HEX

by Stacy Charasidis

  In the end they agreed that they needed help. Sadie was at a loss but Luke was determined to get to the bottom of this.

  “I say we confide in Dean and Nathalie,” Luke said quietly.

  “Is that really necessary, Luke? It may not even be safe.”

  “Think Sadie. I can’t go over and check on you. I’m not allowed on your property! We need a few extra sets of eyes. You need a girlfriend who can visit at will. We need help! I have no idea what else to do.”

  “They’ll think we’re crazy,” Sadie said. She really liked the two of them. “I just made some friends,” she said sadly.

  “I’m willing to take that chance,” Luke said. “I’ve been friends with both of them for years. They may think we’re crazy at first, but they’ll help anyway. That’s what friends do, Sadie.”

  “Okay,” Sadie said resignedly.

  The Fairgrounds

  When Monday afternoon rolled around, and the promised horse ride, Nathalie was not speaking with Dean. They walked through the busy fairgrounds stiffly. Dean was upset. This was their first ride together and they were supposed to be holding hands and cuddling, not walking as if they didn’t know each other. Damn Beth. She had taken him by surprise today by flinging herself at him and giving him a hug in greeting. He instinctively put his arms up to push her away, but not before he had felt Beth’s hand pass over his butt and give it a little squeeze. The whole situation had looked very intimate, and that’s when he knew Nathalie was behind them, watching. What he had not seen was the sly smile Beth had given Nathalie, nor did Nathalie allow him to explain.

  Now…silence.

  Dean was uncomfortable. This was a new Nathalie, and he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to fight with her. He wanted to touch her…constantly. In his opinion, they didn’t get the chance to do it often enough. Didn’t she realize how much he loved her?

  Nathalie was mad even though she knew it was unreasonable to be mad at Dean. Beth was proving to be trouble, and for some reason, she had decided that it would be Nathalie’s life she would ruin. Arrrgh, she wanted to scream. Nathalie stole a quick glance at Dean. He looked defeated. They got to the riding stall and stopped, not sure what to do and not looking at each other.

  “Hey, Dean!” A young man called from the dimness of the stable. At least Nathalie thought he was young. She wasn’t sure once she got a look at him. “And you must be Nathalie! Are you ready for your ride?” The man smiled easily at them and Nathalie felt a buzzing in her head. He was dazzlingly tall with broad shoulders and large hands with tapered fingers. His teeth were blindingly white as he smiled. The contrast with his black beard was startling. His black hair was wavy and longish, reaching to his shoulders and his eyes were a glowing green, like grass after the rain.

  “Yes,” Nathalie replied, a bit dazed.

  “The name’s Wayman,” he said, observing the two of them and noting the tension. “Come on in,” he invited, turning his back and leading them into the barn area where the horses were kept. Dean followed behind. The barn was strangely quiet after the noise of the fair.

  “I have the perfect horses for you,” Wayman said. “Their names are Pleasure and Pain. They’re twins.” He laughed lightly as he led them out and started saddling them. Nathalie watched him work. She felt odd, like time had stopped. He worked quietly and confidently, his large muscles flexing as he lifted the saddles and belted them on. Nathalie could feel heat emanating from his body and she flushed with pleasure as she watched him run his hands over the horses to make sure everything was in place. Nathalie felt aroused. This man had an overwhelming…presence.

  Wayman gave her another wide, dazzling smile. She blushed and thanked God that he couldn’t read her mind. He nodded to Dean and patted Pleasure. Dean nodded in response and vaulted onto the horse.

  Wayman patted Pain and Nathalie approached hesitantly. The horse looked back at her with big brown eyes and snorted. He didn’t seem that friendly. Wayman laughed again and put his warm hands around Nathalie’s waist and helped her up. He rubbed Pain’s nose and whispered in his ear. She prayed he was telling him to be good.

  “The horses know what to do and where to go,” he said, looking out onto the trail that lead from the barn into the woods surrounding the fairgrounds. The trail should take you about an hour. Once you hit the clearing you’re half way. The trail meanders back here after that. No one else out there but you two right now.” Wayman slapped Pleasure’s rump and she took the lead.

