Traditional Terms

by Alta Hensley

  Coley tried to control the blush that would reveal how much she liked Vance. “Well, my temper is not my best quality. I just hope I didn’t hurt you when I was flailing around like a crazy woman.”

  “I like your temper. I’ve always loved that extra fire that’s in you,” Vance complimented.

  “You have?”

  Vance smiled. “There’s a lot I like about you.”

  No use hiding the blush now. It was in full effect. Coley looked into his eyes quickly and then back at the ground. It was unlike her to be so bashful. “There’s a lot I like about you.” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

  “We’ve been friends for a long time. I’ve always watched you from a distance.”

  Coley blushed even more and couldn’t take her gaze away from her feet. “Why from a distance?”

  Vance’s smile grew even bigger. “For one, you’re Caine’s sister, and also because you seem so… independent.”

  Coley looked up into his eyes in shock. “What? What do you mean independent?” She couldn’t help but take offense to the term. It wasn’t an insult, but for some reason it sat wrong with her.

  “I meant it as a compliment.” Vance reached for her hand. “You just never seem like you’ve wanted anyone in your life.” Vance brought the top of her hand to his lips and he placed a soft kiss. “Was I wrong?”

  “Yes… I mean, no… I mean… I guess I just haven’t found the right person.”

  Vance continued to place another kiss on the top of her hand. “What does someone need to do to be that right person?”

  The question and the kiss of her hand caught Coley off guard. Was Vance flirting with her? Was Vance declaring that he wanted to be that guy? Was she reading too much into a simple kiss of the hand? Her head was spinning.

  “I guess he just needs to be man enough for me,” Coley answered with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

  Vance laughed. “Not an easy task!” He raised his hands up in defense as Coley’s eyebrow rose in question. “Don’t take that the wrong way. But you are one tough cookie. This, by the way, is what I really like about you. You’re strong, but sensitive. And I also might add, beautiful.” He sat quiet for a moment, and then took a deep breath before adding, “I’ve always had a crush on you.” He scanned her face with worry in his eyes. “I’m sorry if I’m being too forward.”

  Her feelings weren’t one way. He admitted to what she had always felt. A huge relief washed over her. Coley smiled warmly. “I’ve always had a crush on you, too. I guess I always thought you just saw me as Caine’s little sister, so I never acted on it.”

  “Well, I do. You’re one of my closest friend’s sister. Always off limits. Even having this conversation is making me uncomfortable.” He took another calm breath before continuing. “This is why I never made a move before. But I have a confession. Holding you back tonight… well… let’s just say, I didn’t want to let you go. And when we looked into each other’s eyes, I felt something. Am I crazy?”

  Coley could feel the blush working its way from her face to the rest of her body. The compliment was nice, but having it come from Vance simply took her breath away. What was going on? She had never seen Vance in this way before. A harmless crush was one thing, but tonight something happened. Tonight made her realize that they could actually pursue something. She also had never wanted someone to kiss her so bad in her life.

  Never one to be shy, Coley decided to act on her emotions and slowly leaned in to press her lips to Vance’s. The instant electricity that shot through her body when her mouth touched his was like nothing she could have imagined. Vance reached behind Coley’s head and pressed her deeper into the kiss. Within moments, Vance had taken control. He parted her lips gently with his tongue and slowly explored the wetness with his. His breath turned to a pant, mixing with the small gasps of Coley’s. Their tongues danced slowly as their lips continued to press together. Coley’s heart raced, her mind clouded and her body demanded more.

  Vance slowly eased away from the kiss, pressing his forehead against Coley’s. “We need to stop.”

  Coley closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure. “I don’t want to stop.”

  Vance pulled away just enough to kiss the tip of her nose. “This kiss is more complicated than just a simple kiss. You know that.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “I do.” Vance pulled away so he could look into Coley’s green eyes. “You know me, Coley. You know who I am and what that means.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you know that the next time we kiss, if we kiss, you will be mine.”

