Georgia Clay

by KG Fletcher

  When the front door opened, Clay wasn’t prepared for what he saw.

  “May I help you?” A ridiculously good-looking man was standing on the other side, his bare chest tanned to golden perfection, his flawless smile intimidating. He was holding a full bottle of beer, looking like he owned the place.

  “Who are you?” Clay scowled, not even bothering with a polite “hello.” He could feel the sweat start to trickle down his back.

  “Who wants to know?” Golden-boy puffed out his chest. They were two peacocks sizing each other up.

  “I’m sorry. My mistake. I should have called.” His blood was hot, anger rushing through his veins making his head pound. Two weeks of not being together and Katie had already moved on? She never implied that she was dating other guys. He thought they were exclusive. His world suddenly turned upside-down, and he couldn’t think straight in the heat. Turning on his booted heels, he quickly started toward his truck.

  “Wait a minute. Hey, wait up!”

  Clay opened the passenger side of his truck and threw his bag and the flowers in gruffly, setting the wine on the floorboard. Golden-boy was fast approaching in his flip-flops.

  “Why the rush, man? You here for Katie?”

  Clay turned with a start at the mention of her name and looked at the man with wide eyes. Golden-boy looked back at him biting his lip as if suppressing a laugh or a smile. He thrust his large hand out.

  “I’m Hartford Parker. I’m Katie’s older brother.”

  Taking a step back, Clay felt heat rush to his face and wiped his brow quickly. He thrust his hand out to shake his hand. “Oh, man. You scared the shit out of me. I’m Clay. Clay Watkins.” The two shook heartily standing in the parking lot, laughing. Clay had never been so relieved in his entire life. Katie had mentioned that her brother sometimes stayed with her, but she hadn’t said he was visiting this weekend.

  “You might want to grab your stuff and come on in out of this heat. Katie should be back any minute. She’s out on her walk sulking. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she sees you.”

  Hart grabbed his bag and took the lead back to the condo. The rush of cool, sweet air was an instant relief, the distinct aroma of garlic and onions wafting from the kitchen.

  “I’m making dinner. Eggplant parmesan. It should be ready soon. Hey, man. You look like you could use a cold beer.”

  Clay nodded setting the wine on the counter. “That’d be great. You know where she keeps the vases?”

  Hart smiled, and Clay swore he saw a glint of sunlight reflect off his perfect, white teeth. “Probably in the pantry—top shelf. Nice touch with the flowers.”

  The two clinked bottles and gulped the cold beer. Clay licked his lips, thankful for the refreshing beverage. “You said she’s out on a walk. In this temperature?”

  Hart chuckled peeking in the oven. “Yeah. She’s got this fancy dress she wants to look flawless in for some big event coming up.” He turned and winked at Clay. “Been walking after work every day and on the weekends. She’s committed.”

  Something Clay had never felt before rippled through his chest. It made him feel light and loved. He knew precisely what Hart was talking about. Katie was preparing for the Ryman show. She was committed to him and her promise that she made to be there. Thank God, he decided to surprise her—to show just how much he missed her.

  He set the purple flowers on the counter and was about to pull a clear vase from the top shelf of the pantry when the sound of the door slammed. His breath caught as he turned quickly and saw Katie walk into the kitchen. Her doe eyes nearly popped out of her head, and she screeched rushing toward him. Clay lunged, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, their lips crashing into each other. He could feel the heat from her body seep into his skin. She was slippery with sweat, a pungent muskiness mixing with the food aroma.

  “You’re here…,” she exhaled. Tears glistened her eyes as sweat trickled down her red cheeks.

  “I’m here.” He wiped her hair that was sticking to her face back and cupped her cheek. “Did you miss me?”

  Throwing her arms around him, she deliberately nuzzled her head against his neck, wiping her sweat all over him. Hart eyed them curiously from the opposite end of the kitchen, taking it all in with a smirk on his face.

  “I’ll take care of the flowers, Prince Charming.” He grabbed the bouquet and pushed the googly eyed couple toward the stairwell. “Damn, girl. You reek! Y’all go clean up.”

