No matter what she did or how mature she tried to be, he always treated her like a child, neck holding her, ruffling her hair, or wrestling with her. Not to mention all the times he scared her dates away, or when he dragged her from several parties. Now, all of a sudden, he was all for her dating his friend, she wanted to punch him.
Needing to hear someone’s voice, she called Gracie. She knew her friend was anxious to hear all the gory details of the date. Of course, Gracie had no idea that she’d only gone out with Cory to annoy Josh.
Gracie answered after only one ring, “Hey, how’d it go?”
“It was okay,” she replied thinly.
“Only okay? You went out with a hot guy like Cory and it was only okay?”
She had to find something to tell her friend, “He has a girlfriend.”
“What? That snake! I hope you gave him what he deserved,” Gracie sounded irate.
“Yeah, there won’t be another date. Look, I’m really tired. Talk to you tomorrow?” She faked a yawn. There were other things on her mind, like Joshua not being home.
“You sound weird, are you sure you’re okay?”
Lee-Ann sighed, “Yes, just sleepy. Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Okay, tomorrow then.” They both hung up at the same time.
She changed into her pajamas and stood by the window overlooking the driveway. It seemed that he’d driven one of Timothy’s cars for his date because his Harley was still in the carport. How nice, she thought. It was past one when she crawled into bed. Josh wasn’t home yet, but she made a mental note to have it out with him about Cory the following morning.
She woke up around three fifteen to pee, and it dawned on her that perhaps her stepbrother hadn’t come home yet. She hadn’t heard the car come in, but then again, she’d fallen asleep. Quietly, she crept from her room and moved stealthily across the hall, pressing her ear to his door. She had no idea what she was listening for. She would not have heard if he was snoring, and he, perhaps, would not be on the phone at that hour, still she listened.
“What’re you doing?”
She jumped when the voice came from near the stairs. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It appeared that he’d been home a while.
“Nothing…I…,” she stammered.
“Checking up on me?”
“I was doing no such thing. I thought I heard a sound, that’s all,” she lied. “I’m off to bed.”
“How was your date?” she could hear the amusement in his voice.
“What are you up to? You’ve never approved of me going out with your friends before and how could you let me go out with Cory of all people?”
“You told me I needn’t concern myself with whom you go out with,” he said.
“You’re a jerk, you know that?”
“How am I a jerk? You’re an adult, that’s what you said, remember?”
Lee-Ann’s anger flared easily. “He has a girlfriend!” her voice rose.
“You’re going to wake Mom and Dad,” he pushed open his door and pulled her inside his room. “Now, tell me what the problem is. I know you went out with him to get back at me, so don’t throw this at my feet, it was your doing.”
“Why on earth would I do that?” she chuckled.
Joshua stepped towards her. She stepped back, her back hitting the door. “You tell me Lee-Ann. You’re the one with a vendetta. What is it? What did I do to you?”
He was standing within inches of her and she felt that flip of her heart like the day when he came home and she found him in his father’s den. It felt the same way, only this time her heart did a few more somersaults. She pushed passed him and stepped further into the room so he wouldn’t see the heaving of her chest.
“You treat me like a child. Like some little kid that needs your protection!”
“And is that such a bad thing?” he was stepping towards her again and she stepped back.
“I’m a grown woman, Josh, in case you haven’t noticed. No more neck holds, no more messing with my hair, and no more telling me whom I can or cannot date!”
He backed her into the wall, towering over her with his broad shoulders. “I see. You want to be treated like an adult?”
“Yes!”
“Then perhaps you should consider not wearing these Sponge Bob PJs,” he flicked the collar of her pajama shirt. “Or that Pippy Long Stocking hairdo of yours.” Before she could reply, he pulled the elastic band that held one half of her hair, allowing it to fall carelessly around her shoulder. “Much better,” her murmured and did the same thing to the other half.
“You…you…Ugh!” she hit his chest with both her fists. “How dare you do that, you bastard!” She hit him again and he caught her fists, holding her hands captive. “Let me go, you prick.”
