His dark hair was shorter and his skin was sun touched and beautiful. His contagious smile made my heart pick up a beat.
“Hmmm. You resemble Austin.” My smile was as wide as his.
He sat at the foot of my lounger and extended his hand. “Monty Hall. Let’s make a deal?”
Instantly, my head moved from side to side. “Austin. I’m not that little girl anymore.”
“Easy Ms. Hendrick. That was a year and a half ago. I held up to my end. Did you hold up to yours?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I dated a couple of guys.” I wasn’t sure you could call it dating. I certainly wasn’t going to tell him they wouldn’t touch me.
“Would you like to know what is behind door 3?”
I shrugged. “Is there a door 4?”
One derisive eyebrow shot up in perfect Austin fashion. “Do you want there to be a door 4?”
I shrugged again. “Depends what I think of door 3.”
“When you were 16, I couldn’t say things to you. Things I wanted to say.”
This confused me. We said anything…everything to each other. I think I was caught somewhere between surprised and hurt. “What couldn’t you possibly say to me?”
He stood, grabbed the feet of the chair I sat in, and pulled it about six inches toward him. This time when he sat, he was next to my hip.
“Wouldn’t it have been easier if you just would have moved up here?” I asked with a smirk. The sexual tension was not only hotter than the sun beating down on us, but it clung to the air.
“Nothing worth while is ever easy,” he said with serious eyes.
“What couldn’t you possibly say to me?” I reminded.
“You’re 18 now.”
“I’m aware of that. You sent me flowers and a card. What couldn’t you say to me?”
He inhaled a long, slow, deliberate breath. “I couldn’t say…” he whispered “that you have the most beautiful bottom lip and I’d love to trace over it with my tongue.”
My tongue darted out and moistened my lips wondering if he’d move in for that kiss.
“I couldn’t say that I love your scent and that I could smell you anywhere.”
I smiled. “You freaky little vampire.” A hint of a smile touched his mouth.
“I couldn’t say that the night we skinny dipped in my pool is a night I still regret that I stopped kissing you. And I couldn’t say that I want to make you mine in only a way a man could.”
On that one, it was as if fire shot up through my pelvis and moved with my blood throughout my entire body. His Adams apple bobbed out and back in as he watched me. “But you’re 18 now, and I won’t hold back.”
An opened mouthed stare is all I had to offer. His dark Italian eyes searched my face for any type of response.
“Talk to me Goose,” he said, and though I hadn’t watched Top Gun in forever, we used to ridiculously quote the movie.
“My body is going ballistic Mav,” I admitted.
He crinkled up his sexy little nose. “That’s not the right line.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, for starters, you’re still Monty Hall.”
Suddenly, he stood and bolted. Waiting in my room for him to come back, I heard him below.
“Hey stranger,” he yelled and ran back in the house, up the stairs, and sat next to me again. “How have you been Emma?”
I giggled. “You’re goofy.”
“I poured my heart out on the line and all you got is ‘you’re goofy?’”
“I’m sorry. What’s behind door 3?”
A beautiful, wide smile swept across his face. “Me…there is no other door. What do you say about that?”
I leaned forward and brushed my lips over his. “Hey Maverick, you big stud, take me to bed or lose me forever…” and with that, he kissed me deeper than he ever had.
Thinking back about that day made me sad. We made out like crazy but he never actually took me to bed. Austin and I spent nearly every day of that summer together. The night he turned 22 was when it happened.
We drove into Hood River for dinner and sat and watched the wind surfers on the Columbia from a hill. Then we swung by the Naked Winery, and he snagged a bottle of wine.
“Where are we going?”
He offered a slight hint of a smile but kept driving. Soon, he parked in front of a sign that read ‘Villas on the Cliff’ and was out of the car before I knew it.
As we walked into one of the most beautiful places I’d ever been, he opened the wine and had already gotten two glasses.
“Trying to get me drunk?”
