Just Sex

by Heidi Lynn Anderson

  Fred walked over and handed her a double shot of tequila. “You look like you need this.”

  “I do.” She slugged back the shot and choked a little. “This is a lot better with salt and lime.”

  Fred slapped her on the back gently. He winked and strolled back to the bar.

  Kat sat next to J.J.

  “Oh God,” Patty sighed. “I’m sorry.” She grabbed Kat’s hand.

  “What are you sorry for?” Kat smiled. “I’m going to send her to stay with you.”

  “Oh no you don’t,” Ron chuckled. “She’s not staying with us.”

  J.J. hung his arm over her shoulder. “Well, you can stay with me at my place.”

  Kat snorted. “What about Sam?”

  “He can come too.”

  “I wish it were that simple.” She took his hand and squeezed. “Sam is not to be a part of us. I can’t let him get attached to you. It will hurt him too much when we move to Maine.”

  Her words punched him in the gut and the mood sobered at the table.

  Patty spoke first. “Well,” she said. “I don’t want to think about that, so let’s order some food.” Ron waved to Fred and asked for menus.

  J.J. sucked down his beer and ordered a shot of Jack. He told Fred to keep them coming. He wanted to be a part of her life, and that included Sam. He liked the kid a lot.

  By the end of the night, J.J. and Ron felt no pain, Kat was a little buzzed and Patty was the designated driver.

  Ron walked to the front passenger side door. “Oh no,” Kat said with a smirk. “You are not sitting in the front.”

  “Why?” Ron slurred.

  “Because! You’ll start accosting Patty and that will give J.J. ideas.”

  J.J. took that as an invitation. He grabbed her ass and gave it a squeeze. “I have my own ideas.”

  A bolt of fire shot through her. “I’m sitting in the front.”

  Ron grabbed her and gave her a smacking kiss.

  “Hey,” Patty said.

  J.J. strode over to Patty and kissed her loudly on the mouth. Patty laughed. Ron bristled.

  “Now you know how it feels, man!” J.J. opened the back door of the SUV and climbed in.

  Patty maneuvered herself behind the wheel. “Now I know how Kat feels.” She nudged her friend in the ribs.

  Ron punched J.J. in the arm. “Thanks, man. Now she is going to trade me in for a newer model.”

  “If she does,” Kat said, “be sure to let me know. I’ll take you.”

  He punched Ron back in the arm. “See what you started?”

  “I’m going to keep my man,” Patty piped in.

  “Oh good,” Kat said. “Now they’ll stop hitting each other back there.”

  Patty turned into Kat’s driveway. J.J. opened the back door and flew out to open Kat’s door. “Thank you, guys, for a great night,” he said.

  She leaned over and hugged Patty. “Good night.”

  He took her hand and helped her out of the car.

  Ron moved to the front passenger side. Kat hugged him and whispered in his ear.,“Go home and make love to your wife.”

  He winked. “With pleasure.”

  J.J. yanked her away. “Enough of that.”

  They made their way to the door. She unlocked the front door and he pulled her into the house.

  Excitement, lust and anticipation flooded her. “What has gotten into you?”

  “I want you now.”

  “Can you wait for a minute? I need to…”

  He pinned her against the foyer wall and ripped at her shirt. His actions sent the buttons on the black silk blouse scattering across the floor.

  The button popped when he tugged on her jeans. She felt the zipper give way.

  “J.J.,” she moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kat held on for the ride.

  He took her hands and held them over her head. The slight pain turned her on even more. She rolled her hips into him. J.J. tugged down her jeans. They pooled at her feet. He ripped her panties. Kat moaned. She had never felt so wanted. He plunged into her. Her back slammed up against the wall. He pounded into her harder with each thrust.

  Her pussy was on fire. She moaned and screamed. The tension in his body was palpable. “J.J. Yes.”

  His relentless thrusts made her shake. He came hard and fast. A moment later, her pussy clenched around him and she came.

  “More! I want more,” he panted. “I want to feel your hot cream wash over my cock.” He moved inside her slowly. Her body came alive again.

