by Marchman, AC
“Absolutely, sweetie. I’ll be right back.” She goes into sales person mode and quickly goes to get what I requested.
I turn to look at Donovan and give him a quick glance. He just shrugs and cocks his head to the side. “It’s a small town, everybody knows everybody’s business.”
“Sounds like she knows your step-mom.”
“Yeah, but everyone in this damn town does,” he growls. It’s not the same growl that sets my desire on fire, but one that obviously shows irritation. He must really have a problem with her, but now isn’t the time to press that issue. I just link my arms through his and lean my head against his shoulder. It’s just a small gesture to let him know that I’m here when he’s ready to let me in. He plants a chaste kiss on the top of my head. Just then, Katie comes from the back and has my dress in a black bag that says “Chi” on it. She also had my shoes in a pink box for me.
“Thank you so much for all your help,” I beam. She returns it with a bright smile of her own and says, “Think nothing of it, darlin. It was my pleasure.” I take my bags and slip my other hand into Donovan’s. We head out of the shop, get back in the car and head to Callahan Vineyard.
Chapter 4
It doesn’t take long before we are pulling into the Callahan Estate. The pictures Donovan has shown me doesn’t do it justice; hell, nothing else really compares. As we drive up a curvy driveway, I notice that all of the summer flowers are in bloom; so many colors are sprouting out the ground, making it look like a horizontal rainbow in the grass. The house looms in the distance; a grand white mansion with black shutters. The wrap around porch goes from one end of the house to the other, giving the place a very Southern feel to it.
We come to a stop in the circle right in front of the house and Donovan turns my way. “You ready, baby doll?” I nod and give him a tight smile. He puts his hand on my shoulder and gives me a soft squeeze. “Don’t worry. They will love you, I promise.”
I exhale the breath I was holding and prepare myself mentally to meet his family. He’s already opening my door by the time I realize he’s there and my feet feel like cement, unable to move one in front of the other. Donovan rolls his eyes and grips me by my elbow, hoisting me up. I shake off my anxiety and put on a brave face. He cups my chin in his hand and gives me a light kiss on my lips. “I’m here with you. I’m not throwing you under the bus. All I ask you to do is not to find yourself alone with Donna.”
“Why don’t you like your step-mom?” I grab his hand and lock my fingers around his.
“I don’t want to get into that right now. I’ll tell you later. Right now, we have company.” As soon as he says that, I hear a loud squeal coming from the porch. A beautiful, dark haired girl starts running towards us. As she gets closer, I notice that she is a female version of Donovan; the same blue eyes, same color hair, same cheekbones. God, she’s gorgeous.
“Donovan!” she cries out, jumping into her brother’s open arms. “I’ve missed you!”
“Megan,” he grunts, apparently not able to breathe from her grip on his neck. “I just saw you a few weeks ago.”
“I know, but still.” She lets go and turns her attention to me. “You must be Allie. Hi, I’m Megan.” When I stick out my hand to shake hers, she pulls me in for a bear hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
I wrap my arms around her back and giggle. “I hope it’s all good things,” I say as I wink at Donovan.
“She’s a hugger. Always has been. Get used to it, babe.” He playfully rolls his eyes at his baby sister, but she pays no mind to him.
“Go get the bags, Donnie. I want to show Allie around the house.” I hear him sigh as he turns back to the car to get our things.
“Donnie?”
“Yeah, it’s a family nickname,” she laughs. Then she whispers, “He can’t stand it.” Megan takes her arm into mine and leads me into the house. The foyer itself is bigger than my whole apartment, complete with a crystal chandelier hanging from the tall ceiling. The walls are painted a delicate cream color and very expensive artwork decorates the room.