“Maybe. Two years ago, we celebrated together with a bit of red wine, some skinny-dipping and a kiss. I was hoping for a replay.”
“You can’t drink and drive,” I whispered.
Tilting the glass to his lips, he swallowed and said, “Thank you Sammy Safety. But we are staying.”
My eyes widened and he handed me the glass. “All night??” I nearly shouted.
“Nervous?”
“What’d you tell my parents?” I knew full well Austin had taken appropriate precautions with my father.
“I lied to him. Sort of.” He got the V between his eyes and sat his glass down. “I told him we were going to the theater and wouldn’t be getting out until late. I assured him we would have separate rooms. This is a two-bedroom villa. Nervous now?” The anxiety either left him or he was covering it up because he was sipping his drink again.
I grinned at him. “I call dibs on picking the bedroom I want.”
He fought to keep a straight face. “I’m fine with you picking the bedroom. Don’t bite on that lip I love so much.”
I released my bottom lip. I never realized I’d bit it to begin with.
“Emma….”
With my hand, I lifted the glass from him and drank the dark red liquid, feeling the warmth spread throughout my body. “Yes?”
He swaggered toward me and my heart’s rhythm was out of whack. He brushed a kiss over my lips then whispered in my ear, “truth or dare?”
Even though I was lying in Zach’s bed where we fell asleep earlier talking…the memory of Austin made me smile…that night ranked up there in the top five nights of my life. Nights with Zach held the other four spots.
“Dare,” I whispered to him as a deliberate smile met my lips.
A slow blaze ignited in his eyes as he closed the remaining distance between us. I wondered if that was the answer he expected.
From out of nowhere he produced a deck of cards. “I dare you to play strip poker with me.” Wow…that was the last thing I expected. He clearly saw the hesitation in my eyes. “Chicken?”
“Bite me!” I snipped jerking the cards from his hand. I quickly took inventory of how many items of clothing I was wearing and downed the red wine as if it were a shot of tequila.
I heard him chuckle.
After only a few short rounds, he was down to his boxers looking as sexy as ever. I, too, was down to my panties but still had on my bra and shirt. One hand later, I was without a shirt and he squirmed.
“Why are you squirming over there? It’s as if you are in a swimsuit,” I teased.
“And you as well.”
“I guess this hand is a pretty big deal.”
“A game changer,” he added.
“Game changer?” I asked.
“Yes. I already want to bury myself inside of you. Seeing more of you will only make me want that more. The restraint I’m using right now is pretty much unknown to man.”
“Well that makes us even then because my body is pretty much unknown to man.” My face flushed the minute I said it, and had I not been on glass three of the liquid truth teller…I never would have said it.
I waited for his typical smartass remark, but he only offered a tender smile. So, I glanced at the hand dealt to me and a simple smile crept over my face. I would never do well in Vegas. My eyes flicked up to his and he looked confident. Damn.
“Lay ‘em down,” he said.
So I did. My 3 tens and 2 fours stared up at him. I swallowed…waiting.
“Lay ‘em down,” I repeated his words.
“I’m going to lay you down if I win this hand,” he said laying down one card. A Jack. Then a nine. Hmmm. If he held a full house he’d trump me. When he lay down the next card, my heart pounded in my throat. An ace. My eyes darted up to his and we stared at each other for only a moment before I released a breath…shot up out of my seat and started dancing.
“Who’s your daddy?!” I sang
He shook his head. “Oh my love, don’t you know better than to pre…celebrate?”
How did he not realize he was beat? I looked at the cards again. Jack of clubs. Nine of clubs. Ace…of clubs. SHIT!
Two cards remained in his hand.
“Lay ‘em down!” I ordered.
He plucked one of the cards and lay it down. Deuce of CLUBS! What the hell? Only one side of his mouth pulled into a smile.
“You’re bluffing,” I nearly whispered.
“I haven’t said anything. How can I be bluffing?”
