know things went really fast between us, but that is still no reason to make me feel as bad as I do. What we just did together was magic, and it had felt so right.

  “Do you want a drink?”

  “What?” I am too lost in my own world to hear Noah from his position on the sofa.

  “Do you want a drink?” Noah frowns at me. For a millisecond, I think I see concern register on his face.

  “If you’re having one.”

  “I am – come over here,” he says, patting the spot next to him with a smile on his face.

  I swear if he would always smile at me like that, I would never be worried again. It’s just when he lets that casual arrogance float over him that I feel uncomfortable. I walk over to him on the sofa.

  I sit down gratefully and take the glass he offers me. “So what now?” I blurt. The curiosity is killing me. I can’t wait another second without knowing where we are heading with this, with us.

  Noah arches his eyebrows. “What does it look like? Just two people having a drink after some insanely hot sex.” He shakes his head at the memory and whistles happily.

  I could kill him. He’s treating what happened between as something meaningless. “Is that all it is to you?” I snap. I couldn’t hold back. The expression on my face is wild. “Two people having crazy sex.”

  “Well, uh, yeah. I really liked it.” he frowns.

  I can see that Noah is surprised by my little outburst. Judging by the confusion playing on his face, he’s just not used to being in a relationship. When was the last one? In his previous life? I don’t know – he never mentioned girlfriends, and neither did the Internet.

  I decide to let him off the hook this time. You, Noah Jackson, have a few weeks to get your bearings and then I’ll come down on you like a ton of bricks if you haven’t figured this out by then. “Yes, I liked it as well,” I say softening the expression on my face. It takes a lot of effort. I so want him to take me into his arms and say something meaningful.

  He nods with relief. He takes a sip of wine. After, a naughty smile appears on his face. “Are you ready for some more?” He does not wait for a response. He lurches forward, and before I know it, we’re kissing again.

  A part of me wants to push him away and demand a serious talk. That’s what a mature woman would do. I have been that woman for as long as I can remember. I will just do this and worry about the rest tomorrow. Tonight, I want to feel good…Oh, my god, it does feel so good to let go for once. Oh, my god, it does feel so good – the voice in my mind is on repeat. “Noah!” I cry when he buries his face between my legs. “You feel so good.”

  CHAPTER 13: NOAH

  I am walking back under a full moon to my granddad’s house after the best sex session in my entire life. It had taken a lot out of me to leave Zoey lying there in bed after she fell asleep. She looked so cute, blissful and content in the knowledge that I was with her. I feel a little bad for leaving her, but I have to get back. First, Glyn will have news from the company, and I need to be kept apprised at all times. And second, I don’t do sleepovers.

  Thoughts of how we fucked cloud my mind as I tramp down the country lane toward Jackson land. After taking her in the kitchen, I had Zoey on her sofa. I can still taste the sweetness of her pussy in my mouth. After two quivering orgasms, she had pulled me up begging me to stop. I didn’t. Instead, I flipped her onto her belly and took her from behind. This nearly destroyed both her and me. It had not taken long for me to come all over her back and ass.

  Wow, Zoey Brooks is one hot ticket. I try to think of ways to incorporate her into my life. She is so different from the other women I have been with. For starters, Zoey is fun. She may be strict with her views, but the moment you understand her, being around her is a dream. Could she be the one? Could she be the woman I never wanted to meet because I always feared commitment?

  I stop in my tracks. Maybe, I should turn back and sleep over so that I can indulge in a small morning matinee with her and then walk out after to prove that I am still my own man. No woman is going to make me her slave. I vowed that back then that I would never succumb to the pain I felt when I saw her kissing another man. I noticed the same vileness creep upon me when I briefly thought Zoey was with Zac. I wanted to kill the guy.

  Such sentiments are not healthy, I decide. It’s time I got back to New York and back to my life. All of that makes so much more sense than what I am feeling right now. I feel a little weird in my stomach when I contemplate the notion of leaving Fall Creek. Promptly, Zoey’s face appears in my mind. I love the ways she looks, the way she is and the way we laugh together. And man, do I love the way our bodies make music together. Could I ever live without that for the rest of my life?

  “Looks like our boy sealed the deal of love.”I look up. Lost in thought, I walked the entire way from Zoey’s place to my grandpa’s. “So, sport, how was it? Will we be seeing a lot more of you around here or what?”

  “Granddad what are you still doing up? It’s way past midnight.” I walk up to him and pick up the whisky bottle on the table. It’s half empty. “Oh come on, the two of you been drinking all of this?”

  “Yep, we’re on our second bottle. Me And Glyn over there grilled up some steaks and killed a bottle of good old Jack Daniels. Finished that and decided it was not enough, so we cracked another one,” says grandpa happily.

  “Glyn does not eat meat,” I say.

  “Does now.” Grandpa slaps a half-conscious Glyn on the back. “Sit down, kid. How was dinner with your brother?” He winks at me. “Something tells me that you got your hands on something sweet for dessert after.”