  Katie looped her arm with Clay and stared up at him. Looking down at her beautiful face devoid of any makeup and flushed from the temperature, he was in awe of her natural beauty, thankful to be with her after so many days apart. Climbing the stairs, he realized they were about to get naked and pulled her faster to the bedroom. She giggled like a schoolgirl as they rushed in and locked the door. Pulling her wet t-shirt and sports bra up and over her head, he stepped back, eyeing her beautiful tits that pointed straight at him. Her chest heaved, and she kept her eyes fixed on his as she pushed off her shoes and shimmied out of her shorts, standing naked before him like a glistening goddess. He approached her and lightly touched her skin that was turning clammy in the air-conditioned room.

  “I want you so bad,” she whispered.

  Nodding, he bit his lip. “I want you too, baby. Go get in the shower.” He dipped his head to meet her lips, grazing them softly with a tender kiss. “I’ll take care of my girl in there.”

  She blushed, squeezed his denim covered balls and skipped into the bathroom. If there was ever a time he wished he wasn’t wearing cowboy boots and jeans, this was it. He teetered precariously standing on one foot while pulling off each stubborn boot. Quickly, he threw his clothes in a haphazard pile on the floor next to hers, aware of pressure building in his groin.

  Walking into the bathroom, the sound of water and the smell of body wash was prevalent. He threw back the shower curtain and looked Katie up and down in all her lathered nakedness. She squealed, pulling him in by the penis, her soapy hands running up and down his hard length making him gasp. The warm spray of water rained down as their lips collided again, welcoming each other home. Fondling her breasts in his hands, he tugged and pinched her nipples relishing the sound of her panting, excited to pleasure her.

  “I missed you so much,” she whispered in his ear, her tongue darting in and out, making him throb with want.

  “Oh, god, baby… you have no idea how much I missed you.” His fingers slid down her backside and gripped her buttocks aggressively. “I wanna make love to you so bad.”

  Her beautiful smile was a gift as she pulled back from their embrace. He watched her slowly turn around and palm the tiled walls of the shower, her glorious ass pushed out purposefully for him. Clay eased himself inside her wet folds, losing his breath in ecstasy. Holding her hips sturdily, he pumped her slowly at first before becoming aggressive, her high-pitched gasps and grunts sending him into a tizzy. During their time apart, he intentionally withheld from masturbating, pining for her in delicious pain until he could be inside her again. He knew the first time would be quick. Spilling into her with hot bursts, he struggled to breathe, his orgasm blinding and intense. He could feel her insides clench around his harness and knew she was on the brink. Bringing his hand around her leg, he quickly stroked her sensitive nub, her body jerking with electricity by his touch.

  “Come for me, baby,” he urged. She moved against his hand faster and faster until he felt her tighten and shiver, screaming his name into the water. They collapsed onto the floor of the shower allowing the spray of water to shroud them in the aftermath, both of their chests heaving. Clay felt as if he could float away after the force of their bodies colliding. His eyes watered and he blinked rapidly. Somewhere inside him, he knew that he could never be away from this woman again. Not ever.

  ***

  “Dinner was delicious Hart. Thank you for doing this.” Katie grinned at her big brother from across the table, knowing he had done it because he “owed
” her for his week of laziness. He had always been the best cook in the family, often showing off at summer barbeques over the years, looking especially cute in an apron and chef’s hat just for giggles.

  “Yeah, everything was great,” Clay chimed in. His arm was resting on the back of her chair, his fingers lighting touching her shoulder. If she closed her eyes and focused on his touch, it would only be a matter of seconds before a familiar fluttering would start to happen in her lower region.

  When they had sheepishly come downstairs after their intense rendezvous in the shower, Katie endured some brotherly ribbing when Clay wasn’t looking. Hart had never really been around when she was with a boyfriend. This was new to him, and he seemed to be enjoying it. Much to her delight, Clay and Hart got along brilliantly as if they had known each other for years. She was glad he had explained his present situation, living under her roof, without giving away all the sordid details. He didn’t lie, but he didn’t tell the whole story either, only letting Clay know that he was between jobs and trying to figure out his next steps.

