I was blushing so hard that my face hurt as I turned and fled the bathroom.
***
As much as I tried, I couldn't concentrate.
Ever since that asshole had come into my life, guys had ignored me. For a while, I had low self esteem because of it. Then, I'd found out that Ian had basically strong-armed several guys into not dating me. He did it under the guise of protection, but it had made me miserable.
Then, in art school, I just hadn't had the time. I really wanted to graduate early, to start my business and make a name for myself. I hardly ever partied, which was why the alcohol had hit me so hard for my birthday. I had never had sex either. I didn't have anything against premarital sex, but I had just never found the right guy. Correction, I just never found the right opportunity.
Thinking about Ian, though...
There was no way that that gigantic cock fit in women, though. I mean, watching him stroke it in the bathroom seemed almost comical in retrospect. To think that he was imagining me in my tight little skirt, tearing my hymen, filling me completely...
Well, it was definitely enough that I needed something to distract me, or else I might start playing with myself right now in the middle of the day.
I turned my computer on, looking for some work I had to finish. The album that opened up was one that I had really enjoyed. For the next few minutes, I sat at my desk, fiddling with my most recent newborn photography session. The little girl in the pictures was absolutely adorable. As a professional photographer, I loved taking pictures, but pictures of babies were my favorites.
I loved their little fingers, the tiny toes, and the perfect way their little mouths moved into smiles that lit the photo up better than any flash. I could photograph and then edit those photos for hours. It was actually what I was hoping to base my photography business on.
Sure, I would also photograph weddings and senior pictures. Those were fun, and helped pay the bills. However, my true passion would always be babies and also family portraits with kids. I thrived working with families, probably because my own was so screwed up. And, if my current clients raving and filling up my schedule with baby and children sessions were any indication, I was pretty good at it.
“You know, most people knock before barging into a bathroom.”
I startled slightly at the masculine voice. Standing in my doorway, leaning nonchalantly against the door-frame was Ian. He was wearing khaki shorts and a blue t-shirt with a bulldog eating a football. I recognized the emblem as the local little league football team's. His hair was still wet, but he looked far calmer than I would have after having someone catching me masturbating. Maybe it was just because he was a guy.
“You know, most people lock the door when they're using a bathroom that isn't theirs,” I replied, spinning my chair around.
“My shower's busted. Sam says the plumber's supposed to come today to fix it,” he explained. “And I did lock it.”
“Obviously not very well,” I told him, standing up from my chair. “I'm hoping you washed everything down so I can go shower.”
“Nah, I left you a present,” he said with a smirk. I wanted to smack that smug grin off his face. Instead I just rolled my eyes and tried to get past him to the hallway. He didn't budge. The man was solid rock and not letting me out of my room.
“Seriously? Aren't you supposed to be at work today?” I asked.
He laughed. “Well, today is Saturday. Even soldiers in the army get a weekend off now and then. They say it's good for morale. Plus, I have something to do today.”
“Well, do it somewhere else.” I gave him a push that was harder than needed, but he still didn't move. “I smell like bar. Get out of my way.”
His eyes went to my computer screen. “You take those?”
“Yeah.” I pushed at him again, trying not to notice how muscular he was under his shirt. “I'm a photographer, remember? Went to art school, graduated early, remember?”
He pushed past me to sit in my chair and start scrolling through my photos. I stared at him for a second, and feeling my jaw drop at his rudeness.
“Please, by all means, have a look,” I said, hoping he'd at least apologize a little.
“These are really good,” he said. It wasn't an apology, but it was almost just as good. He liked my pictures.
“Thanks,” I said, feeling a little bubble of pride grow in my chest.
“Do you take other pictures?” he asked, turning in the chair to look at me.
“Like what?” I asked. I was glad I was wearing decent pajamas because his eyes were only on me now.
“Like, not babies? Like kids? Adults?” He paused for a second and cleared his throat. “Football teams?”
“Depends.” I crossed my arms. “What do you want?”
He ran a hand through his short hair and managed to blush a little. It looked really good on him. “I told you I have something to do today, and that's coaching the little league football team.” He gestured to his shirt. “Team pictures are today. The kids love it, the Army loves it for PR purposes, but the mom that usually does it is sick.”
“So you want me to do it?”
“It'll be really easy. Just a couple of group shots. We already did the individual shots. It'll take ten minutes. Tops.” Ian looked up at me with puppy-dog pleading eyes. I already knew I was going to do it- there was no way I could say no to him- but I bit my lip like I had to think about it anyway.
“I don't know...” I said, loving that I had just this little bit of power over him.
“Do it and I'll never mention that you were watching me in the shower,” he countered, that cocky grin filling his face.
“I wasn't watching you... I... I... I wasn't,” I stammered, turning bright red. He just grinned wider. “Fine. I'll do it. What time?”
“Be there at three. Tiger's Field up by the hiking trails.” He stood up and hugged me. I did my best not to melt into him. He smelled like soap and all I could think of was those sudsy bubbles running down the length of his cock.
“You owe me,” I told him, reluctantly pulling away so I could stop thinking about his perfect prick and how much I wanted to touch it. “Can I go shower now?”