  The horses walked slowly and methodically on the path. Once Nathalie and Dean hit the forest it was a new world. Nathalie watched as Dean’s body swayed gently in time with his horse. He was wearing a tight white tee that outlined his muscles visibly. He was beautiful, like a Greek god, and she couldn’t touch him. It was her fault of course, because she was mad, but she didn’t know how to fix it. The heat wasn’t helping her mood. It was hot and humid and she was sticky. The bees were buzzing in the long grass beside the horse trail along with millions of other grass bugs that were singing their little hearts out. Other than the insect symphony it was eerily quiet and the silence stretched. After a time she could see a small clearing ahead, ringed by trees, and knew their ride was half over. When they reached the clearing they found a beautiful shady area where you could rest. The sounds of the town were faint and the horses stood idly, eating grass and swishing their tails, waiting for instructions. Nathalie and Dean waited at the clearing, not speaking. Nathalie fidgeted and fought with her pride. Dean was looking at her, obviously with no plans to move unless she said something.

  Nathalie opened her mouth to apologize when suddenly they heard a sharp whistle and a laugh. Startled, Pain snorted and bucked violently. Taken completely by surprise, Nathalie yelled and tried to keep her seat but was flung off her horse. She hit the ground with a giant “OOOF!”

  “Nathalie!” Dean shouted in a panic, vaulting off his horse and crouching beside her. She was sitting up and wincing at the pain in her back.

  “My God, Nathalie, you okay honey?” Dean asked, frantically checking her arms and legs for breaks.

  Nathalie swatted his hands away. “I’m fine, you silly Boy Scout,” she said teasingly, smiling up at him. “I think I broke my ass and lost my dignity somewhere in the grass.”

  Dean laughed, and just like that their fight was over.

  “Sorry,” Nathalie said sincerely, looking at his beloved face.

  Dean grinned. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad to have my sweet girl back. Leave grouchy at home next time, will you? Like I tried to explain to you before, she just threw herself at me and took me by surprise.”

  “I know,” Nathalie said, looking down, ashamed. “I just felt so jealous and I couldn’t get past it.”

  “It’s weird,” Dean mused, sitting beside her. “Beth looks as pretty and as pure as a spring flower, but there’s something very wrong with that girl. She is having a negative effect on pretty much everyone. Ill will emanates from her.”

  Nathalie nodded and stood up, rubbing her behind ruefully. “I don’t suppose you can catch my horse?” she asked Dean, eyeing Pain speculatively. Pain was eating grass, but one wild eyeball was watching the two humans. He moved away two steps and continued eating.

  Dean didn’t look too positive. “Here Pain,” he called soothingly, badly mimicking the voice Wayman used to get the horses to listen. Pain snorted and tossed his mane. Then he let out a steaming pile of poop.

  “That, my darling, is your answer,” said Dean. “Anyway, he’s probably too spooked to ride now,” Dean said knowingly. “Wayman said horses are sensitive creatures.”

  “Did he now?” she teased. “What else did Wayman say?”

  “I think he would say that you should just ride with me,” Dean said in a businesslike manner, patting the top of Pleasure’s saddle.

  “Er, you want me to ride with you in the same saddle?” Nathalie inquired. The saddle looked kind of small, and she was in no way, petite. Dean was a big boy at ov
er six feet tall with a gorgeous, and well rounded, behind. “I don’t think we’ll fit.”

  “Sure we will. It’s only a couple of miles, Nathalie,” Dean said soothingly. He grinned at her and patted the saddle again.

  Nathalie felt herself flush as she watched her boyfriend try and coax her over. They were the same pleasurable feelings she experienced around the undeniably appealing and virile Wayman. Unbridled lust. She smiled at the pun.

  He reached out his hand and Nathalie stepped forward and took it. She stared up at him. His beautiful chocolate eyes were warm with laughter and…something else. He pulled her towards him and pressed her against him. His body was warm. He smiled at her and turned her around, putting his hands on her waist while her foot went in the stirrup and he lifted her up. He was behind her in a flash and Pleasure started forward.

