“Iris makes very good money. I recently gave her a raise and she stayed mad at me for a week.” Adrienne chuckled.
“Why would she be made about getting a raise? Most people are tickled pink.”
“She thinks we pay her too much. She says what she does for us is a labor of love.” Adrienne went on to explain as she sipped her coffee. “Her husband grew ill and died shortly after. This was two years ago. Iris could not afford to pay the rent on her rent house and was evicted. You aunt was in the process of building a little house for herself on the edge of the property. As you can guess, she gave her house to Iris. Your aunt couldn’t stand the idea of Iris and her two children living in poverty.”
I knew my aunt was a kind and generous woman, but I couldn’t help but be amazed at the lengths she was willing to go for other people. I wondered if she was the milkman’s child, because my dad was nothing like that. It saddened me to think that I never made the effort to be closer to such a beautiful person, and it wasn’t until she died that I learned how amazing she truly was.
“Hayden, I need to talk to you about something, and I am not sure how you will react. Please promise me that you wont freak out and blow a gasket.”
“Well when you preface it like that, I can feel my hackles rising already.” I said, irritated that she had so little faith in me.
“The reason Hank dug the hole so big around the sewer line is because he was looking for something. He broke the line in the process. When you mentioned the land clearing project he became nervous, and was afraid we would find what he was hiding.”
“Adrienne did he tell you this or do you just know? What the hell was he hiding?”
“No, he didn’t tell me, but I am certain he was hiding something in the ground behind the laundry cottage.” She looked at me a little fearfully. She wasn’t afraid of the way I would react. She was afraid that I wouldn’t believe her.
I reached over and took her hand. “I think we need to send old Hank packing. We can handle the repairs ourselves, and besides he gives me the creeps.”
“I have considered that as well, but I am afraid it will piss him off. Can you imagine the havoc he could wreak on us? I have thought about this long and hard. Whatever, he hid in that hole cant be good. I think we need to give this sometime, and maybe we will figure out what he is up to.”
“You have a point there dear. Okay we keep an eye on the pirate till we figure out what he is up to. Hopefully, it is illegal and he will be arrested, and the problem will be resolved.” I said as I ate the last bite of cheesecake.
It was refreshing to be out and about. We decided to just ride up the coastline. The moon was full and lit up the sky like a beacon. Not being a touristy area most of the businesses were closed at that hour, so we simply drove around and enjoyed the ride.
When we returned to the Inn Adrienne made a quick stop at the bar and grabbed a bottle of wine, and two glasses. We went back to her cottage where we sat outside at her patio table and drank the wine.
I had to give her a hard time about having an outside table while I did not. I was shocked when she grabbed my cigarettes and lit one up for herself. “I didn’t know you smoked?” I said in surprise.
“I’m an ex smoker. Every now and then when I have something to drink I like to have one, but I don’t want to make a habit of it.”
I raised a brow. “What else don’t I know about you?” I inquired.
“Hmm let me see. Did you know that before I came here that I had entertained the idea of studying law?
“Why did you give it up?” I asked as I refilled our glasses.
“I came here during spring break with friends. I met your aunt, and she was the closest thing to a mother that I have ever had. My mom gave me up for adoption when I was born; apparently she was an unwed mother and felt she had no other choice. My adopted parents are wonderful but I never really established a bond with them. When it was time to go home, my heart was broken at the prospect of leaving Gloria behind. I weighed the pros and cons and decided that I would be much better off here with her. She welcomed me with open arms, and I never went back.”
Adrienne’s eyes misted as she talked about my aunt. I could tell that she truly loved her. My heart broke realizing how deeply the loss had affected her.
“I was so happy when you agreed to come to the island. I was comforted by that.” She smiled and looked away.
We had emptied the wine bottle and sat in a comfortable silence. “Hayden, would you stay with me tonight?
“You do realize that you are going to spoil me to this and I am not going to want to sleep by myself anymore.” I said as I laughed.
Even though we had gotten pretty intimate a couple of times I became nervous and my hands began to shake. The sexy way she looked at me told me that she was not interested in sleeping. I had waited for this moment for so long, but my knees were knocking together so hard under the table I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to walk.
When we entered her cottage she took me by the hand and led me to the bed where she spun me around and shoved me onto the bed. I lay there propped up on my elbows staring at her as she slowly undressed in front of me. She reached under the simple summer dress she wore and slipped her panties slowly down her thighs. My heart began to pound as I watched her slip out of the dress and walk toward me.
I had such a burning desire to touch and taste her that I could barely contain myself. I didn’t care if she laid a hand on me I simply wanted to please her repeatedly. She straddled my hips and pushed me completely down onto the bed and began to unbutton my shirt looking into my eyes the entire time. I ran my hands up and down her thighs over her silky skin.
She leaned her body over my face so that her breasts were in my face. I moaned at the feel of it. I cupped both of them in my hands as I kissed and licked her cleavage. She supported herself on her arms and ground her center into my stomach. As I sucked her nipple into my mouth she whispered. “Hayden unbutton your shorts.” Which I gladly did.