  I raise my hands in defense. I am about to say something but Glyn beats me to it. “Can I go to bed now? I feel a little sick. I think it’s those two steaks I ate.”

  “Sure, Glyn. You go get some shut eye.” We watch him stumble to his feet and sway into the house. “Glyn, it weren’t them steaks…it was that second bottle of whiskey that finished you.” There’s no response.

  “I swear, granddad, you are going to kill that poor man.” I pour myself some whisky. “And forcing him to eat meat because you were too lazy to fish. That’s harsh.”

  “He insisted. No lies, Noah. Glyn said he hadn’t had the stuff in years. He wanted to taste a good steak again. I saw no harm in that, so I gave him one…anyway enough about that. How was everything with you?”

  I tell granddad all about the dinner with Hunter and his family. He is over the moon that everything worked out so well and that I met my nieces for the first time. When I assure him that I will be coming to Fall Creek a lot from now on, granddad is calm. “What about Zoey? Did the sparks fly there yet?” he asks.

  I have to think a moment. There were sparks, that’s for sure. But do I want to be in a relationship? I haven’t got the faintest idea what it’s like to be in one. One woman around day in and day out – holly shit that sounds s
cary. She would share my penthouse, my bathroom, my bed…my entire life. Is a man like me able to handle that?

  Then I remember her voice, that sweet serenade when she jokes with me, when she tells me stuff and when she cries with lust. It has goosebumps appear on my skin even now with my granddad looking at me. I take a slug of my whisky to dull the sensation, but the image of her face is everywhere. Her scent lingers in my nostrils, and her words and views stick in my brain like one of those thoughts that never leave you for as long as you live.

  “You know what, kid…”

  I let my gaze focus again until I see my grandpa appear before me clearly. “What?”

  He clears his throat. “Go to New York tomorrow. Glyn’s been telling me you got some important stuff to take care of. I swear to you after a few days everything will be a lot clearer.”

  “What about you?”

  “I will be fine. And besides, it’s not like you are never coming back.” He sips his whisky and lights up a cigarette, making me flinch. “Putting some distance between you and Zoey will put a lot into perspective…trust me.” He winks.

  “Sort of like distance makes the heart grow stronger,” I say, smiling at the grizzled old man.

  He chuckles. “Yeah, kid…and then you will realize that presence makes the heart grow fonder. And that is what you will understand when you get that first thing after a few days away from the woman you love.”

  CHAPTER 14: ZOEY

  I roll on my bed. My right arm flaps down as I move. I groan. My hand moves around on the surface of the bed. My eyes snap open. “Where the hell is he?” My breathing, that for a second threatened to become erratic, settles. He’s in the kitchen preparing some coffee or something. He’ll be back soon.

  Purring, I roll onto my back. I smile when last night’s happenings crowd my mind. A little blush populates my cheeks when I think how loudly I climaxed when his face was between my legs. There’s a tingling reminder down under when I recollect my second oral orgasm on the sofa. Then my climax when I bit into the armrest of my sofa as he took me from behind. Already, my sex is slick in readiness for when Noah gets back into bed. I let my eyelids flutter lower as I succumb to some more earthshattering ‘memory-fucking.’

  My eyes snap open. Did I just fall asleep again? I feel much more refreshed than I did earlier. I swivel my head from left to right. Where’s Noah? He can’t be gone. I sit up in bed and stretch my arms above my head, yawning. Mm, he’s not here. Maybe he came back to bed and got up again. I feel the spot where Noah lay – it’s cold.

  I climb out of bed and put my dressing gown on. When I move I feel my skin stick, it’s almost painful. I frown until I realize that Noah drenched me with his love the night before. When I enter my open-plan living area, I swallow deeply. Noah is nowhere to be seen.

  I run to my cell and pick it up. I flick through my contacts list until I grasp that he never gave me his number. Come to think of it; I never gave him mine either.

  Only one thing for it…I need a coffee, a shower and to pick up a doughnut from my favorite bakery on the way to James’s place. He will know where his grandson is. Whistling I go about my business in the kitchen, all the while thinking about Noah and the things we did together. I swear that I am blushing the entire time. Half of the stuff we did, I never tried before. Sex with Zac and my first boyfriend before that were almost biblical in their description. It had all been very hygienic and proper.

  Now I know what I have been missing out on in life. If I could have the Noah Jackson treatment for the rest of my life, I would never complain. For a heartbeat, I worry whether heading over to James’s might come across as needy. To hell with that…I like him, and I might as well tell him how I feel. Because if I don’t he sure as hell won’t.

  ****

  An hour later, I pull up in front of the Jackson residence. Stepping out of my car, I can see James sitting on his porch smoking and drinking a beer. It’s about two ‘o clock in the afternoon. This makes me grin. I sure got some beauty sleep after the pummeling Noah gave me the night before.

  “Hey, James. How are you doing?” I say stepping up to him. I bend lower and give him a smooch on the cheek.

  “All good. You wanna beer, Doll?”

  “No thanks, James, I’m good.”