  Nathalie was trying to get comfortable in the saddle. Dean was so close that Nathalie was almost sitting in his lap. He shifted her slightly so that she was, in fact, sitting in his lap. It was a very comfortable position once she leaned into his chest so she didn’t strain her back. Nathalie was acutely aware that her behind was resting firmly on Dean’s private parts, and because the movement of Pleasure’s body caused Nathalie to bounce around a little, it was causing a reaction of its own. Dean whistled for Pain to follow and then ran his hands down her arms and twined his fingers with hers. In this position they were locked together on the meandering horse.

  “Am I squishing you, Dean? Do you want me to move?” Nathalie asked mischievously, wiggling her bum a little.

  “No,” he said in a hoarse voice, tightening his arms around her, “but you can keep doing that.” Nathalie laughed.

  They were under a spell of heat and silence in the woods. It was peaceful with the bees buzzing and the crickets singing. Dean tightened his grip and bent his head to softly kiss the back of Nathalie’s neck and then the side. She could feel his lips and the shadow of his beard against her skin as his face rasped softly against her. Dean continued to kiss her softly, first on one side then the other.

  Nathalie’s heart was racing. She was panting and couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She tilted her head and shifted her hips to the side so she could kiss him. They looked at each other briefly before Dean bent his head and obliged. His lips were full, hot and wet against her mouth. He kissed her thoroughly, sucking her lips one at a time, sliding his tongue over them before slipping it into her mouth. Nathalie moaned with pleasure as their tongues met. Dean freed one of his hands and was sliding it under Nathalie’s shirt and into the front of her shorts, which he had unbuttoned and unzipped without her noticing. Nathalie put her arms around Dean’s neck and kissed him fervently, holding his hot wet mouth to hers tightly as her body responded with intense pleasure to his busy hand. Nathalie was breathless and panting against Dean’s mouth. Something wild was building inside her. She was writhing in Dean’s lap and her squirming was making Dean moan.

  She was sweaty and hot and she felt like she was burning up. Dean grabbed her tightly and lifted her up a bit, crushing her against him and allowing two of his fingers to slip inside her. Nathalie jerked and made soft moaning sounds as Dean continued his finger play. Then her body shuddered with pleasure. Dean groaned and bit her neck.

  When they arrived back at the barn, everything was in order. Wayman lifted an eyebrow when he saw the two of them on one horse with Pain following defiantly.

  “I take it he didn’t behave like I asked him to?” Wayman asked with slight concern.

  Nathalie opened her mouth to speak but Dean cut in smoothly before she could, “he was fine. He just got a bit spooked, that’s all. You should give him a treat or something,” Dean said, patting Pain on the neck as the horse tried to bite him and step on his foot.

  Nathalie flushed. She had rebuttoned her shorts and run her fingers through her hair after their passionate riding session. However, Dean had continued to kiss her and rub his hands over her body until they were almost in sight of the barn. She hoped her bra was straight. She had been too languid and bemused the latter part of the ride to notice anything but his hands and mouth. He had straightened it, she remembered now because she had protested when he had done it.

  “These are for my viewing only,” he had said firmly.

  “Let’s ride again,” Nathalie had suggested and Dean had laughed.

  “I’d love to, but I’m babysitting tonight. I’ve got to get home. You could come…” he said suggestively.

  “Nathalie?” Wayman interrupted her reverie with a booming laugh. “Did you enjoy your ride?”

  “You have no idea.”

  Dean made a strangled, choking sound.

  “Then I’ll see you again,” Wayman said.

  “You’ll see us tomorrow,” Nathalie said decisively, taking Dean’s hand, and they headed to the Croft’s.

  THE BARRINGTON BUGLE – MONDAY, AUGUST 5

  Special Late Addition

  Blood Bath In Barrington!

  By X. Agerate

  With the rush of visitors visiting our fair town, crime and unspeakable acts have begun! In the dark of Sunday night, one of Bill Farmer’s cows was brutally murdered and drained of blood.

  “Ole Bess was alive when I hit the sack,” the farmer said angrily.

  As many of you know, Mr. Farmer has a farm on West Road and is also the owner of Farmer’s Groceries & Goods, which includes an Rx Counter run by David Croft, our local pharmacist.

  To make matters worse, it seems that the houses of some of our local citizens were defaced with blood.