  Chapter Three

  The last few days Vance’s mind had been consumed by Coley. He couldn’t get her out of his head. The way her body felt against his, the way the unruly curls of her hair smelled as she struggled in his arms, and the way her eyes sparkled an enchanting green as they locked with his. Then, there was the kiss. The amazing, breath taking, life altering kiss, had haunted his daily thoughts. He truly had lost his mind over this girl.

  He had wanted to act on his feelings for her for quite some time but never did. She was Coley for Christ’s sake! Caine’s little sister. He knew better than this, but when they were at the party, he couldn’t help himself. His mind swam with all the possibilities of what could go wrong… and also, what could go right. The only thing he did know was he needed to speak with Caine. He owed him that before he went any further. If Caine had a problem with it, then he would have no choice but to respect the man’s wishes. Nerves racked through him at the thought of that, but he still knew what he needed to do. He was happy that Caine was meeting him at the bar and hoped it wouldn’t end with his best friend punching him out.

  “Hey, man,” Caine greeted as he pulled up the barstool next to Vance.

  “Hey. How’s life treating you? You and Neely still doing good?”

  “It couldn’t be better. That girl is more than I could ever ask for,” Caine gushed.

  They spent the next half hour small talking and enjoying their beers. Vance thought it best to let Caine have a few beers in him to soften the blow of the news he was about to throw his way. Not to mention, needing the liquid courage to muster up the ability to spill his guts.

  “So, Caine, I’m interested in your sister.” He decided to just be direct and come out and say it.

  Caine choked on his beer. “What? Are you fucking kidding me? Coley?”

  “Yes. Do you have a problem with that?” Vance was prepared to walk away from any future with Coley if it was going to upset Caine. He respected their friendship entirely too much to risk it.

  Caine paused for a long while. “No. But damn, dude. Do you know what you’re getting yourself into? Coley is a huge pain in the ass. She’s my sister and I love her dearly, but I always said I would pity the man who took her on.”

  “Well, it hasn’t gone anywhere yet. I wanted to ask your permission before I continued on. But, Caine, I can tell you that I haven’t thought about much of anything else but her lately.”

  Caine chuckled. “Jesus Christ, you are going to have your hands full with her. I don’t think she’s going to go for our lifestyle you know.”

  Vance nodded in agreement. He knew that this was an obstacle they would be facing. Coley at least understood what his beliefs were and there was no secret that needed to be revealed. But convincing her that she too wanted to be part of it was going to be a challenge.

  “She sure as hell needs a strong man like you. But man…” Caine shook his head as he let out a light laugh.

  Vance took another sip of his beer. “Any advice?”

  “Let me tell you about Coley. She’s full of life, spontaneous, impulsive, and at times just plain reckless. She doesn’t open up to many, and I’ve never seen her in a serious relationship. But she does love with her full heart. She gives everything to the ones she cares about. So, if you can be so fortunate to win her heart… well, then you’ll be one lucky man.”

  “I hope so,
man. I really do.”

  Their conversation was interrupted as some more of their buddies joined them for a beer. The evening was going as well, or better, than Vance had hoped for, but now that he had gotten the green light from Caine, Vance couldn’t wait to see Coley again. His thoughts were lost in figuring out how he would see her again when he heard Caine perk up.

  “Hey, baby! What a surprise!” Caine exclaimed. “What’s wrong? Is everything all right?”

  Vance turned to find that Neely and Coley had walked in the bar and snuck up behind them. His heart stopped when he made eye contact with Coley. She was stunning. Her casual, natural style suited her perfectly and the curls that she had haphazardly pulled back just begged for his hands to pull them free. The curves of her body, her green eyes, her soft and warm smile, everything about her appearance fascinated Vance like no other woman had ever done.

  Neely and Caine instantly started their display of public affection, but all Vance could focus on was the woman standing before him with a goddess like beauty. A goddess would be the only way he could describe the enchanting effect Coley had on him. How he wanted her pouty lips on his. He could almost taste the kiss. He knew at that very moment, that he was going to make Coley his. His little crush had overflowed to a full on infatuation.

