Cut Short

by Julia Wolf

  “Oh, I love you,” I whimpered as I started to circle my hips.

  Joe kissed my neck, and said, “I love you so much, sweet girl.”

  My palms roamed across his chest, rubbing my thumbs over his small, dark nipples. My hands traveled down his side and moved around him to press his back closer to me.

  His hands gripped my hips and he started guiding me up and down his length. I arched my back and put my hands on Joe’s legs behind me. As I let him take control and move me how he pleased, I watched him looking at my body, his eyes roaming from my breasts to my belly, to where we were joined. “You are a goddamn masterpiece,” he panted.

  I wasn’t perfect, but when he looked at me like that, said those words to me, I believed him. I felt like the sexiest woman alive.

  One hand left my hips and gripped my breast, thumbing my nipple and pulling it taut. I moaned loudly at the overwhelming feeling of pleasure. All of my senses were electrified, and I reached between us to rub my clit. On the edge, I just needed a little more friction, needed to be closer.

  “Joe…” I drawled out his name as I threw my head back. He felt so perfect inside me, like his body was made for mine.

  I felt him growing harder inside me and knew he was as close to the edge as I was.

  “Look at me, sweet girl. Let me see those beautiful eyes.” Our eyes locked, green to blue, both full of passion for each other.

  I kept my eyes on his as he slammed me down one more time. Then my whole body clenched and trembled as I came and came and came forever, crying out his name.

  A low sound rumbled up out of Joe’s chest as he came right after me, his legs and shoulders shaking, and his eyes filled with a sea of emotion.

  I slumped against his hot chest and he held me to him. We murmured, “I love you,” over and over, as we stayed joined together.

  “How can that keep getting better?” I asked softly into his chest. He traced his fingers down my spine, then back up into my hair.

  “I won’t ever get tired of looking at you and feeling you, sweet girl.”

  We lay together for another minute, Joe softening inside me, when he groaned and shifted. “I hate to move, but this bathtub isn’t the most comfortable place when there’s no water. My ass is getting numb.”

  I laughed and moved off him, then slowly stood, my legs still weak. He stared up at me for a moment, then moved to his knees and kissed up the inside of my thigh.

  “I need to taste you,” he rasped before he kissed me through my wet underwear.

  I held his head and pushed him back gently. “Give me just a minute.” Joe reluctantly agreed, and I watched his muscular back and taut ass as he walked into the bedroom.

  I used a washcloth to clean myself up, then left my panties on the floor of the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror, leaning in so I could see my eyes. Oh, so this is what it looks like to be loved without restraint. Looks good on me.

  When I sauntered into the bedroom, Joe waited for me on the edge of the bed. He gave me a slow, sexy smile, and I stopped and stared, taking a mental picture to file away for my spank bank. His long, lean body and long, hard length were a sight to behold.

  I walked right up to him and he gripped my hips. Joe ran his tongue around my belly button, then guided me so I sat on the edge of the bed as he knelt on the floor between my spread legs. I watched as he leisurely licked me from top to bottom, up, down, up, down. One of my hands went to my breast, squeezing and rubbing my nipple, while my other hand stroked through Joe’s hair.

  My hips began to move in time with his licks, and I could feel myself getting wetter and wetter. I was already sensitive from my orgasm just a few minutes before, so when Joe slid those two magic fingers inside me, my legs started shaking with pleasure.

  “Ooooh, you’re so good at that,” I moaned out. He laughed against me, then his tongue started flicking my clit, and I cried out incoherent mutterings.

  I tried to keep watching him, but my eyes rolled back into my head when he sucked my clit between his lips. I dropped back on my elbows, and he lifted my hips up and dined on me.

  “I’m coming,” I cried out, and my whole body shook. He held my hips as I thrashed against his mouth.

  “Oh god, that was good,” I panted.

  I lay limp and satiated, but when Joe stretched out next to me on the bed, I turned to him and kissed him languidly. His cock hard against my belly, I slung my leg over his hip and rubbed his erection over my sensitive clit.

  I shuddered from the sensation, then positioned him at my entrance. Joe pushed into me ever so slowly, and I smiled, almost delirious from pleasure.

  We went slow this time, savoring our physical closeness, holding each other tight. Joe slid in and out of me as we kissed for what felt like hours. My lips were swollen and my cheeks were chafed from his scruff, and I absolutely loved it.

  As he started to move faster, taking long, deep strokes, he grabbed my hips and pulled my pelvis tight against his.

  “Damn, I love you so much,” he growled against my neck. He pumped into me hard one last time and came with a guttural groan.

  I held him and stroked the back of his hair and neck. “I love you too, Joe.”

  We lay together on the sweaty sheets quietly, the only sounds our rapid breathing.

  “I have no choice,” he rasped.

  I looked over at him, my brows raised. “Choice about what?”

  He smirked. “I’m going to have to keep you in bed for the rest of the day. There’s no way I’m done with you.”

  I smiled and reached for his hand, weaving our fingers together. “I don’t have anywhere else I need to be.”