“Not before I teach you a lesson about grownups,” his sentence wasn’t complete before he dipped his head and covered her mouth with his.
Lee-Ann struggled against him, pushing hard against his chest until finally he broke the kiss and let her go. “You sonofabitch,” she opened her palm and brought it across his cheek, leaving welt marks. “You, bastard,” she reached to slap him again but he caught her hand once more. “Let me go,” she said between her teeth.
He dipped his head again, sealing their lips, more gently this time and pressing his body into hers. Her heart plummeted again, annoying the hell out of her. That wasn’t all, she could feel the pulse at her throat running away from her and she willed it to stop, but it wouldn’t listen. His tongue was smooth as it twined around hers. She’d never been kissed quite like that before. The kiss awoke something deep within her, but she fought against it and the resentment she had towards him won. She brought her teeth together, clamping down in his tongue, forcing him to break away from her.
“Ouch!”
“That’ll teach you, you jerk!” she moved passed him and swung the door open, taking one last look at him before stepping out and closing it behind her.
Once in her room, she let out a long breath. Absently, she brought her finger tips to her lips where she could still feel a tingle. Closing her eyes, the memory of his hard body as she pushed against him was hard to let go. Why didn’t she leave before? What made her stay after the first kiss? Did she want him to kiss her again? What made him kiss her in the first place? Yes, he said he was teaching her a lesson.
The kiss…their kiss. Joshua ran his hand over his almost bald head. He missed his hair, but that was the least of his problems. He kissed Lee-Ann, not once, but twice! What was he thinking? She was wearing those childish PJs and her hair was parted in two with ponytails on both sides of her head. It wasn’t as if she looked sexy or anything. Who would find her attractive in such a manner?
The worst part of it all was that his body had responded in a way he never imagined. As soon as their lips met, a ripple of excitement coursed through him and he felt heat in his belly. He wanted to rub his body against hers, feel her against him.
“Oh God,” he blurted out into the darkness.
He was lying on his back after he’d turned out the lights. Sleep evaded him. As a matter of fact, he felt more energized than he had in a while. His manhood was also straining against his shorts in a bid to be set free and the room suddenly felt quite stuffy. He pulled off his t-shirt and shorts, opened the windows then lay naked on the covers. The slight summer breeze that came did nothing to cool his heated body.
Flashes of Lee-Ann came haunting him and he found himself getting harder and harder, until he was forced to stroke himself. It wasn’t something he did often, and never about a girl he knew. He’d never met someone to make him so freaking hard before, so why Lee-Ann? Angrily, he jerked his hand back and forth over his thick shaft, which bulged in his palm.
“Ahh,” he breathed into the darkness as he pictured her body in that red bikini. Somehow, his anger at her for going on a date with Cory fueled his frustration. The thought of the two of them stung him in a way he’d never been stung. The fapping sound of him massaging his member ech
oed through quietness. His hand moved vigorously up and down his cock, until he felt a tingle in his scrotum. Then, he was spurting thick cream all over himself.
“Argh!” Joshua angrily jumped from the bed in order not to leave any traces of his cum there. In his bathroom, he did a quick clean up, but noticed his hard-on hadn’t disappeared. If anything, his need to be with Lee-Ann was greater than before.
Chapter Four
A dream like that happened to her once when she was seventeen. She couldn’t see the guy’s face, but he was dancing with her from behind, moving his hips along with hers. That time, she’d woken up feeling a tingling all over her body. Lee-Ann awoke with the same tingling all over, except betwixt her thighs were sticky and warm.
In this dream was Joshua. He’d pulled her in his room like last night, made fun of her hair and clothes as he had done. Then, he kissed her, with a toe curling kiss that left her breathless. Instead of slapping him, she’d twined her arms around his neck and their bodies had met. Her breasts crushed into his chest while he ran his hand along her side. He lifted her and took her to the bed where he removed her sponge bob PJs, leaving her naked. He then proceeded to trail kisses along her cleavage and down her belly. When his lips reached the junction of her thighs, she jumped up, awakening from her sleep and panting like she’d just ran a marathon.