She lifted off of me and pulled them down my hips along with my underwear. Next she pulled me into a sitting position and took off the rest of my clothes. She gently pushed me back down onto the bed and spread my legs with her own. She rubbed her clit against mine slowly as she kissed and bit my neck. She whispered breathlessly into my ear. “I hope you don’t mind but I have a thing about being on top.” Hell no I didn’t mind.
I could not get enough of her. The feeling of our skin wet with sweat sliding so easily against one another nearly sent me over the edge many times before she ever touched me. She did allow me briefly to lie fully upon her and she wrapped those long legs around mine I could not keep hold on the groan that escaped me. I dug my nails so hard into the bed as I ground my body into hers that I think I temporarily stopped the blood flow to my fingers.
She flipped me over onto my back and I remember closing my eyes and simply basking in the pleasure of being so close to her that I had become completely unaware of anything else. I kissed and licked every inch of skin that was available to me. She slid her body up and straddled my face. I wrapped my arms around her thighs and eagerly pulled her to me. The first taste of her was exquisite. The moans and the things she said made me want to devour her and when she finally gave in and came for me I greedily took every drop she gave.
It took her seconds to recover and she kissed her way down my body briefly stopping at my breasts before continuing on. She kissed the insides of my thighs and my stomach. I was not in the mood to be teased. I wove my fingers into her hair and pushed her down. She growled as she sank her tongue into me. She moaned so much as she ran her tongue over me it made me wonder if she was enjoying this more than me. Then I decided that was impossible.
We were both insatiable and exhausted each other throughout the night. When exhaustion claimed her she fell asleep in my arms and I lay there fingering the ends of her hair. I smiled into the darkness thinking she was exactly the lover I thought she would be. She approached making love wi
th an intensity that was mind blowing.
When the grayness of dawn filled our room I closed my eyes and let sleep claim me. The next morning we woke in a mass of tangled arms and legs. We both lay there cuddled up together dreading the thought of climbing out of bed.
“Hayden I don’t want to get out of bed. I wish it would rain so we wouldn’t have to.” She said as she slipped her hand under the covers and began to tease my nipple, causing me to squirm under her touch. I grabbed her hand and kept her from moving. I ached from head to toe after the marathon sex we had the night before.
She frowned and tried to tug her hand free of mine. “Are you trying to kill me Adrienne?” I laughed.
“No, I promise to make you feel really good if you let go of my hand.” How could resist an offer like that. I freed her hand and she slid it down between my legs. My eyes fluttered shut as her skillful hand went to work, and I turned my face away from her.
“Look at me Hayden.” I opened my eyes and looked into those beautiful blue pools staring back at me. “Don’t turn away from me I want to watch you. She had me put my hands up above my head as she continued to stroke me. I stared into her eyes as long as I could and my eyes closed again as the sensation became more intense.
I could hear commotion outside and I opened my eyes again. “Ignore it baby, concentrate on what you feel.” I stared into her eyes a little longer before closing mine again. Her fingers inside me kept perfect time with my hips. Then she slipped them out and began to expertly massage my clit. I bit my bottom lip as she brought me closer. As I felt the first waves of my orgasm I struggled to keep quiet. We stayed in the bed two hours longer, morning breath and all.
Chapter 7
The day had finally arrived when we would start to clear the land behind the cottages. First we started out with machetes chopping at the banana trees that grew in abundance. Saber joined us on the job, and lay lazily in the sun as we worked. I hoped that the scent of a feline would scare away any snakes that might be hiding in the brush. My hopes were quickly dashed when Adrienne explained that there was a large python population on the island. My stomach churned at the thought that one of those vile creatures would consider making a meal out of my pet.
Once the trees were cut away, we began the tedious task of digging out the roots. The root base was not that big, but the sheer number of stumps kept us busy doing just that the entire morning. Shelby and I did the digging and Adrienne and Myra hauled the debris away to a burn pile.
I stopped often to admire my lover as she worked. She wore nothing but a pair of cargo shorts and a sports bra. The muscles under her tanned skin bulged as she loaded the stalks of the trees onto the wagon. Yet she still maintained a feminine quality that I found irresistible.
Shelby caught me staring at her as she and Myra loaded up the burn pile. “You two had quite a night last night.” She grinned ear to ear.
“Yeah dinner was really nice.” I said as I wiped the sweat from my brow.
“I’m not talking about dinner Hayden. You kept Myra and I awake for a while last night.” She said as my face began to turn red. “I didn’t figure you for a screamer or Adrienne for that matter, but we heard two very distinct cries coming from your cottage last night.” She said, as I stood there with my jaw hanging open. I decided it would be best not to say anything to Adrienne, because I have to admit I loved hearing her scream my name.
When the heat of the day released its full fury upon us, we changed into our swimsuits and hit the water. The coolness of the water refreshed us all, and eased the ache of sore muscles. When Sarah appeared on the bluff and summoned us for lunch we all groaned at the thought of having to climb back up the bluff.
Iris served up homemade chicken salad sandwiches on flaky crescent rolls, with a side of mixed fruit. For a while no one spoke as we ate in the coolness of the bar. After we finished eating we rested in the chaise lounges with iced tea.