“Play the damn card.”
The chair slid back away from the table. He stood and took my hand, wrapped his arm around me and pulled my back into his chest, the card still in his hand. His other hand slid down my back to my bra strap and he unhooked the snap. And as I watched the lime green piece of lace fall to the ground next to my feet, a seven of clubs was flashed in front of my eyes…
“Emma…who’s your daddy?” he whispered, and I could hear the smile in his voice as his hand cupped the swell of my breast. He did this thing where he traced above it, below it, around it but not until I literally begged would he touch where I needed him. His lips had found my neck.
When his other hand slid south toward my panties, I smacked his hand. “I haven’t lost those yet, you can’t take them off.”
He abruptly spun me around and shoved me up against the wall. “They are a matching set…they go together. Those are coming off too.”
“Cheater,” I teased.
“I have a question and I know it’ll embarrass you,” he said sliding his fingers beneath the elastic of my panties. He was near panting.
“OK…”
While staring into my eyes, he slowly inched the green lace over my hips.
“Have you ever had an orgasm?” he whispered.
And he was right. I was embarrassed. Mortified. And worst of all, I didn’t know if I had. I didn’t think so…
“I don’t know,” I said covering my face. He pulled me in to his chest.
“Emma. It’s ok. I wasn’t sure. And if you don’t know then I would guess you haven’t. And that’s ok. But I need you to know,” he pushed me back against the wall and kissed my lips, “I’m going to make you come, OK?”
I could only nod and wasn’t sure my legs would hold me when he said that. I’d never had a guy speak to me quite like that.
When we got to the bedroom, he started by kissing me…more passionately than I could imagine. And he kissed down my throat, to where I finally needed him, on my breasts. The outcry was unexpected and I tried to reel it in a bit.
“Emma, relax…don’t hold back,” he said as he continued his dissent.
I nodded I think and I desperately tried to do what he asked.
But when he reached the part of me that hadn’t been touched in two years, I moaned out loud again as he went to work. I had tried before…myself… to make this happen and I hadn’t been so successful. I’d googled it to see what exactly to do and clearly, Austin had found a better website than I did. The warmness…the building fire in the pit of my stomach...
“Austin…”
He continued his assault.
There was a part of me that was sort of scared. It kept building. Tears pooled in my eyes. Was I going to pee? Damn it…I needed to know, but I needed what he was doing more. I wanted to ask. I was scared to ask.
“Austin…”
He stopped for a moment and the feeling subsided just a bit.
“Em, am I hurting you at all?”
“God no!” I gasped. “I’m just…scared,” I panted. I was too embarrassed to say the part about maybe peeing. Oh My God! That would be the worst.
“Trust me, ok Em?” The warmth and feeling was there again the minute he touched me.
“Oooh,” I said softly and his assault was a bit more aggressive this time. I don’t know when I sifted my fingers into his hair, but as the sensation grew, I knew…I knew it was going to happen. And when I felt his finger slide into me that did it…an explosion from inside.
“Auuuustin…” I wept as I felt my insides pulsing. “Austin…Austin…” I was lost, so lost in this moment. This feeling. I felt him kiss my thigh, hipbone, stomach then nuzzle his nose into my hair.
“You ok?” he spoke so softly right next to my ear and he must have felt an escaped tear. “You’re crying? Emma!”
All I had to offer was shaking my head.
“Talk to me,” he begged hovering over me and dabbing the tears.
“I don’t even know why there are tears. That was incredible. That was…I don’t know what. That was…perfect.” More tears broke loose! Damn it!
He smiled wide catching the escapees with the backs of his fingers. “Good,” he said softly leaning down and brushing a kiss over my lips.
“Be with me,” I whispered.
“I’m right here.”
“You know what I mean. Be with me,” I tried again unsure how to say it.
A crooked little grin touched his face and I watched him reach for a condom package on the nightstand. “Emma wants Austin?”