  They joked over dessert and a second bottle of wine, Hart telling Clay funny family stories making him laugh out loud. Hart was good like that—always the life of the party and able to get people to relax and feel good. Katie felt alive and happier than she’d ever been being in the same room with two of her favorite men. She was eternally grateful that Clay had made a surprise visit, her days of pouting and longing a distant memory.

  “So, you have to go back to Nashville tomorrow?” Hart asked, pouring the remnants of the second bottle into Clay’s glass.

  “Well…” Clay paused and turned to face Katie. “I was hoping you could take tomorrow off and we could go up to my parent’s lake house.”

  Katie’s eyes lit up. The thought of spending another whole day and night with Clay was a no-brainer.

  “Really?” She watched a genuine smile bloom across his face, the gold flecks in his eyes drawing her in. Nodding aggressively, she lunged at him wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheeks. “Yes, of course! I’ll just call in sick!”

  All three of them laughed, and the mood in the room was happy and festive.

  Later, when Katie was finally lying in bed in Clay’s arms, she sighed contentedly. “You have no idea how happy I am in this moment.,” she whispered, gripping him a little tighter.

  “Oh? How happy are you?”

  Snuggling into his shoulder, she closed her eyes. “You’re everything to me, Clay. It just feels right when we’re together. Do you know what I mean?” She could feel him nod against the pillows.

  “Yes. I know exactly what you mean.”

  They lay there for several minutes on the edge of sleep. “Katie?”

  “Hmmm,” she answered sleepily.

  “What would happen if I never let you go?”

  Smiling, she kissed his jawline while her eyes remained closed. “That would be a dream come true.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  They were up at the crack of dawn, loading their overnight bags into the back of Clay’s truck. He watched her come out of the condo, locking the front door behind and couldn’t help but stare as she walked toward the truck. Her beauty captivated him, her smile causing his heart to skip a beat.

  “I think that’s it,” she said, looking up into his face. Smiling, she reached up and pushed his hair over his ear, the mere touch of her fingertips sending a jolt of electricity to his groin.

  “You packed a bathing suit I hope.”

  “Yes. I packed two, just in case.”

  “Just in case what?”

  “I don’t know. Just in case I can’t make up my mind which one to wear?”

  He laughed out loud and opened the passenger door. She climbed in, wearing the familiar frayed jean shorts he loved and flip-flops, her white V-neck tee dipping down to the sensitive area between her perky breasts. For a moment, he was transported back to the night before when he had nuzzled that exact spot under the spray of water in the shower.

  “You ready?” she asked, bursting his bubble. A little crease formed above her brow as she watched him with a look of perplexity.

  “Yes! I was born ready!”

  Driving north toward the Blue Ridge Mountains, they enjoyed each other’s company, talking the entire way. Traffic was minimal, the morning light, amazing. Lake Burton was in the northeast corner of the state of Georgia in Rabun County. As they drove through the quaint little town of Helen, Clay pointed out the quirky chalets in the mountain town, telling Katie they’d be stopping at a local grocery where they could pick up sustenance for their day and night on the lake. Betty’s Country Store was a southern establishment from days gone by. They walked hand in hand through a small courtyard filled with benches and rocking chairs beneath the cool shade trees.

  “I feel like we’re going back in time,” Katie grinned excitedly.

  Clay opened the screened door that whined on creaky hinges. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” he replied, palming her back as they entered.

  The store was chock-full of everything you could imagine, the décor displaying items from long ago. Vintage antique bookshelves held an assortment of jams, jellies, marinades, and chutney. Giant barrels held nuts and candy with aluminum scoops hanging on the sides. Rusted, metal advertising signs were nailed up on the walls, hawking everything from cigarettes to motor oil and above some of the food cases were displays of old Nehi and Double Cola soda bottles. The distinct aroma of good coffee and cinnamon floated through the air in the magical environment. Katie told him she felt like a kid in in the proverbial candy store.