  “J.J.,” she moaned. Oh how she loved him.

  “Shh.” He ran his hand through her hair and pulled out of her warmth.

  Kat groaned in protest. She grabbed him. “I want you inside of me.”

  He laid her on the foyer carpet and slid into her. She sighed.

  “I love you, Katherine,” J.J. whispered in her ear.

  The use of her full name had her going over the precipice again.

  They lay in a heap on the floor for what seemed like hours. Then he rolled off Kat. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t know what to say.

  She rolled onto her side and looked at him. “God, you’re so sexy.”

  J.J. moved his head. “That wasn’t what I expected to hear.” He pulled Kat on top of him.

  Kat nuzzled his neck and nipped at his ear. “I wish this didn’t have to end.”

  How could her cunt clamp down around him like a velvet vise one minute and in the next she was talking about breaking up? “It doesn’t.”

  She gazed at him. “It does, but I want you to know I have never felt for anyone the way I feel for you. This is why it can’t be forever.” She rolled off him and started to get up.

  Women’s logic made no sense to J.J. “Isn’t that for me to decide for myself?”

  Kat spun to face him. “No! You know I’m right.”

  His whole body felt limp and tired. “I think we can make this work.”

  “I don’t want to be right. I know I will not be able to see you after our time is up.”

  He felt like someone sucker punched him again. His head was clear of any alcohol now. “Why?”

  “Because I’m not a good enough person to see you go on with your life. When these six months are up and I go to Maine, we will never see each other again.”

  He stood. “Kat, I want you in my life.”

  “No. It wouldn’t be fair for anyone involved with either of us,” she said. “You will need to commit to the person in your life. You know that you will not be fully committed to them if we still have a relationship.”

  She stared him straight in the eyes. “I love you, J.J., and I always will. That’s why it wouldn’t be fair to you.”

  He wanted to argue, but just didn’t have it in him right now. He stood. “I will always love you, Kat.” He led her down the hallway to the bedroom.

  After they made love for the third time, J.J. held Kat. “Can you promise me one thing?” he asked.

  “I’ll try.”

  “Will you give me all of you for the next few months? Will you give me your whole heart?”

  A tear ran down her cheek and landed on his shoulder. “Yes.”

  He hoped he would be able to convince Kat to be with him. He knew when she left, he would be a changed man, and if that happened, he hoped the new J.J. would be able to move on with his life.

  “Can you promise me something?” she asked.

  “Anything.”

  “I don’t want us to talk about this again. Can you do that for me?”

  He placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Yes.” J.J. knew he’d just lied to the only woman he would ever love.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kat maneuvered her SUV through holiday airport traffic. Her mother droned on next to her about how well all her friends’ kids were doing and how she wished Kat would act more like them. She tilted her head and sent up a prayer. Thank you for Sam’s return home. Please, give me the strength not to kill my mother. Please make the
next few days fly by until my father gets here.

  She pulled her SUV into her driveway. Sam ran out of the car as soon as it stopped. “Can I call Nicholas?”

  “Yes,” Kat yelled after him. “You can go over to his house if it’s okay with his mother.”

  “Thanks, Mom!”

  She helped her mother bring her suitcase up to the master bedroom. “What do you think of the house?”

  “It’s nice, dear.”

  Her mother’s condescending tone set Kat on edge. She placed her mother’s suitcase on the bed. “Thanks, Mother.”

  “Katherine, can I talk to you?” Bev unzipped the bag and started to put her things away.

  “Yes, Mother. I need to speak to you about something also.”

  “Where are all your things?” Bev asked.

  “They’re in the downstairs bedroom. I like that room better.” She unpacked her mother’s toiletries in the bathroom.

  Bev turned to her daughter. “I’m so sorry, Katherine.”

  She fumbled the bottle of perfume she had in her hand. What? “For what?”

  “For not seeing how unhappy you were.” Bev picked at her black slacks.

  Kat sat next to her mother. “I’m a big girl. I made my own decisions and mistakes.”