  “I woke up and there was blood all over my front steps and some sort of kid’s drawing over the door. I stepped in it when I was leaving for my shop,” claims Eric Sweet, owner of Ye Ole Sweete Shoppe in Barrington, as well as a member of the town council. “It was disgusting. I was gagging as I watched my wife clean it up.”

  Do we need a town watch? Are we safe in our beds? Good questions for our privileged town council.

  The Croft Residence

  One person did take an interest in the family homes that had been marked with blood, and only because her boyfriend’s home was one of them.

  Nathalie was curled up with Dean in the Croft’s backyard. “I can’t believe you didn’t notice blood dripping off your house this morning!”

  “What! It was early when I left, and I was half asleep,” Dean said in his defense. They had picked up a Bugle newssheet on their way home from Wayman’s stables. “Mom called to tell me, but then you were mad at me…”

  They were watching his baby brothers while his parents were out. They had arrived late for dinner and found Jo Croft at her wits end. “Your father had to go out suddenly and I’m late for my book meeting. Dean, Nathalie, thank you for watching Eddie and Zach for me,” she had said as she left.

  At the moment, the boys were trying to knock out each other’s teeth with rocks.

  “Aren’t you going to do something about that, Dean?” Nathalie asked with concern. One of the boys was getting mad. She couldn’t tell which one he was.

  “Nah. They’re going to lose those teeth anyway,” Dean said carelessly, setting Nathalie more firmly on his lap.

  Nathalie laughed in exasperation and smacked his hands.

  “I heard there’s a secret council meeting,” Dean said lazily, rubbing his hand along her leg. The boys looked at Dean with disgust.

  Nathalie snorted. “Some secret. How did you find out?”

  “Luke told me this afternoon.”

  “Oh,” Nathalie said without much interest as she watched one of the boys trying to lift a large boulder. “Why is it so secret?”

  “I don’t know, but I think it’s to talk about the vandalism.”

  “Were a lot of homes hit?” Nathalie asked. Interest stirred inside her…and a sense of foreboding. Her skin was prickling and she felt strange, almost excited. Something was going on.

  “Not sure. I know that the Barrington mansion was one of them. The Bugle wanted to publish
a list but it got squashed, according to Luke.”

  Squashed? Nathalie’s senses were definitely tingling. “Really? Why?” she asked curiously.

  “I don’t know. Mrs. B. asked mom and dad to refuse to allow Heimler to put their names in the paper. Apparently she doesn’t want the locals or visitors spooked in any way.”

  “Can you do that? Freedom of the press and all that…”

  “Apparently you can in Barrington,” he snorted. “It’s just vandalism by bored, idiot kids. It’s just like our reporter to exaggerate and our town council to take extreme measures.”

  “Nobody saw anything?” Nathalie asked with disbelief.

  “Nope, apparently not. We didn’t, and there are lots of us.”

  “Do you think Luke could get a copy of that list?” Nathalie asked. She was now burning with curiosity to see who was on it.

  “Luke? Probably.”

  “Can you ask him for me?”

  “Sure can, baby,” Dean said nuzzling her neck.

  The boys stopped their rough housing to stare at them in horror. Nathalie watched as they dropped their rocks and started picking up clumps of earth. They’d obviously had enough public displays of affection for one day.

  Uh oh. “Danger!” Nathalie yelled as she vaulted off Dean’s lap just before he was pummeled with dirt.

  The Barrington Estate

  The town council held an emergency meeting at Barrington Manor late Monday night. Only the council members knew of the meeting. This was to keep any nosey townspeople from butting in.

  “I can’t believe Heimler allowed Xander to publish that shit,” claimed Eric Sweet, tossing back his bourbon and signaling for another. “If I’d known that he’d sensationalize it, I wouldn’t have spoken to him.”

  John Barrington was annoyed. “What did you think would happen, Eric? This is Xander we’re talking about here. Why would you even speak to him? You two hate each other.”

  “Ah, it just looks like a prank by a bunch of bored kids,” said Noah Baker. “Why are you all so worried?”

  “It would have looked like a prank if that idiot Xander hadn’t blown things out of proportion,” Eric said with irritation. “‘Blood Bath in Barrington,’ what a byline! You’d think there was a massacre or something,” he snorted and then looked guiltily at Bill Farmer. “Sorry about your cow, man.”