It was time to let go of the fear that was always nagging me. My life was mine again.
Chapter 23
Clayton
The end of the night at The Junction was the complete opposite of the beginning. While the beginning was a crush of people streaming inside, the end was a soft flow back out into town. That wasn’t how it always was, but I was glad for it that night. It was Gia’s first time at the beloved local bar, and I wanted her to get the most out of it. If I had my way, I would never be up there again without her by my side. The Junction had always been a place I had a back-and-forth relationship with.
It was fun being there with my brother and the occasional group of friends that joined up. But I didn’t have the same draw to go there as often. Showing up there alone always felt like a reminder of everybody’s expectations of me. Now I couldn’t wait to go with Gia again. Not just because it would feel special with everybody around us but because of how she lit up while we were there.
Something about her changed while we were dancing in each other’s arms. It shifted even more when the karaoke started, and Shannon got up to start the night with her haunting voice.
She had made quite a name for herself in the time Jesse was in the military. They were still so young when he up and left without a word, barely out of being just kids. But anybody who knew them could see they were so in love.
That was what made it so hard on Shannon when he left. Jesse was her everything. He was the future she saw and the only reason she stayed in Green Valley. Shannon had an unsettled energy about her. She wasn’t quiet and settled like so many of the other women around town. She was never wild or out of control. Her behavior didn’t raise eyebrows or turn into stories that would accompany the little old ladies at the beauty parlor.
It was just that she was never totally in place. She had that same kind of feeling as a cat flicking its tail on the edge of a table. Ready to jump at any second.
There was more out there in the world for her, she always believed. She wanted to see it, to experience it, to be a part of it. And she was going to do it with Jesse. All of us knew the two of them would carry on like so many of the older folks around Green Valley. Just like our parents. They’d marry young in a sweet, simple ranch wedding because they didn’t want to wait for their lives to begin. But then they would rush off to find what the big world had waiting for them.
But that never happened. Without a word or hint of explanation, Jesse left. We woke up one morning to find him not on the ranch, not in town. Nobody knew where he was and couldn’t get in touch with him. It was a couple of days before we heard from him again and found out he was gone and not planning on coming back. That was all the explanation we got until later when we found out he had joined up and was going into basic training. From there, it was off to war.
Shannon didn’t go anywhere. She waited.
It wasn’t something she would admit to anybody outright, but she’d stayed in Green Valley just on the off-chance Jesse would be back. They had plans and her heart just wouldn’t let her give up on them. At least not for a while. She soothed her broken heart and rebuilt her soul right here in The Junction. Singing gave her a chance to open up and express everything inside her. It let out her anger and eased her sadness.
Over time, she became known for starting up the singing and drawing it to a close. Many people admitted to coming out to the bar every week just so they could hear her sing, like a concert. Even now that she had Jesse in her arms again, she hadn’t let go of the singing. And it was still just as amazing.
And like it had to so many others, it spoke to Gia. As she listened to Shannon sing her first song, it looked like something opened up inside her. Her face brightened and her smile seemed even warmer and more genuine. She relaxed and started having even more fun. I enjoyed every second of it and didn’t want it to end. But now that she was leaned against me, her head rested on my shoulder as we walked out into the soft night air, I felt differently. This was a very good exchange.
I had only had two beers earlier in the day and Gia had one plus a mixed drink with Shannon later in the night. Neither of us were under the influence, but it didn’t matter. We hadn’t driven to the bar, so we wouldn’t be driving home. I had to admit, we were by far not the only people to walk home from The Junction. In fact, I’d venture to say a good quarter of the people who showed up each week came under the power of their own feet. It made it much easier when it came time to leave for them to just pour themselves down the sidewalk and hope for the best than it was to even attempt to get behind the wheel.
It wasn’t all negligence when it came to the people behind the bar at The Junction. In bigger cities and towns, the bartenders might call up taxis to come get drunk patrons and make sure they got home safely. There wasn’t the time, space, or use for something like that in Green Valley.
Instead, one of the bartenders would break off and take their own car, driving around making sure they didn’t see anybody passed out by the side of the road or in any trouble. If they saw a patron struggling to get home, they would scoop them up and bring them right to their door. They often joked it was like a delivery service. Only instead of a bar bringing drinks to your house, they bring you.
We walked back to Gia’s apartment and leaned against the hood of my truck.
“I don’t want this to be over,” she said. “I don’t want to go inside yet.”
“I don’t want it to be over, either,” I said. I thought for a second, then gestured toward the truck. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“What do you mean? Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you for a drive,” I said. “There’s somewhere else I want to show you.”
I opened the passenger door for her and helped her up into the truck, then ran around to the driver’s seat. We drove out of town and wound through narrow back streets to a lookout point I hadn’t been to in years. We peered through the window and gazed over the incredible view.
Gia gasped. “This is gorgeous. It all looks so big.”
I laughed. “Montana is known for being pretty big. Or at least looking that way.” Turning on the radio, I lowered the volume down until it was just background noise and turned off the lights in the cabin. After a few seconds, Gia slid across the bench seat toward me so we could sit close side by side. I watched her face as it grew in her expression of awe as she soaked in the beauty around her.