  Coley smiled warmly and perched herself on the stool with Vance. The subtle touch of her body against his sent fire coursing through him. God, this woman smelled good. The intoxicating daze Vance was in was interrupted by Coley clapping her hands.

  “Matt and Kendall are together! Isn’t that great?” Coley exclaimed.

  Coley looked around at everyone’s expressions. Vance could see that no one seemed to be overjoyed by the news.

  “What? I think it’s great! Why do you guys look like it’s a bad idea or something?”

  Caine was the first to speak. “Kendall isn’t the type of girl Matt usually falls for.”

  “So? I wasn’t the type of girl you normally fell for either,” Neely added.

  He decided to speak up. “There’s no secret what Matt believes in.”

  “And there is no secret what Caine believes in. And Neely and Caine are doing just fine,” Coley pointed out.

  Caine looked at his buddies with a knowing look. “No use arguing with the ladies. We’ll never win,” Caine teased.

  Neely and Caine went back to their public display of affections and Vance turned his attention on Coley. He adjusted his body to give her more room on the bar stool and placed his hand on her lower back to help secure her to the seat. Her body was warm beneath his hand, and he couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to have his hand touching her bare skin.

  “Go home, you two. It’s obvious that you would much rather be doing something other than hanging out at a bar,” Coley suggested to Neely and Caine.

  “Are you sure, Coley? I don’t want to leave you alone,” Neely asked with trepidation.

  Coley pushed her brother off of the stool. “I’ll be fine. Go!” she directed.

  Caine stopped his kissing assault long enough to look at Vance. “You mind making sure my sister gets home all right?”

  Vance nodded and placed his hand protectively on Coley’s shoulder. “No problem.” It made Vance feel good that Caine had given his blessing. He could move forward with pursuing Coley.

  “All right, we’ll see you guys tomorrow night,” Caine said, reminding the group of the party Caine and Neely were throwing.

  Coley moved over to Caine’s empty bar stool, while Vance ordered her a drink. He had sat at a bar with Coley more times than he could count, but this time it seemed different. There was chemistry and desire. He had been searching for the right female his whole life. Now, sitting next to him on the barstool, was someone he had known for years. This ‘someone’ was meant to be his.

  Chapter Four

  “We’ll arrange pick up of your car tomorrow,” Vance offered as he walked Coley to his truck. He opened the passenger side door for her and helped her inside.

  Coley had learned a long time ago, that when it came to things like safety, there would be no use arguing.

  When they reached Coley’s house, she turned to Vance and asked, “Would you like to come in for a drink?” She cleared her throat. “I would like you to.” She didn’t want the night to come to an end. She liked spending time with him.

  A huge smile washed over Vance’s face. The small laugh lines around his face when he smiled, softened the powerful look he exuded with his sharp-edged jaw line. “That sounds like a great idea.”

  Walking into the house, Coley went to the kitchen to get the drinks. Her heart beat so hard against her chest it almost hurt. Every touch of his this evening had sent shock waves all the way to her core, which was getting damper by the minute. The power Vance held over her surprised, yet excited her.

  She walked into the living room and handed Vance a drink. She sat next to him, close enough that her leg was softly touching his.

  “Vance… I uh…” Coley stammered. She was unsure of what to say.

  Vance pressed his fingertips to Coley’s lips. “Shh. Let me start.” He softly touched Coley’s chin and lifted it enough so her eyes were looking into his. “Coley, I haven’t been able to get you off of my mind. I’ve been thinking of the right words to say, trying to think of how to express the feelings I have for you. I just hope to God I don’t scare you off.” Vance paused a moment to look into Coley’s eyes and reached out to hold her hands in his. “I’ve been searching for the right woman my whole life, and I finally discovered that she has always been right in front of my eyes. I’ve just been too blind to see it. Your party cleared my vision enough to see what a treasure you truly are. I want more. I want you.”