  “I know,” Bev said. “I always blamed you for everything.”

  She snorted. “You have my whole life.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Kat had waited thirty-five years to hear her mother say she was sorry. The words left her feeling hollow. “Why are you apologizing now?”

  Bev straightened and her chin jutted up. “Your father pointed it out to me.”

  Of course her mother wouldn’t think to apologize on her own. “You’re doing this for Dad?” She stood and stalked to the window.

  “No!” Bev walked over to her. “I’m doing this for us. We’re going to be seeing a lot of each other and I don’t want Sam to see us at each other.”

  “I don’t want that either, but we have been like this for as long as I can remember. I don’t know how we’re going to fix this.”

  A tear ran down Bev’s cheek. “I don’t either.”

  “Mother, don’t cry.” Sympathy settled in Kat’s heart. “We can just start over.” Kat patted her mother’s shoulder. “I have something to tell you.”

  Bev wiped her eyes. “What?”

  “Dad probably has told you that I’m seeing someone.”

  “No, he hasn’t. That’s so nice. Who is he?”

  She stepped to the dresser. Her father told Kat’s mother everything. Unease settled over Kat. She grabbed the box of tissues. “You may not think it’s so nice when I tell you who it is.”

  “I will try,” Bev sniffed.

  “His name is Jared. J.J. for short, J.J. Adams.”

  “Your lawn man?” Bev asked.

  “Yes.” Kat set her chin and waited for the assault.

  “Isn’t he very young and, well, under your class?” Bev snorted. “If you took better care of yourself, you wouldn’t have to date the help.”

  She let her mother’s insult roll off her back. “He’s twenty-five and owns the landscaping company.”

  When Bev just stared at her, shocked, Kat felt the need to say more. “J.J. just collaborated with Ron.” Disappointment ran over Bev’s face. Why couldn’t her mother be happy for her? “Don’t worry, Mother. It’s not forever. It’s just until I move to Maine.”

  “Do you love him?” Bev asked.

  You’d just love that, wouldn’t you? “Yes. It’ll just about kill me to leave.” Kat turned to leave the room. “Could you and Dad please watch Sam sometimes?”

  “Can I meet him, please?”

  Kat thought about it for a long minute. “Yes. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. If you’d like, I can call him now to see if he can come over while Sam’s up the street.”

  “I’d like that. I want to meet the man who put the sparkle in your eye.”

  She heard her mother’s words from down the hall and stumbled. Maybe her mother did want a truce after all.

  J.J. sat in a meeting with Ron. His phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and smiled.

  “Take it,” Ron said. “We’re done.”

  He pushed on his ear piece. “Hi, sexy.”

  “Hi.”

  He loved the way she sounded. “I’m happy to hear your voice.”

  “You may not think that when I’m done asking you for this.”

  “You know you can ask me anything.”

  “Can you come over and meet my mother?”

  He sat forward. “What?”

  “She would like to meet the man who puts the sparkle in my eye.”

  “I’ll send Mario right over.”

  “No offense to Mario. He does a great job on my yard, which puts a smile on my face, but only you put a twinkle in my eye.”

  “I’ll be right over.” J.J. hung up the phone, glanced over at Ron and sighed. “Kat’s mother wants to meet me.”

  Ron sent him a pitying look. “Oh buddy. I want to be a fly on the wall for this one.”

  He stood and heard Patty’s cell phone ring. She walked into Ron’s office. “It’s Kat,” she said to the two men. “Hello,” she answered.

  Patty’s lovely face dropped. She gazed at J.J. “Is that so?” She put her hand up and signaled J.J. to stop. He plopped down into the chair in front of her desk. Patty hung up the phone and grinned. “Kat and her mother have come to a truce.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yes, and you are the first test.”

  “Do you have any advice?”

  “A bottle of Jack,” Ron said.

  She smiled. “You are the best thing that ever happened to Kat and I will always love you for that.”

  Her words touched him.