“I’ve never felt like this,” she said.
“Felt like what?” I asked.
“At peace,” she said. “That’s the only way I can explain it. I’ve never felt so at peace as I do right now.”
She cuddled up close and let out a sigh. We sat there for a little bit, soaking up the beauty and enjoying the quiet.
“There’s nothing like a Montana night,” I said. “But it’s even better from the outside.”
I climbed out and walked around to help her down. Grabbing the blankets out of the back of the cab, I spread them out in the bed of the truck. There was a whisper of chill in the air, but it was still warm enough to be comfortable as we stretched out on our backs to gaze up at the stars. Her being so close beside me was too much for me to resist. I leaned over and kissed her.
As our lips touched, I smelled the intoxicating aroma of her perfume and the summer breeze drifting through her breath. It was as if she had been ordained the queen of summer and I was being gifted the last of the heat of the season with a soft, mint-scented kiss.
I wrapped her in my arms and held my lips to hers, not wanting to part from her, from this moment, until the end of time. Our bodies melded into each other and I secretly thanked the truck itself for the high sides that could keep us hidden away in our own world, and yet out in the open of the night.
My tongue slid between her parted teeth and found hers, and as they touched, my body responded instantly. The bulge in my jeans was pressing hard against the zipper, and my hand moved of its own accord to cup her ass, squeezing her tightly, aggressively as
if to claim her and seal the touch into my memory.
A musical laughter bubbling up from her chest when I clamped my fingers into her soft, round behind only made me want to pull her closer, to hear that giggle again and know that it would soon be followed by moans. By whispers of my name.
I pulled her leg over me as I lay sideways, facing her and pressing my bulge into her center, and the giggle turned into a curious moan. She felt my hardness, my desire for her, and she wanted more. I rocked my hips gently, pressing it into her, and a soft breath escaped her lips as they parted from mine.
Kissing down her neck, I pulled her tight into me, and one hand slid down around her ass, finding the warmth and promise of her center. The sheer skirt she wore billowed out of my way and I slid an exploratory finger up over her panties. She was wet and hot, and a soft moan near my ears was the single sexiest sound that I had ever heard.
Pushing away the panties, my finger slid through her folds and she dipped her head back down to lock her lips to mine. She moaned into the kiss as I pressed a finger into her, letting her wet waiting pussy squeeze around it, soaking it and preparing it for her.
She was breathing heavily with anticipation and one of her hands slid down my side to my belt. I shifted so she could yank the belt out of the loop, and I couldn’t stop the rumble of appreciation when her slim, searching fingers unzipped me and slid inside, going through the opening of my boxers to wrap around my cock. The warmth of her palm against the base of my erection brought a new anticipation, and as she pulled it out of the opening of my boxers, I breathed in heavily and focused on letting my fingers explore her even deeper.
She cried out as I sped up my motions and she stroked me in turn. Her lips caressed my neck and then started to work their way down my chest, and I lay on my back, excited for the sensation of her lips tracing their way down my abdomen.
Chapter 24
Gia
My body tingled with adrenaline and desire as I worked his cock with my palm, marveling at the hard, slick, warm appendage in my hand and desperate for it to be inside me, to fill me as I had dreamed of before. The soft blanket gave cushion from the metal lining of the back of the pickup truck and I adjusted myself over him, kissing down his chest, my arousal only bridging higher as I reached the trail of soft hair below his belly button.
I pulled down on his waistband with one hand and he picked up his hips to let me slide them down to his thigh. My wet lips pressed against his skin and I worked up a bit of extra liquid in my mouth to prepare it for him.
When I reached his long thick cock, I had a moment of hesitation. It had never been like this, only in my dream, and I was simultaneously excited and intimidated. I worried I wouldn’t be able to handle his girth, but the passion screaming from my loins pushed me to try.
I parted my lips and rested them on the head, letting my tongue slide out below and gather up the sweet, clear liquid resting on the edge. I plunged down as much as I could, taking him into my mouth and pressing my lips against the soft skin of his shaft.
Clayton moaned loudly above, and I couldn’t help but grin at the sound. The sensation of his pleasure, so pure and desirable, drove me beyond my ability to control myself, and I slid one of my hands down my skirt.
Pushing away my panties, I let one long finger glide through my folds and press into my opening. My finger pushed into me as I took him in deep again. As I bobbed up and down over him, I worked his shaft with my other hand, clenched at the base, and pulled up to my mouth.
Clayton looked down at me and our eyes met, only driving the intensity of the moment further, and I moaned, the vibration of my voice seeming to bring Clayton’s sensations to an even higher level. My pussy was wet as I slid another finger inside, trying to prepare myself for the thickness of the cock that now stretched my lips and pressed into the back of my throat.
Clayton’s head fell back, and his eyes closed while a hand slipped behind my head and gathered up some of my hair. I relaxed as he guided me in the motion up and down on his cock, relishing the grunts and other sounds that tumbled from his lips.
I stroked him into my mouth and felt myself getting close to a climax on my own. But before that could happen, suddenly, his strong grip pulled me off of him and beckoned me to come closer to his face. I climbed up him like a felled tree and mounted him like I was preparing to ride him into the sunset. In a way, I was.