I nodded. “Very much.”
“You’re sure? You’re sure you want this…because for me there’s no turning back. I want you Emma Hendrick. I want you. I want you to finally be mine.”
“I’m ready too.” And it was in those three words that I knew the truth of the matter. Though I was giving my body to another man at that moment, my heart still belonged to someone else but he was no longer an option.
Chapter 9—Zach
The killer waves today were badass. Dylan and I straddled the boards, floating for a few while waiting for the next fat wave. He had to drag me from the house…from Emma. I promised him a few hours of surf. Besides, she seemed pretty tired after her orgasm in the back room of the bar. I smiled at that memory.
“What are you smiling about?” Dylan splashed water at my face.
“Really? You think you need to ask?” Dylan was brilliant. Dangerously brilliant. Graduated valedictorian of his class and had wanted to be a doctor since he was four. He was two years away from finishing med school then would complete his specialty. Neurosurgery. The doctor decision came early in life…the neurosurgery came after his parent’s accident…which is also when he started poppin shit.
“She really makes you happy bro. You’re a different person.”
“I should have gone after her sooner.”
“It seems to have worked out ok. When does she leave?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. We don’t talk about it. Her birthday is tomorrow.”
“Big plans?”
“I’d ask her to marry me if I thought she would,” I whispered. And I would. Moving that fast might frighten her. I couldn’t frighten her.
“Marriage, wow!”
So he did hear me. I didn’t care that he heard me. I’d shout it to the world.
“Z? Man. What happens when she goes back?”
“Stop being a fucking buzz kill Dyl. You and Sam keep asking the same shit.” A wave was moving in and we followed the swell with our eyes. Both of us eyed each other then went flat, moving to our stomachs and began paddling. I popped vertical first and laughed out loud and he let me have it.
Floating again he apologized. “I’m sorry bro.”
“No worries, man.” Did they not for a second understand that her leaving…her going back to her life…me staying here…was literally my every single thou
ght? That overwhelming possibility absorbed every piece of who I was.
“Question.”
After lowering my wayfarers, I eyeballed him. “Don’t piss me off.”
“Shut your pie hole and listen to me you douche bag.”
“What?” He glanced back at the Pacific. I wondered how fast he could paddle and I wondered if he was considering that too. “Just ask, you peckerhead.”
“Alright. What happened with Austin? You were so sure they were together. Convinced. What does she say about that?”
A swell grew deep behind us and he looked at it and ignored it. Clearly he wanted this answer. I didn’t have an answer.
He answered for me. “You don’t know, do you? You guys haven’t talked about it.” God he knew me well.
I lay back on my board and stared up at the spectacularly blue sky…all I saw was the blue in her eyes up there.
Chapter 10—Emma—The Auction
I was used to waking up alone but this morning I missed Zach. Exhaustion had settled into every piece of me and was still taking up room after laying awake during the night and thinking about Austin. Zach and I had never talked about what happened…about Austin and I, yet he still held onto the thoughts of us over the past few years. I didn’t even know how to tell him everything. I wasn’t sure I had even coped with what had happened.
After we had sex that summer on his birthday, we became inseparable. Cannon Beach became our beach. A place that we used to sit and hang out and watch for girls and drink beer and start fires and… Now it had become our sanctuary. We laughed and loved and counted down the days until summer was over and then we made plans for how we would make this work. His last year in Eugene. My last year in Ashland.
Things were perfect…perfect…until November 23. Ali and I had gone to a party of a friend. It was the norm with beer pong and beer darts. Austin would prefer I not drink and I respected that. Some older kids were back from college and the house was packed given that it was Thanksgiving break.
Hunter and Tanner, both guys I dated during my ‘let’s make a deal’ interim, were there and pretty hammered. We had parted as friends for the most part; hell, it had never gotten to be more than friends really.
Just One of the Guys 3 My Someday... Page 6