“I think there was something living amongst those trees.” Myra said. “Something has been digging holes all over the place out there.” Adrienne and I exchanged glances. We had both noticed the holes as well, surrounded by fresh earth. Adrienne knew instinctively that I figured it had been Hank and nodded to confirm my suspicions.
“Shelby saw the exchange between us. “You two know what is making those holes don’t you?”
“Its not what, it is who.” Adrienne said. “Ladies I need to explain something to you both. This is going to sound very strange, but please give me the benefit of the doubt.”
I knew what Adrienne was going to tell them, and I secretly hoped that they would react much better than I did when she told me. Adrienne was very sensitive about the subject, and I hated the thought of seeing her hurt again. I held my breath and watched the expressions on Myra and Shelby’s faces as she explained her ability to “know” things.
After Adrienne finished speaking, she looked at them obviously expecting to be chastised. Myra was the first to speak up. “Adrienne that is amazing! Can you control it or do the thoughts just come at random?”
“I have no control over it. The thoughts just pop into my head. It really comes in handy when we have new guests checking into the Inn. Usually, we know what to expect before they arrive.” Adrienne said as she stole one of my cigarettes.
“How fascinating! Can you tell us about the group of guests that will arrive a few days from now?” Shelby said excitedly.
I noticed that same dark expression cloud Adrienne’s face when she thought about the upcoming guests. We had spent some time the previous day discussing their arrival when we ordered the supplies. She admitted that she was troubled about one of the guests, but she could not put her finger on why.
“There are three lesbian couples. One of which are trying to rekindle their relationship. Another couple is simply on vacation, and the other couple has only been together six months.
There is a husband and wife that will tell everyone they just wanted a vacation off the beating path. They are actually looking to add another to their bed. They chose our Inn because we cater to the gay and lesbian community.
There is a gay couple as well. The more boisterous of the two is obnoxious and will make an ass of himself. His lover is often embarrassed by his mate’s behavior, but chooses to tolerate him. Something about these two is not right, but I cant put my finger on it.
The last guest causes me great trepidation. Nothing comes to mind on him, but I feel very uncomfortable when I think about him. There is something wrong with this man.” Adrienne said as she trembled slightly.
Myra and Shelby actually looked frightened by Adrienne’s admission. “You have no idea what makes you uncomfortable about him? What if he is a serial killer or something?” Shelby asked.
“I have no idea what it is, but I do feel like he is supposed to be here for some reason. I don’t feel fear toward him I feel sadness. It is odd for someone to come here alone. Our brochures make it blatantly obvious that this is more of a couples place. I have wondered if he has come here to end his life.”
“We need to make it a point to keep an eye on this guy.” I said as I lit another cigarette, which Adrienne quickly stole from my lips.
After our break we returned to our work. I had dug up some small flowering shrubs that I found farther up the beach. I hoped that they would take well to transplanting as I planted them in the now barren area behind the cottages. To keep people from trampling the new plants Adrienne and the girls interspaced some small boulders between them.
Iris joined us that afternoon, and helped us line the edge of the bluff with more boulders to shield the tender land from the winds blowing off the water. Iris amazed me; with little or no effort she moved the boulders into place. Iris was not a woman to be toyed with.
We were amazed that in one day we had managed to clear the land and replant it. Everyone agreed we would spend the next two days paying for it in sore muscles. However the benefits outweighed the pain. The view from the cottages was spectacular, and beca
use the breeze off the water was uninhibited the cottages were significantly cooler.
The following day we moved my clothes and toiletries into Adrienne’s place. Myra and Shelby moved into my cottage, freeing up the guest cottages for the group that would arrive the following day. We put the finishing touches on the Inn, such as cleaning the outdoor furniture and putting fresh flowers in each of the rooms. That evening all the work was complete and the entire staff joined us for dinner.
Midmorning the next day Myra and Shelby joined us in the bar. We drank coffee while waiting for the new guests to arrive. Normally, cool and collected Adrienne seemed very nervous. She had already swiped three cigarettes from me and was eyeing the one I was about to light. Shelby helped to keep our minds off things as she shared her plans for a new medical clinic on the island.
The unmistakable sound of the van coming up the drive drew all of our attention. Adrienne and I got up and prepared to meet our guests. Their arrival was less chaotic than the last group. Everyone introduced him or herself and migrated into the bar where we served up the drinks. Annie and Liz arrived drunk and for the moment were the life of the party.
The lesbians of the group seemed to bond together instantly, leaving William who preferred to be called Billy and his lover Chris to mingle with the Burkes. Brandon Fallon took a chair in the away from the group and studied the place with an odd expression.
I watched Adrienne as she studied the man intently, her brow furrowed in concentration. I wondered if anything had popped into her mind. The curiosity was driving me nuts, but I was to close in proximity to the other guests to talk discreetly.
Brandon was an average looking guy. I guessed he was in his early forties. He reminded me of the accountant I use to have prepare my taxes. He had a head full of blonde hair that he kept swept to one side. He was even fairer skinned than I was, and from the looks of him he never ventured out into the sun all that often.
Gloria's Inn Page 11