“Oh God!” she grunted. “Now he’s in my dreams.”
She shook her head with much energy, trying to rid herself of the sensations running up and down her body. That wasn’t working so she sprang from the bed and started pacing her room like a caged animal wanting to be set free. Her mind working overtime, trying to come up with a plan. She looked down at her PJs which she’d had for a few years. They were comfortable and familiar and she saw no reason why she couldn’t keep them. Not until Joshua made fun of them.
Rifling through her closet, she found the usual jeans and t-shirts, most of which she has had for a few years. The only grown up clothes she had was the dress she’d worn for her date, and that was given to her by her mother. She also had her prom dress which was outdated and the red bikini that Gracie had given to her for her birthday.
Then, there was the hair. Lee-Ann lifted a lock and looked into the mirror, making the ponytails with her hands. She did look like a little kid with her Sponge Bob PJs and ponytails. It was time for a change, she thought. If Joshua was going to take her seriously, she had to do something. She showered and dressed in jeans and tank top, pulling on a pair of sandals and grabbing her purse.
By the time she left her room, it was close to eight and everyone was up. She found Barbara in the kitchen and Timothy reading the paper in the living room. It was Saturday, so he wasn’t going out to work. Though he was retired, he still did a few consultations and gave lectures at the University.
She entered the kitchen and looked over her mother’s shoulder at what she was cooking. “Mom, I need your credit card.”
The breakfast table was set for four with a pitcher of orange juice in the center. Barbara was doing scrambled eggs and there was bread in the eight slot toaster. On another flame on the stove, bacon sizzled aromatically, making her stomach growl.
Barbara turned to her daughter and frowned, “Is something wrong, Honey? You’ve never asked for it before.”
Just then, Timothy entered and poured himself some juice from the pitcher and sat, waiting to be fed.
“I just need a few things mom, all my clothes are so….juvenile!”
“By all means, honey. Choose anyone you like…take them all, they’re in my purse.”
“It’s time you got your own credit card, my dear,” Timothy suggested with a smile.
“That’s not necessary, Dad,” she returned a smile. “Mom’s will do.”
It was only a year ago that she started calling him Dad. She’d turned eighteen and matured, realizing that he was more of a father to her than her own father had been. In addition to treating her well, he made her mother happy. The first time she called him ‘Dad’, he teared up and hugged her tightly, telling her that he’d always wanted a daughter and was glad she was in his life.
“You’re a young woman now, no need to be using your mom’s. You are responsible, so we’ll arrange for you to get your own. Don’t worry about the bill, we’ll take care of that until you graduate from college,” he stated.
She was moved by the gesture so she bent and hugged him. “Thanks Dad.”
He patted her arm. “I’ll get your card sorted in the coming week, but have fun shopping today.”
Breakfast was served, but Joshua was missing. Barbara said he was still sleeping, so she didn’t want to wake him. That was fine with Lee-Ann. She didn’t want him all up in her business anyway. He was the reason she was in such a lousy mood, so it was good. After their little incident the night before, she was sure he was hiding and she preferred it that way.
She wanted to compose herself before confronting him…no…she wanted to prove to him that she was not a kid. It was time for a change, and even her car, a Chevy hatchback made her look like she was still sixteen. She’d left the kitchen and was at the front door when she turned back.
“Mom, can I trade my car?”
Barbara and Timothy looked at each other, before her mother answered. “I suppose so. What’s with this sudden change?”
“I’m going off to college in a few weeks. I just thought I needed something that made me look…,” she trailed off.
“Grown up?” her mother finished. She shook her head and looked down at the floor, shuffling her left foot. “Okay, do as you see fit. Nothing too expensive.”
“The cost doesn’t matter,” Timothy chimed in. “Get something that suits you.”