“Wow,” I say under my breath as Megan leads me into the sitting room. All of the furniture seems straight out of the Victorian Era. It’s the kind of room that you aren’t supposed to sit in, but to have so everyone can compliment you on. The entire room has a very rich feel to it and I felt like I was trespassing even just being in there. Thank goodness we just pass through to get to the kitchen. It reminds me a lot of Donovan’s with stainless steel appliances and lots of ranges to cook on. “Do you want something to drink?” Megan says as she opens the fridge. “We have sweet tea, water, and of course, wine.”
I snicker. “It’s a bit early for wine, so I’ll take sweet tea, thank you.” As she pours three glasses full, I tell her, “Thank you for helping Donovan with picking out my dress and for decorating the porch that night. It totally surprised me.”
She grins from ear to ear. “Girl, I was excited to do it. I’ve never seen Donnie with anyone other than that asshat, Claire. He really seems happy with you, and I want my brother happy.”
I can always tell when he walks into a room. I feel his presence surround me like warmth from the sun. I turn and smile at him as he stands in the doorway. “Did you get it all?” Megan asks.
“Yeah, even took it upstairs, because that’s how good of a boyfriend I am.” He slanders over to me and kisses my neck. I feel the flush in my face as I see Megan wink at me. “So, sis here wants to give you the grand tour of the place, huh?”
“Yes, I do, Donnie,” Megan smiles as he cringes at the name. “Unless you have a better idea.”
“Actually, I do. Come on, Allie,” he reaches for my hand. I look at Megan and shrug. “Don’t worry, it’s going to be fun.”
“Where are you going?” his sister asks, with her head cocked to the side. Donovan does the same thing; it’s uncanny how much they favor each other. “I can’t leave. Adam will be here in a little while, and so will Dad and Donna.”
“I didn’t want you to come anyways,” he teases. “Besides, there is going to be a house full of people tomorrow, so I kinda want to be alone with my girl for awhile.” He gently tugs me by the hand, so I give Megan a slight wave and a shy grin. She playfully shakes her head at us as we turn the corner back into the sitting room.
“Well, where are you going...Donnie?” I cover my lips, trying to suppress the giggle that that threatens to escape and he turns to me and narrows his eyes.
“Oh, God. Don’t call me that. I can’t stand that name,” he grumbles. “My father called me that as a kid and it stuck. I hated it then, and I hate it now.”
“Okay, Donovan, so tell me, where are we going?” I emphasize his name. “You still haven’t told me yet.”
He gives me a sexy, sideways grin and cocks his head at me. “It’s a surprise.”
Oh, great. I’m not sure if this is a good thing. We start walking to the back of the house; I have no idea where he’s taking me. When we make it to the backyard, I find that it’s stunning; something like you would see out of Better Living. There is a water fountain and the path that leads to it is made of light colored stone. The bushes are kept trimmed and even; the flower beds are immaculate with beautiful red and yellow roses. A park bench is sitting right in front of the fountain. “Wow, this is fantastic,” I say, memorized by the sheer beauty of this paradise just outside the back door.
“Yeah, it is, but this isn’t the surprise.” He leads me past the garden and walk further down to a huge shed. He reaches under the doormat and retrieves a key. He unlocks it and flips the light switch. There is an ATV, a blue motorcycle and a pair of jet skis parked inside.
“Is this the surprise?” I say, eying all the expensive toys.
“Well, part of it.” He grins as he hops on the red four-wheeler and grabs two helmets. “Here. We’re gonna go for a ride.” He tries to hand me the extra helmet, which looks entirely too small for my head.
“You
can’t be serious?” I’ve never been on an all terrain vehicle before. I’ve only seen pictures of my friends from high school and they were covered in mud; not my idea of a good time.
“Come on, babe. Trust me, you won’t get dirty,” he says, as if he can read my mind. I reluctantly take the helmet from his outstretched hand and pull it on over my head. My hearing is muffled, but I can hear Donovan say to hold on tight. He turns the key and the engine revs, giving me a scare.
Oh my God, I’m going to die.