His fingers reached for my legs and pulled them so they were positioned correctly, and I felt the head of his cock brush through my folds, sending a chill along my spine that made me shudder. I was so close, and I didn’t want to waste time, so I pressed my hands into his chest and sank down. An explosion of sensation overloaded my senses and I pressed down into his chest to stop myself from going further. My pussy ached and screamed with pleasure at the same time, sending mixed signals all along my body to rise up and off of him and to push down and let him fill me completely. I sat there, locked frozen for a moment, letting my body adjust, the walls of my core opening up to accommodate him and to cover him with my fluids to make him even slicker than he was before. Clayton clenched at my ass with his strong, rough fingers and I knew he was begging me to sink down further, to ride him and release all the tension that had built up inside both of us.
Slowly, I felt like I could breathe again, and I sank down a little further. The blurry difference between ecstasy and pain was more than I could unravel, but as I let my body relax and rose up and down on him, not going all the way down just yet, it began to lessen. Soon, I was pushing further with each downward motion, my knees digging less into the blanket for control. My face turned to the sky and the twinkling lights so far away, burning stars millions and millions of miles into space, filled the night with light just bright enough to illuminate the distance of the land we sat on. It was gorgeous and secluded and the smell of the night blossoms and the open sky relieved me of all inhibitions. I pressed myself down onto him, letting him sink deeply into me, and I cried out with the mixture of sensations it brought.
My pussy throbbed as it wrapped around his thick hard cock like a velvet glove, and I brought myself up and down on him, riding him gently at first. His hands slid up my stomach to my chest and I pulled my sweater up and over my head. His fingers worked quickly, easily, to unhook the clasp in the front of my bra, and my heavy, round breasts tumbled into his waiting palms. He pressed into them, groaning in pleasure, and I moaned at the warmth of his touch on my bare skin, settling myself down harder onto his cock. My hips were moving on their own now, hitching and driving my body to bring him deeper into me with each thrust. I fell onto him, our lips pressing into one another, and his hands moved to my ass again, clutching it tightly as he began to thrust up into me.
I broke the kiss to cry out into the night, and one of my swinging breasts was caught in his lips. His tongue flicked at my sensitive, perky nipple as he slammed himself into me, and I pressed my palms into the soft blanket, curling fabric into them with my hands as a powerful orgasm crashed down onto me. I cried out his name and moaned a sound I had never heard come from deep in my chest as I climaxed. He didn’t stop his thrusts as my voice trailed into a monotone moan that was devoid of intelligible words. My brain switched off the ability to process thought as the sensations overwhelmed me, wave after wave of uncontrolled climax washing over me and making me hot and breathless.
When I felt like I couldn’t hold myself up anymore, Clayton sat up, clenched me around the waist with his muscular arms, and spun me around to lay me gently on my back. I settled on the bed of the truck, my eyes filling with a swimmy vision of the ink-black night with tiny pinpricks of light and an impossibly large moon and Clayton as he hovered over me, his cock standing thick and strong like a flagpole while he unbuttoned his shirt. Tossing it aside, Clayton looked down at me with a hunger and admiration I had never experienced before. He was worshiping my body in that look, taking in the sight of my naked chest and the smile that hurt my cheeks but was impossible to relax. My body was stil
l shaking from the orgasm when he pressed himself over me, pulling a leg up under his arm while the other braced him.
I cried out again as his cock slammed into me. There was no hesitation there, no indecisiveness. And yet, I craved it, despite the loss of control. For once, I was giving that control willingly and knew that I was giving it to someone who cared for my pleasure as much as his. I wrapped the leg around the small of his back, feeling the sweat trailing down it in beads from the heat as I swept them away with the sole of my foot. He rocked back and then into me again and I took a deep breath in, making a small, mousy sound, and then relaxed into his thrusts.
He began a rhythm, deep and fast, as he laid into me with his massive cock. He filled me so completely that I barely had the ability to make a sound and instead searched hungrily for his hand. He let go of my leg and I brought his thumb to my lips. Taking it inside, I mimicked sucking him as he fucked me, and I could feel him getting more aggressive, more intense with his thrusts. I knew I could bring his body to the nirvana I had achieved, and I raised my hips into him to do it. He sat up a bit on his knees and used his free hand to grasp onto my hips, pulling them into him as he thrust forward. The repetitive, strong, controlled motion of his cock sliding deeply into my soaking pussy began to fade, and it became a more raucous, uncontrolled motion.
Our skin slapped together as he got faster, more unhinged with his thrusts, and his hand left my mouth to grasp onto my breast. He filled it with my soft, round skin and used his wet thumb to brush against the nipple. I reached up with both hands to pull him deeper, ignoring the pain of his cock slamming against my walls in the desire to have him stretch me, to open me for him. To let him claim me, own me in this moment. I was fully at his will, and I wanted him to know it. He responded by grabbing both hips with his strong grip and increasing the intensity to a level I had never known.
His Dirty Hands (The Montgomery Boys Book 2) Page 14