  Thirty-Three

  We had sex, fucked, and made love throughout the whole day, throughout the whole house. Once we admitted our feelings, our bodies were on fire for each other. After eating pizza at midnight and making lazy, unhurried love, our exhausted bodies said no more, and we fell asleep in a sweaty pile in the middle of Joe’s big bed.

  When I woke up in the morning, every part of my body was sore. I rolled off Joe and stretched my aching limbs. Still sound asleep, his feet hung off the end of the bed. I smiled and watched his chest rise and fall, listening to his deep, quiet breaths. Since our first time sleeping in the same bed, I had learned to share better. I usually slept on my side next to him, not quite touching, but close enough to feel his warmth.

  I didn’t want to get out of bed, but my weekend was over and I had to go to work. I hopped in the shower and stood under the steamy water for a long while, letting it beat down on my back and shoulders. Joe walked into the bathroom while I lathered my hair. He smiled and watched me through the glass door, then opened it and stepped in with me.

  “No funny business, buster,” I warned.

  “I love you,” he said in a sleepy voice.

  I fell against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. “I love you too, Joe.”

  He took my washcloth and slowly washed me, taking extra care to lather up my breasts.

  “Turn around so I can wash your back, sweet girl.”

  I laughed and turned. “You just want to look at my ass.”

  He growled and both hands rubbed circles around each cheek. “This is the sweetest ass I’ve ever seen.”

  “Joe, you’re turning me on and I have to go to work,” I whined playfully.

  He stood close behind me so his hard-on pressed against my back, and said into my ear, “But you’re so fucking sexy. Just the tip?”

  I bent over with laughter at his unexpected joke, and he swatted my bum.

  “Get outta here, sweet girl,” he said. I turned around and kissed his lips.

  “I’m going, I’m going, funny guy.”

  While he showered, I dried my hair and got ready for the day. I put on the same dress I had worn to Joe’s house the day before. Since I’d spent most of the day naked, I thought it was still pretty clean.

  Joe came up behind me as I put on a little makeup. “So pretty,” he
said, stroking the back of my arm with his knuckles.

  I smiled at him in the mirror.

  “I noticed you didn’t say anything about living here with me. And that’s okay, but damn, I love this, watching you get ready. I hate the mornings you rush back to your place to get dressed.”

  I turned around and faced him. Searching his handsome face, I settled on his eyes and nodded once. “Okay.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Okay?”

  “Yes, okay. I want to live with you. I love you and I love this house and I want all of this with you. Let’s do it.”

  Joe exhaled, then a huge grin spread across his face. I nodded again as he smiled at me, then he pulled me to him and hugged me so tightly, it took my breath away.

  “I love you, my sweet girl. This is going to be amazing.”

  I laughed. “I know, and I love you too.”

  Joe went downstairs to make me coffee (swoon) while I finished getting ready. I was running late, so when I saw him standing by the front door with a travel mug in one hand and a banana in the other, I almost cried at his thoughtfulness.

  “Joe, you’re too good to be true.” I kissed him briefly on the mouth.

  “Never. See you tonight, Rachel.”

  I left quickly before I decided to say screw work and climb Joe like a tree.

  My client was waiting for me, so I didn’t have any time to talk to Frannie. She looked at me from across the salon with her brow raised and I gave her a subtle thumbs up. She smiled, then contorted her face more hideously than I had ever seen before, and I had to excuse myself so I could go to the breakroom and snort with laughter.

  Frannie followed me back. “Well?”

  I wiped the tears from my cheeks and sucked in a deep breath. “Everything’s good. Great. He loves me and I love him. So much. He asked me to move in, and I said yes!”

  Frannie clapped quietly and we jumped up and down together, squealing as noiselessly as possible.

  “I knew it would work out. You scored a top-notch man. But you’re a top-notch woman, so you should have nothing less.” We hugged quickly, and I ran out to take care of my client.

  Eliza passed behind me as I finished my last client, and said softly, “Sushi in the back when you’re ready.”

  Once I was done, I went into the breakroom where Eliza and Frannie were eating sushi with chopsticks. I sat down with them and picked out my favorites, then doctored up some soy sauce with wasabi. I looked up once I had crammed an eel roll in my mouth to see both of their eyes on me.

  “Well?” asked Frannie, her eyes wide and palms out in front of her.

  “What? I told you the gist of what happened.” I shoved a California roll in my mouth and chewed, the two of them staring at me indignantly.

  “We need details, Rach,” said Eliza.

  I put them out of their misery and told them everything, leaving out (most) of the details of the screwing until we passed out, though.

  “I’m really happy for you. I don’t think Edward and I were ever so into each other. But it’s nice to know it’s possible.” I squeezed Eliza’s hand and smiled softly at her. I hoped she’d find a way to be happy, preferably not with Edward.

  “Sigh. You almost make me want to have a boyfriend of my own,” Frannie said. “But I doubt they make too many like Joe.”

  “You’re going to meet your match, Frananas, probably when you least expect it. You’re going to be all starry eyed and swoony and it’s going to be the most adorable thing ever,” I declared.

  Frannie scoffed. “Keep holding your breath, lady!”

  We talked for a while, but my mind kept wandering to Joe, wondering what he was doing.