  She clung to his arm as he carried a small, red plastic basket to put their portions in. He pointed out two ribeye steaks iced down behind the glass front of the meat counter and watched as the old man on duty wrapped them efficiently in brown paper, marking the price with a black pen. A large rack of local wine conveniently located next to the meat section caught Katie’s eye, and she insisted they buy a bottle of “Fat Boy” whose label was a comical rendering of a huge hog, making her giggle out loud. Clay had the deli-guy make a couple of sandwiches they could eat later on the dock as Katie investigated the bakery section. She came back with a beautiful cake in her arms, beaming from ear-to-ear.

  “Please tell me you like carrot cake.” Her doe eyes looked at him expectantly.

  “If that’s Betty’s famous carrot cake, you betcha!”

  They left the quaint little store, stopping at the ice vending machine where Clay picked up a two-pound bag of ice to put in the cooler in the back of his truck. The entire shopping experience was playful and romantic, his yearning to spend more simple moments with the girl of his dreams on the forefront of his mind.

  Back on the road, Clay described the lake house he had bought for his parents. Secluded from the big wave and boat action of the main part of Lake Burton, the home was tucked away in a tiny cove surrounded by the natural beauty of the forest. He was excited to lay in the giant hammock on the stone patio that overlooked the two-stall boathouse, and he couldn’t wait to see the wind blow through her hair as he took her for a boat ride at sunset.

  “It’s been called one of the prettiest lakes in Georgia,” he said, looking over at her. She had slipped off her flip-flops, and her pink toes were resting on the dash in front of her.

  “I’ve only been to Lake Lanier.”

  “Well, this isn’t Lake Lanier. Some of the houses on the lake will blow your mind—lots of celebrities have homes out here. Do you know who Alan Jackson is?”

  She looked over at him and nodded. “Yeah. He’s the country guy who sang about the Chattahoochee River, right?”

  Clay chuckled. “That’s right. His place is up for sale. He’s asking six million or something close to that.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope. Some of these homes look like castles. I can’t wait to show you.”

  By the time they wound their way through the narrow country roads in the middle of nowhere
to get to the Watkins house, the sun was high in the sky, the temperature sizzling. Clay watched Katie’s reaction as she got out of the truck, her face displaying pleasure as she scanned the two-story, red brick structure with huge windows overlooking the lake. Clay had a moment of melancholy as he turned the key in the front door lock, remembering the first time he showed his parents the house he had bought just for them.

  Daddy, this is a gift for you and Mama. I know you always wanted a home of your own. Well… now you have one.

  “It’s so beautiful out here, Clay.” Katie tilted her neck, squinting up into the dappled light shining through the leaves of the mature trees. The sounds of birds chirping happily and wind rustling branches was prevalent.

  Clay smiled and pushed open the front door. She gasped audibly and scurried inside, looking up at the soaring ceilings with massive exposed beams in the great room. He quickly strode across the room to the wall of windows and pulled the curtains open, revealing the beautiful shoreline of the lake twenty feet below. She stood gazing down at the rippling water as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

  “I bought it for the view. I thought Big Daddy would like to sit in that rocking chair sippin’ on his sweet tea taking it all in.”

  “Did he?” she asked, looking up into his face.

  He nodded wistfully. “For a short time, anyway…”

  ***

  There was no one on the lake. It was, after all, a Monday. All the weekenders had gone back to work in the suburbs leaving the expansive 2,775-acre reservoir all to themselves. Katie lazily floated in a hot pink inner tube, leaning her head back on the plastic, allowing the sun to penetrate her exposed skin. The water was cold, but refreshing in the late-September southern heat, her fingers conducting a silent symphony, running back and forth across the lake surface.

  “You need another beer, baby?”

  She looked up at the dock shading her eyes with her hand and smiled at Clay sitting on the edge with his feet in the water, a rod and reel in his hands. He wore colorful board shorts and dark Ray-Bans, his tanned, bare chest glistening with beads of sweat. His smile melted her heart.