  “So, you’re here for Noah I presume.” He shifts his weight in his chair to look at me. I am immediately captivated by his brown eyes that remind me so much of Noah.

  I feel the heat rush to my face. “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Well, he ain’t here. My grandson had some urgent business to take care of. He sends his love of course and he apologizes for rushing off without a word.”

  My initial internal belly flop settles down when I hear James say that Noah sends me his love. It sort of softens the blow. However, I can’t help but feel empty. I so much looked forward to seeing him. More importantly, I had so much to tell him after last night. I don’t do things I did with Noah with a man who doesn’t mean anything to me. I need Noah to know that.

  “He’ll be back, Zoey. Don’t worry about that,” says James, patting my hand.

  “I think I will have that beer after all,” I say.

  James smiles at me. “You know where to find them.”

  I head into the house and straight to the kitchen and the fridge. I remove two beers because I saw that James was running low and head back outside. “Cheers,” I say when I am sat back down.

  “Cheers.” After James has swallowed, he looks at me. “What’s on your mind?”

  “I need to talk to Noah.”

  CHAPTER 15: NOAH

  It’s great to be back in New York. The vibrant feel of big city life is what I live for. The sound of the vehicles, the cursing amongst the inhabitants and even its distinct smell makes New York the greatest city in the world. At first, it hit me like a truck driving straight into me after the tranquil beauty of Fall Creek. However, I got used to it quickly as I looked out of the limo’s window at the happenings in the city I so love on my way from the airport yesterday.

  But it was not the same as it always was. The electrical current that usually runs through me is not as potent. I feel as if something is missing. An integral part of me, like a limb, an organ or maybe even my spiritual side. There is a hollow pit in the cavity of my stomach that tickles as if it is the abode belonging to millions of little butterflies. Their errant wings touching my insides, making me slightly nauseous.

  Glyn and I arrived in the city yesterday. We went straight to the office, and after that, we both went to our respective homes. I ordered in from my favorite Italian restaurant and went to bed feeling like the king of the world with my tummy full of Italian red wine and pasta in a truffle sauce. All the time, the memory of how I fucked Zoey was a constant reminder in the back of my mind. I fell asleep and awoke this morning with a raging hard-on.

  At first, I thought this was my usual reaction to one of my little sexual trysts. But judging, by the way, I feel now; I know this is not the case. I look out of the window in my office on the sixty-fifth floor in Manhattan. The view that always excites me leaves me without emotion. At this moment, I would give anything to be looking out over the lake from granddad’s porch.

  I just phoned him and hearing his voice brought back memories I have long since stowed away. What the fuck is wrong with me? I have never felt this way before. And granddad asking me whether I missed her did not help. All I can think about is Zoey. And no, it’s not about the sex, even though that does pop into my mind from time to time.

  Everywhere I look, whether it’s out of the window or at the screen on my laptop, I see her gazing right back at me. It’s as if the woman hypnotized me, or voodoo cursed me into falling in love with her.

  HOLLY FUCK – Is that what I am? Am I in love with Zoey Brooks? I can’t be. My brain does a few more summersaults; my heart joins in, and my stomach nearly spews the contents of my breakfast onto the floor. “I’m in love with her,” I say, pressing my hands onto the glass of m
y ridiculously large desk.

  “Finally, it’s about time you admitted that to me.”

  My eyeballs nearly fall out of their sockets when I see Crystal walking up to me. She looks as hot as hell in a tight short skirt, net-tights, a snug-fitting top, the cashmere coat I bought her and killer high heels. “Miss me?” she purrs, running a long tapering finger across my chest and planting a wet kiss on my lips.

  I don’t manage to say anything. My flight attendant prowls around my large office like a slinking predatory feline. We missed out on a little action on the flight back yesterday. You broke my heart, Noah.” She twirls on her feet. “I so wanted to suck your dick…” she pouts, “but bad Noah didn’t give his girl her protein shake.”

  I watch her take her coat off. In moments, she has removed her top and has hitched up her uber-short skirt above her hips. Fuck, she’s not wearing any panties. I am speechless. I wish I could say this woman is having absolutely no effect on me, but that would be a blatant, ass lie. One part of me is shameless showing its approval no matter how much my brain and heart reprimand it for this treacherous show of affection.

  My cock arches up, pressing against my suit trousers. I know that Crystal sees this by the way she is grinning at me. “How the hell did you get in here? Where’s Glyn?” I snarl, at last feeling the effects of some blood leaving my cock and reaching my brain.

  “I don’t know.” She shrugs. “Who cares; I am here for you.” Crystal runs her pink tongue over her overly made-up red lips.

  “Crystal, I need you to leave right now. I have a lot of work to do.”

  As I move around my desk, my mind is in overdrive. If Zoey ever finds out about this, she will never speak to me again. Fuck, this woman has to leave my office now. The fear of losing Zoey completely robs me of my usual self-confidence. Instead of focusing on the matter at hand, I think of the best way to explain this situation to Zoey when I see her next. She has to know – I will not base the foundations of our relationship on a lie.