  Coley tried to swallow the lump forming in the back of her throat. Never had she had someone say something so romantic and loving. Not to mention, so honest and forthright. She knew Vance was one to speak his mind and not to hold back, but hearing him confess his feelings so freely, took Coley’s breath away. She loved Vance. She always had, but the question remained if she was in love with Vance. Was the man sitting in front of her the man she had always been searching for as well?

  She couldn’t speak. She didn’t want to. She didn’t want to break the romance, the spell that Vance had cast on her. She decided to take a leap with her heart and pressed her lips to his. No words, just action.

  Vance pulled Coley into his embrace and pressed his lips harder, driving his tongue past her ready mouth. His hand grabbed the back of her head, capturing the kiss, holding tight to the fire being created. The fire that danced between their tongues was hotter than anything Coley had ever experienced, hotter than she could ever imagine. She burned with desire for more. She burned with passion. His lips, his kiss, his touch blazed with a fervor like no other.

  Coley wanted more. She wanted the hunger that formed within to be satisfied. Her body lusted, her soul craved. She wanted to feel Vance in her. She wanted to feel his cock press past the opening of her pussy and claim her as his. She craved, she yearned for him to take her.

  Still not wanting to speak, still not wanting to break the chemistry with words, Coley eased her hand to the bulge in his pants. She stroked her palm along the hardness of his cock that pressed against the confines of his jeans. His moan sent a shiver through her pussy. She wanted to hear his moan once more. She wanted to hear his moan over and over again. She wanted to please him. She wanted to give him a night he would never forget.

  “I want to taste you. I want to feel you between my lips,” Coley purred as she unbuttoned his pants. Coley might not be good with everything she did. But she was good with words, and she planned on using that fact to her advantage.

  “Coley…”

  “Make me scream, make me shake with ecstasy. Make me call out your name. Make me lose my mind.” Coley wanted nothing more but to feel his cock buried deep within her. She wanted him so bad that the sexual vixen in her was being unleashed.

  “Cole
y, you need to stop. We need to slow down,” Vance panted as he placed his hand on hers, to prevent the lowering of his pants.

  “What? No, I don’t want to stop. There’s no need to stop.”

  Vance pulled away some more so that he was looking into Coley’s eyes. “Yes, there is.” He paused to take a deep breath. “Coley, I don’t want a quick hook up or something casual. I want all of you.”

  Coley leaned in to lightly press her lips to his. “I understand. I want that, too.”

  “Do you? Do you really understand what I’m asking? What I’m expecting?”

  Coley continued the kiss, desperate for more. “I want you too. I want you, now.”

  Vance broke away from the kiss, causing a sigh to release between Coley’s needy lips. “I need to know if you can accept my lifestyle. You know what I believe. You know what I would want out of our relationship. What I would want out of you.”

  Coley froze. “I uh…”

  She knew what Vance expected. She fully understood what being his girlfriend meant. She just didn’t expect the harsh reality to hit her like it did. He was sitting there staring into her eyes awaiting an answer. She wanted Vance sexually, she wanted him in her life, but what she wasn’t sure of is if she could fully submit to his desires.

  “Vance, I’m not sure if Domestic Discipline is something I could ever really embrace. I mean, I get it. I do. I’m just not sure if it’s for me.” She took a deep breath to try to calm the anxious nerves coursing through her. Admitting this was putting her at risk of having Vance walk out the door. Yet, she knew she needed to be honest.

  Vance softly placed some loose curls behind each ear and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. “I understand your hesitation. But, Coley, this isn’t something I can bend on or meet in the middle. This isn’t optional.”

  “So, I have to say yes? I have to agree to this or else?” Stubborn pride slowly built inside.

  “Listen, I want this. I want you. I know that you and I could have something great. I truly feel we could have a love and life like no other. I think… no, I know that you agree.”