He pulls a remote out of his pocket and hits the button. The garage door slowly starts moving upwards. As soon as it is high enough where our heads will clear it, he turns the throttle and we take off with enough speed to almost make me fall to the ground. Thank God I was hanging on to Donovan for dear life. I feel his laughter vibrate through his chest. I wasn’t so damn scared of letting go and cracking my head open, I would smack him.
He finally evens out the speed and we are riding a relatively normal pace. He stops for a minute but doesn’t kill the ignition. “That’s where the wedding reception is going to be,” he yells over the engine, pointing down towards a small valley. There are two huge white tents and people bustling around, making sure things are perfect for Gabe and Stacey’s big day. I see a florist van and people are carrying large white tables into the tents. There is also a large truck where the guys are pulling out kegs of beer. Yep, I was right; this is going to be a hell of a party.
“Looks like it’s gonna be a nice wedding,” I yell back and Donovan nods his head. He turns the handle and we are off again.
The Callahan Estate is very large, acres upon acres of peach trees, grape vines, and blackberry bushes. I see workers everywhere, picking the sweetened fruit and get it ready to make that delicious wine that dons the Callahan label. Wow, they apparently work until dusk since the sun is starting to lower in the sky. He starts off again and we ride for at least thirty minutes. We come to a hill with a huge black walnut tree that sits beside a running stream. The view is absolutely breathtaking; the sun is starting to set low in the horizon but there is still plenty of light. The sky is painted with purple, pink and orange wispy clouds. The view from the hill looks down on a small lake where the stream flows to. There are trumpeter swans floating in the water; their long, graceful necks seem to be turned towards us. My breath catches as I remove my helmet and slide off the four wheeler. I’m vaguely aware that Donovan has cut the machine off. “Wow, this is absolutely beautiful,” my voice taking on a light, breathy tone. “Is this my surprise?”
“Yeah, it is.” I feel Donovan’s hands snake around my waist and he pulls me closer to his body. “This was my favorite place to go as a kid. My dad would saddle up the horses and we would ride out here; most of the time it was just the two of us. One of the best memories I have as a child.”
“So, this was your happy place?”
“That’s exactly what it was; still is actually. I would come here to escape life for awhile. I would take my horse, Buck, and ride for hours around the property. I always ended up here.” He rests his chin against the side of my head and gazes out towards the lake. “I used to go swimming down there with Megan. She was an awful swimmer, so I had to save her ass a few times.” He laughs at the memory of his little sister, floundering around in the water. I place my hands over top his and try to picture him as a child, splashing around and having the time of his life. Maybe this was before he went through the heartache of his abusive, alcoholic mother, or it may have been a refuge for him to escape it. I can’t imagine what it was like. My family wasn’t always picture perfect happy, but we love each other deeply. I wonder if his real mother ever did; it’s hard to say. Then I wonder if his stepmother is really the coldhearted bitch he claims.
I slowly turn around to face him and I see a face that’s calm and serene. This really is his happy place, and he wanted to share it with me. My heart is touched and my soul is moved. His sparkling blue eyes shift down to mine and he gives me a brilliant white smile. I wrap my arms around his neck and his hands move down to the small of my back. Our lips meet in an instant, gentle at first, then needy and full of lust. My mouth parts to give his tongue entrance to mine and he gladly accepts the invitation. Donovan lifts me up, his hands under my ass, and I wrap my legs around him, our mouths never leaving each others. His hands slide under my dress to my panties, making my whole body quiver with desire. While his tongue ravishes mine, I feel him starting to back up. I pay no mind to that until the back of his legs touch the ATV. I pull away from his lips and look at him quizzically. I see a glint in his eye and I know exactly what he’s thinking: sex on a four wheeler.