“Please do,” he replied, finally releasing me. I stepped back, suddenly breathless and consumed with desire. I gave him one last look before darting out into the hallway and to the shower to go clean up. Too bad I couldn't clean up my dirty mind, though.
Chapter Five
“Will you please hurry up, Sam?” Jenny sounded beyond annoyed. “We're going to be late. Again.” She stood by the front door, arms crossed and foot tapping. Her suitcase rested beside her and she looked ready to spit fire.
“Where are you two going?” I asked as I walked past on my way from the kitchen with my snack. I had chosen a spinach and veggie smoothie to get my veggies in before heading to the field to take the pictures for Ian.
“We're... well, you see...” Jenny frowned, unable to find the words she wanted.
“We're going to a marriage counseling retreat,” Dad answered coming up behind me with his own suitcase in tow. “And we have more than enough time.”
“Sam!” Jenny turned beat red and looked over at me horrified. “We don't need to get the kids involved with this!”
“She's not a kid anymore, Jenny,” Dad told her, rolling his eyes. “And it's pretty obvious that we're not going away for a romantic weekend.”
“I just don't think we need to involve your daughter in our martial issues,” Jenny hissed, anger and embarrassment seething through her voice.
“Well, I think it's great that you two are working at it,” I told them. They both froze and turned to stare at me as if they had forgotten I was there at all. “Come on, I've been home less than twenty-four hours and I've already heard you guys fight three times. I think it's great that you want to try.”
The two of them stared at me like I had three heads. I just sipped on my spinach shake.
“So, how long are you go
ing to be gone?” I finally asked after a moment of awkward silence.
“Two nights,” Dad replied, getting his speaking ability back first. “We'll be back Monday afternoon.”
“Okay,” I said with a nod and took another sip. “I'll be sure to throw at least two wild keggers while you're gone.”
“Very funny.” Dad looked sternly over at me. “That reminds me. Do we need to have a responsible drinking discussion?”
I sighed. “I didn't drive. I was fine,” I assured him. “Ian was just being overprotective.”
“It's just because he cares,” Jenny said, reaching out to touch my arm. “He's really rather fond of you.”
“If you say so,” I said with a shrug. Fond wasn't exactly the word I would use to describe how Ian felt about me. Annoyed would probably be closer.
“He always asks about you when he calls.” Jenny gave my arm a squeeze and then turned to Dad. “Anyway, are you ready, Sam?”
“Yes, dear,” he replied, his voice already resigned.
“You two crazy kids have fun,” I called out after the two adults as they headed to the car.
“Because that's what therapy is for...” Jenny mumbled under her breath.
I shook my head as I watched them get in the car and roll out of the driveway. I'd be surprised if they made it the whole two days. I mentally put odds on them making it less than thirty-six hours together. They were the poster children for why people should wait to get to know one another before getting married.
I finished my juice and checked my watch. Time to get going, I said to myself. I grabbed my camera bag, some extra flashes and lighting gear, and a couple of extra lenses that I wanted to try out. Tiger's Field was right up next to some hiking trails, and there was a spot nearby that I wanted to check out as a location for family portraits. Plus, it was a beautiful wooded area that always yielded good outdoor photos.
***
The drive over was short and easy. The single entrance to the park was at the end of a long dirt road, but it was a pretty drive. Surrounding the packed rock parking lot was a football field with two sets of bleachers, a baseball diamond, some basketball courts, and then the two trail-heads.
I got out of my car and smiled. Sitting on one set of bleachers were the parents of the boys that Ian coached football for. I walked past them, smiling and nodding to several that had future photo shoots with me for their kids until I came to where Ian was standing.
He stood in the middle of the football field as about twenty eight-year old boys ran around him in circles. They were all wearing their full pads and numbered jerseys with the bulldog emblem emblazoned on their sleeves. It was just a small summer league, a way to get the kids out of their parents' hair for a few hours a week, but it was obvious the boys loved it and took it seriously.
“Hey, no tackling, Gabe!” Ian yelled at one kid about to topple two others. “Do you want grass stains on your jersey for the picture?”
“Sorry, Coach Ian,” the little boy immediately responded and stopped trying to knock the others down.
Ian looked up and our eyes connected. The blue of his irises caught me off guard, even though I knew it was coming, and my chest tightened and my stomach fluttered. I hated that he had the effect on me, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. My girl parts refused to listen to reason when he was around.
“The photographer is here!” Ian shouted to the boys. A chorus of cheers went up as twenty uniformed boys came rushing toward me. They were all so excited, I couldn't help but grin at them.
“Okay, everyone to those bleachers,” I said, pointing to the far set. I glanced around, checking the lighting. The usual afternoon storm clouds were starting to roll in, but they weren't compromising my light yet. “We'll take the formal ones first, and then the fun ones.”
A wall of eight-year-old energy ran toward the bleachers, their cleats scratching against the metal and their pads bumping into one another.
“Wow, they have a lot of energy,” I said, watching them try and get into place.
“This is after an hour of practice,” Ian informed me. “You should have seen them when they first got here.”