  Eliza tapped my hand, and I looked at her in question. “Don’t torture yourself anymore. Go get your man!”

  I stood up so fast, my chair fell over. Then I quickly kissed my friends and ran out the door.

  I stopped short when I got to Joe’s—our!?—house. The sun had just started to set, but the flower beds in front of the porch were exploding with color, even in the dimming light. I stepped closer to inspect what Joe must have been working on all day. There were crimson rose bushes, tall purple gladiolus just starting to bloom, hostas, poppies, and daisies. They were all gorgeous, but what really caught my eyes were what must have been hundreds of miniature sunflowers planted in clusters throughout the garden.

  I glanced up at the porch and Joe stood at the open front door, the lights from inside illuminating his tall frame.

  “There you are, sweet girl.” He walked down the steps and stood next to me.

  “You did all this today?” I whispered.

  “I had to keep myself busy so I didn’t come kidnap you.”

  “Joe, it’s gorgeous. And sunflowers—they’re my favorite.”

  He nodded and kissed me softly. “I know.”

  “You do?”

  He picked up my hand and kissed it, then pulled me up the porch steps.

  I gasped. “Rocking chairs!” Two wooden rocking chairs, one painted green, one blue, sat side by side. That spot had been empty, just begging to be filled with big, comfy rocking chairs since Joe had moved in.

  He laughed at my big reaction. “I wanted to give you more incentive to move in here.”

  I threw my arms around his neck and smiled up at him. “I would live in a cardboard box with you. All of this is just a bonus. Not that I’m giving any of it back.” I pulled his face down and kissed him. “Can we rock together?”

  “Let’s rock.”

  I started to sit in the green chair, but Joe patted my butt and directed me to the blue one.

  “I can’t sit in the green one?”

  “No, silly. Blue is your favorite color, so that’s your chair.” If I hadn’t been sitting down, my knees probably would have buckled at his sweet thoughtfulness.

  “So, you know my favorite color and my favorite flower? I don’t even remember telling you I love sunflowers.”

  He sighed and looked down at his hands. “You told me this story a long time ago. I’m sure you’ve forgotten it. You had planted sunflowers in your mom’s garden, but they never came up, not until years later when you had given up on them. I filed that story away in my Rachel folder.”

  I blinked back tears. “I can’t believe you remembered that.” I rubbed my chest, trying to ease the ache in my heart.

  Joe looked at me and held my hand on the armrest of my rocking chair. “I’ve been thinking about that story a lot lately.”

  “You have?”

  “Yeah. We’re the sunflowers, sweet girl. They weren’t forgotten, they were waiting. And now it’s time for them to bloom.” He scoffed and shook his head. “That probably sounds stupid. I had a lot of time to think while I planted today.”

  Tears trickled down my cheeks, and I squeezed Joe’s hand. “We’re the sunflowers,” I repeated.

  Joe looked at my face and reached over to wipe my tears.

  “I love you so much, Joe. You make me so happy.”

  “Same, sweet girl. You have no idea.”

  We rocked in our chairs, holding hands and watching the sun disappear from the sky. My mind wandered into the future, picturing us in these chairs watching our kids playing in the front yard. I stopped myself before it got too far, though. I wanted to stay in this moment with Joe so I could file it away in my Joe folder and never ever forget it.

  “Joe?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “You know what I have to do now, right?”

  He looked puzzled. “What?”

  I stood, and to the beat in my head, I started to dance. I waved my arms in the air and swayed like the wind blew through me.

  Joe stood too. “Holy shit, is this the sunflower dance? I finally get to see it?”

  I held my hands out to him. “Dance with me!”

  So, he did. We spun in circles, arms raised above our heads, Joe singing the Tom Petty song, “Wildflowers,” changing it to “sunflowers.” I’d let my heart guide me to Joe and now we
were free and nothing had ever felt more right than that moment, dancing among the sunflowers.

  After we went inside and made sweet, slow love, I lay on my side gazing at the vase of sunflowers on the nightstand. Joe was asleep next to me, his deep, quiet breaths soothing and peaceful.

  Joe had been right. We were stronger for the struggles and triumphs we had experienced over the last fourteen years. We were both whole and complete people, and now we would keep growing together.

  Right before I drifted off to sleep, I smiled to myself, content. I had my dream guy, my dream house, and a life I never could have dreamed of.

  The End

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  Acknowledgments

  This book would never have been written had it not been for my friend Rebecca Jenshak asking me to beta read her book, Mister Cowboy. Writing always seemed like a dream— one I kept telling myself I’d get to “someday”. But Rebecca went for it and she encouraged me to go for it too, until I asked myself why can’t someday be today? And since then she has never waned in her generosity, humor, and steadfast support. We’ve come a long way since we were new moms in bookclub, huh?

  Thank you to my beta readers, Lori and Laura. You have no idea how scary it was to show my writing to you for the first time, but your kind words and advice gave me the guts to make it better.

  To Mica S. Cole who critiqued the first four chapters of my manuscript and whipped the “was” right out of me. Just say no to “was”!

  To my Inkers, I never would have been brave enough to publish without how generously you shared your knowledge and experience. This group amazes me every single day. It is truly a group of sublime (mostly) women.