He lets me down gently so I’m standing on solid ground. “Take your dress off, slowly,” he commands softly as he leans against the vehicle. His arms are crossed across his chest, patiently waiting for me to comply with his sexy demand. After I’m sure no one is around, I do as I’m told. I begin lifting my dress, painstakingly slow, above my head, and it leaves me nothing but my white lace thong. Since I didn’t wear a bra with my dress, I have nothing to cover my breasts, I’m unable to hide the fact that my nipples have hardened under his gaze. He notices as well, and takes me by the hand, gently pulling me to him. He takes the dress from my hand and places it in the basket on the front of the ATV. He stroke one of my hard buds with his thumb, licking his bottom lip. “Now, turn around and let me see that pretty ass.” He does a twirling motion with his index finger and I giggle as I spin around. “Damn, that’s nice.”
He leans forward and grabs me by the waist, pulling me back so my almost bare ass is pressed against his now bulging erection. “See what you do to me?” he breathes in my ear, his voice taking on a raspy growl. His hands move from my sides to my breasts and I gasp from the thrill it gives me. He gently rolls my nipples in between his fingers while his lips brush against my neck. It makes me push back into him further, wanting him inside me. I’ve been teased all day and the thought of him fucking me senseless here, outside, is almost enough to send me over the edge. My desire is growing, and I’m more than ready for him.
Donovan releases my breasts and turns me around so that I’m facing him. He starts to remove his T-shirt, exposing those rock hard abs and I can’t help but to run my fingers across them. He inhales through his teeth, letting me know he’s excited for me as well. I start trailing light kisses all over his chest, moving from one nipple to the next, lightly biting as I go. He groans, then slides his hand down to feel my saturated folds. “Damn, baby, you like being outside, huh?”
I can only nod because as he asks me that question, he thrusts two fingers inside me. I cry out and grip onto his shoulders. One of his hands lifts my right leg up and places it on the step of the ATV, giving him more access to my silken entrance. He uses more force, where it’s almost painful, but it’s too pleasurable to hurt. I tip my head back, grab my own breasts and start to roll my nipples. “Oh, fuck me, Allie,” he moans, releasing me and taking his fingers out of me. In one swift movement, he lets his shorts fall and kicks them off. His boxer briefs show off his hardness, so I immediately wrap my hand around his shaft and start to stroke. He grabs the seat and holds on tight, throwing his head back and his breathing starts to speed up. I run my hand up and down, causing a drop of precum to form.
“Enough,” he growls. He strips himself of his underwear and sits on the four wheeler, with his back against the handlebars. “Hop on, baby.”
I push down my thong and leave it on the ground. I put a foot up on the step of the four wheeler and swing my other leg over him so I’m sitting on top of him. “Now, let me inside.” Oh my God, his will is my command. I push up slightly so I can grab his shaft and position it. I slowly sink down, letting myself enjoy every single inch of him. He grabs my hips, his striking eyes holding my stare. I place my hands on his sexy stomach, feeling his muscles clench from my touch. When I pull back up, I smirk and then slam down, his erection filling me to the brim. We both cry out at the same time, our pleasure ove
rwhelming us. I become more steady with my rhythm, sliding up and down his dick. I feel that sexual tension building, begging for release and my body is hypersensitive. Donovan sits up and wraps his strong arms around me. His raspy voice, laced with desire and need, tells me to cum. I slam down one more time, screaming his name as I explode violently around him. He buries his face into my hair and he pushes one more time into me and fills me with his own orgasm. I cup his face and give him a lingering kiss as he empties into me.
“That was amazing, babe,” Donovan whispers as he finishes his climax. “Thank God you’re on the pill because that was baby making sex.” I laugh at him. He can be so stupid sometimes for being such a smart man. I lift off of him, wincing as he comes out of me, and start to grab my clothes to get dressed. Twilight has almost turned to darkness, with a sky full of bright stars. I slide my dress back on and pull my panties back up. As he’s getting dressed, he assures me, “The ATV has a headlight on it, and don’t worry. I can get us back to the house, no problem.” I have no idea how he knows what I’m thinking.
“Well, we should get back. I’m sure your sister is wondering where we are.”
“I’ll tell her the truth, that I was fucking you senseless,” he gives me a cocky ass smirk and I return it.