I giggled and then stepped forward. “Okay, line up.” There was more scrambling and the earsplitting sound of metal cleats on metal bleachers. “Good, okay. Smile!”
I snapped a picture and then checked it in my viewer. “Number forty, please turn around.”
Number forty, Gabe from before, giggled but didn't move.
“Gabe,” Ian warned, his voice deepening and giving the kid the glare of death. Gabe quickly turned around and smiled appropriately.
“Sorry, Coach.”
I snapped a few more pictures of the team and Ian. Everyone stood and smiled for the camera with very little prompting. It was amazing to me how well all the boys responded to Ian. It was obvious that those boys worshiped him, and as he joked and played, it was easy to see why.
“That's it for the official portraits,” I said, lowering my camera. “Now for the goofy ones!”
The boys started getting goofy as only little boys could. Pig faces, tongues out, jerseys askew, and tons of giggles. Ian was right along with them, holding some of the boys upside down or pretending that he was being serious while they sat on his head.
“How about one with all of you chasing Coach Ian?” I offered. Ian looked at me and shook his head, but I wasn't about to let him get off that easy.
“Yay!” yelled all the boys. There was no way for him to get out of it now.
“You better start running, Coach,” I told him. The kids giggled maniacally behind him, like little wolves about to hunt for the first time. Ian glared at me, but started jogging. The boys were hot on his heels.
The boys were giggling as they all started to chase after him. I was getting fantastic photos of the whole team having fun. Everyone was smiling and laughing, even the parents in the bleachers.
It didn't take long for two players to catch him and wrap themselves around his legs. He kept moving forward, but then it was four, and then six, but he was still up. The pictures of little boys grinning and trying their best to tackle him were pure gold.
Finally, Ian gave up and lay down on the ground. The entire team dog-piled on top of him. My camera went crazy as I tried to capture all the laughter and friendship between the boys.
Ian finally emerged from the bottom of the heap. His shirt was covered in grass and he had lost his baseball cap with the bulldog emblem on it somewhere, but he was laughing and grinning like he was having the time of his life. It made my heart melt a little bit to see this side of him. He adored those boys as much as they adored him.
“Okay, that's it for today,” Ian announced. One of the boys handed him his hat and Ian grinned at him. “Miss Hayley will get those pictures to your parents at our next practice. Be sure to say thank you.”
The kids all jumped to their feet. “Thank you Miss Hayley,” they chorused before running off to meet their parents. I grinned and snapped a few more pictures. Working with kids always made me feel warm and fuzzy, but watching them with Ian gave me a whole new level of warm and fuzzy.
Thunder rumbled overhead and the kids hurried off the field to their parents' waiting minivans and SUVs. Ian stood next to me, watching them for a moment before bending over and dusting the grass of his khakis.
“You have a little grass in your hair,” I told him, reaching out with one hand and pulling a blade from his hair. It was an intimate gesture, and I quickly dropped the blade of grass like it burned me.
“Thanks,” Ian replied, his eyes following my hand.
“These came out great,” I told him, trying to hide just how flustered I was. I pushed the view button on the camera to show him some of the digital pictures on the small view-screen. His chest pressed against my arm as he moved closer to look at the images. My heart started to flutter at his touch, and it was hard not to think of him in the shower. Hard. Ready. Right there.
“Thank you for takin
g these,” he said quietly after a while. I looked up and directly into his eyes. They were so blue and deep I felt like I was flying and was suddenly a little weak in the knees. He smirked slightly. “You have a little something in your teeth.”
My hand flew up to my mouth, my tongue checking every surface. Sure enough, a piece of spinach from my shake was firmly stuck between my front two teeth. Thanks,” I said, closing my eyes and trying to fight down the blush. I just took a ton of pictures, telling those kids to smile all while displaying a huge piece of green. Awesome.
Thunder rumbled again, closer this time. We both looked up at the sky to see the dark clouds moving in, but there was still enough time for me to go check out the hiking trail spot I wanted.
“Thanks again for the pictures. I gotta pick up the gear before it rains,” he said, motioning to the footballs scattered across the field. He took a step away and I nearly lost my balance. I hadn't realized how much I was pressing into him while I showed him the pictures. I just wanted to touch him any way I could.
“No problem,” I replied, hoping I sounded smooth. I waited a moment to see if he was going to turn around and acknowledge me leaving or say goodbye. He just kept picking up balls. I let out a small frustrated sigh.
He's not into you, Hayley. He thinks he's your brother. Never going to happen so stop wishing for it, I told myself. I just wished I could make myself find someone else to lust and yearn over instead of the one man who would never, could never, feel that way about me.
I started walking toward the basketball courts and to where the trail-head began. Just around the curve of the trail was a little grove of trees with a little brook that I thought would be perfect for a family portrait session I had scheduled for next week.
“You lost again?” Ian called out. “You realize the parking lot is that way, right?”
I couldn't stop the blush from searing across my cheeks as I remembered getting lost on my way to Oak Elementary. “Yes, I did actually. I'm doing prep work for a photo shoot I have next week. Location scouting. But thanks for the directions.”
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