“You’re spoiling her Tim,” her mother crooked her arm through her husband’s and made a face at him.
He smiled down at her, “She deserves it,” he raised his head and looked at Lee-Ann, “Anything you want. Go wild!”
“Oh God, no!” Barbara exclaimed. “Don’t go wild, honey. I know how that brain of your works.”
“I promise, I won’t go wild, Mom. I’ll be back.”
The first stop she made was at the car mart. With Timothy as her step father, she had no trouble trading in her car for another. Gracie caught up with her there to help her choose. Her friend’s bubbly nature helped to put her in a better mood. It was time to let go of her orange Chevy and opt for something more her age.
“Why are you changing your car all of a sudden?” Gracie asked, running her hand over a silver Honda Civic and cocking her head to on side. Her dark curly hair caught up with a bear claw clip.
“Looks kind of immature, don’t you think? You drive a 2014 Nissan Altima, that’s grown up,” motioning towards Gracie’s car which was parked outside in the parking lot.
“Yeah, I told you to trade that car when I got mine traded but you refused,” Gracie knitted her brows. “Why now?”
“I told you, I don’t want to show up at university in that,” she pointed to her car.
“What about this? Timothy did say to go wild, didn’t he?” Gracie’s hazel eyes twinkling at the car she was looking at.
Her friend was moving towards the most beautiful BMW with two doors. It was perfect, petite, and not too flashy. She moved around it, absorbing the beauty of the design. The interior was beautiful with beige suede covered seats and the latest in technology on the dashboard.
The sales person walked up and grinned broadly, “This is perfect for you, as beautiful and sleek as you are.”
“No need to butter me up Dan, I’m taking it,” she rolled her eyes at the man she’d known since moving to Irvine. He supplied all of Timothy’s cars and was the one who sold her the Chevy.
“I’ll get the paper work sorted. Be back in a minute,” Dan sauntered off happily, knowing that he’d made a huge commission.
By the time she was driving out of the lot, she wasn’t sure she’d done the right thing. Why did she allow Joshua to affect her like this? What did i
t matter what he thought of her, whether or not he thought she was a kid? A few minutes down the road, she then stopped to think. She was of a mind to return the BMW and take back her Chevy. She missed that little car. It was the one thing her mother sacrificed to buy her for her sixteenth birthday, after she sold the house. That car had sentimental value, and now she was trading it in all because of Joshua.
“I’m going to kill you Josh, ARGHH!” she rested her head on the steering wheel and let out a long moan.
Gracie was supposed to meet her at the mall, but Lee-Ann was in no mood to finish what she started. She needed time to adjust to losing her car, because that’s how it felt, that she lost it. Stepping on the gas of her new BMW, which she had to admit, was nice, she headed back home. Gracie wasn’t pleased that she called to cancel their shopping spree.
She was a little nervous heading home, not sure that she did the right thing. Joshua was outside rubbing down his motorcycle when she pulled up. She expected some remark or another, but he ignored her. For a moment, she looked his way, yet he kept his eyes focused on his task. With a little huff, she slammed the car door and marched into the house.
“So now he’s ignoring me,” she mumbled.
“You’re back, but where are your bags?” Barbara was coming down the stairs and looked at her curiously.
“Oh, that…I change my mind about the shopping,” she tried to sound cheerful. “But I did, change the car.”
“Oh wow! That’s great…isn’t it?” her mother sounded unsure.
“Yes, here are the keys,” she handed them to her mother. “Why don’t you test her out?”
“I will,” Barbara took the keys with a grin. “It’s a Bimmer?” her eyes widened, but her face showed much excitement.
Lee-Ann shook her head, still holding the smile. As soon as Barbara skipped passed her towards the front door, the smile disappeared. Her mood became darker as she reached her room. Why was Josh ignoring her now? He didn’t even look up when she entered the drive way, nor when she got out of the car. Was he mad at her for some reason?
Reminding The SEAL (Navy SEAL Military Romance) Page 15