  “I know it’s going to be hard when she leaves.” She grabbed his arm. “Spend this time with her wisely.”

  “I will.” J.J. stood.

  “I hope between the three of us, we can convince her to stay,” Patty said.

  “I hope so too.” J.J. walked to his truck. He thought about stopping at his place to change into nicer clothes. He checked the dash clock and made the turn to his apartment complex. J.J. parked in front of his door and rushed into his apartment.

  He tore off his sweat-stained T-shirt and tossed it on the couch. J.J. rushed into his bedroom and opened a dresser drawer to find it empty. He made a mental note to pick up laundry soap on his way home tonight.

  Work had been crazy. J.J. and his crew were definitely experiencing growing pains. He thanked the powers that be for the great people who worked for him. He made another mental note to go over his books to see if he could give them all bigger holiday bonuses this year.

  J.J. grabbed the cleanest things he could find and sniffed them. They passed the smell test. He yanked on the polo shirt and dark blue jeans and hurried back to his truck.

  A half hour after Kat called, J.J. turned into her driveway. He walked up to the front door and stopped just as he was about to open it. J.J. hadn’t been this nervous since he’d met his first date’s father. He rubbed his palms on his pants and lifted his hand to knock. The door opened and Kat grinned at him.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “I’m glad you’re here.” She opened the door wider. “Come on in.”

  He took her into his arms and devoured her mouth. Someone cleared their throat. J.J. pulled away and glanced into Bev’s shocked face. “Hello.” He held out his hand. “I’m J.J.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Bev said.

  “Mother, is there something wrong?”

  “N-no,” Bev stammered.

  He put his arm protectively around her. “Mrs. Harper. How was your flight?”

  “It was just fine, young man.”

  “Call me J.J. or Jared,” he said.

  “Why don’t we go into the living room.” Kat motioned her to the room off the foyer.

  J.J. smiled at the couch and what he and Kat
had done on that soft surface. Bev surely wouldn’t approve.

  They walked into the living room and sat down.

  Bev spoke first. “So, Kat tells me that you and Ron are partners.”

  “Yes ma’am, we are. I have a landscaping company.” He crossed his legs. “Ron wants my company to do all the yard planning for his projects.”

  “Well, how convenient that is for you,” Bev said.

  He felt Kat stiffen, leaned forward and placed his hand on her knee and unfolded his legs. “Mrs. Harper, I love your daughter and I want her to be happy. I won’t have you belittling what we have.”

  Bev bristled and stood. “Young man—”

  He talked over her. “I have had feelings for Kat from the first day I met her. That was over a year ago.”

  Kat stared at him, stunned.

  “I saw a sexy and smart woman. When I got to know her better, I also found her to be hardworking and a great mother and wife. I would hear how Gary spoke to her and it would make me crazy. I will not have her disrespected in her own home.”

  A smug expression crossed Bev’s face. “Was there something going on before Gary died?”

  Shock crashed into J.J. and he stood. “Is that what you think?”

  “It’s all right,” Kat said.

  “No, it’s not,” he said.

  “I’m sorry. I’m trying to give Kat the benefit of the doubt.”

  J.J.’s blood pressure skyrocketed. “She would have stayed with that son of a bitch for the rest of her life just to make you happy. If you can’t see how great she is, then that’s your loss.”

  Kat led him toward the door. He’d blown it big time with her mother, but he’d be fucked six ways to Sunday before he allowed Kat’s mother to think so poorly of her daughter.

  “Thank you for sticking up for me,” Kat said. “But I’m old enough to fight my own battles.” She opened the front door. “You should go.” She pressed her lips to his. “I’ll come over tonight after Sam goes to bed.”

  She kissed him again, softly, and pushed him out the door.

  “I love you.” He stumbled back. “Don’t let her tell you different.” J.J. would never forget the way Kat’s face fell when her mother said what she had. He stomped to his truck and sped back to the office. He needed some insight on how to deal with Kat’s mother from people who knew her. Mother or not, J.J. wouldn’t have Kat feel like she was a worthless piece of shit in her own home.