by Laura Ward
Jon’s eyes widened and then he laughed, burying his face in my neck to muffle the sounds.
“I mean it. I’m serious.” I tried to pull away again, but he held me to him. “I’ve been having these dreams, but I never imagined I would act them out in my sleep. My God…” My voice trailed off.
Jon twisted to his side, moving me so my back was to the couch. His thumb traced my lip, and he pressed it there to keep me from talking. “I’m gonna take care of you, Sunshine. You told me before that you need something from me. Now you need it so bad that you’re searching for it in your dreams. Let me be the one to give it to you. Yeah?”
I nodded. I wasn’t sure what he meant or how he would give it to me, but I trusted Jon completely. And he was right. I had needs. Right this second, I had many needs.
Jon kissed me softly and then pulled back. “One thing I ask is that you let me watch you fall apart. If I’m kissing you, I can’t watch. That okay with you?”
I licked my lips. A fluttery feeling took over my stomach, and my heart raced. The edge of whatever it was that I was dancing around made me feel jittery. I wanted to squeeze my legs together at the same time I wanted to feel him against me again. Anything to satisfy this growing ache.
“Jon, I trust you with all of me. I always have.” My words were whispered, but it seemed to Jon that they were screamed. His eyes flared, his hands dug into my hips, and his lips parted.
Then his grip on me loosened. “You gotta be quiet. If you make any noise, someone could wake up.”
I nodded, placing a finger to my lips.
Jon strained his neck, listening for any sounds, and then seemed to relax. One hand went to my breast where he massaged gently. The next traveled up my thigh to my panties.
He stared into my eyes, and I nodded again, encouraging him to continue. He pushed my panties to the side, and I stifled a moan when the cool air hit my already very wet skin.
And then his fingers were there. Parting me. Touching me gently and then with more pressure.
My body stiffened, and I closed my eyes. I didn’t have a chance to be nervous, and it didn’t matter because this was Jon. This was it. This was what I was waiting for. Too much. Too good. “Yes, please, Jon, yes, don’t stop, so good, more.” I chanted my whisper, opening my eyes to see his focused completely on my face.
His pace increased, his fingers rolling, delving, back and forth up and down, in and out. My hips bucked, my hands went to my hair, pulling and twisting to keep myself from crying out.
His hand left my breast and held me open to him while he continued his beyond sublime torture.
And suddenly it was there. What I heard about but never known. Fireworks and heat and pleasure and release… sweet, sweet, release. I pressed my lips together as I came, holding back my cries, but letting my body rock and convulse as his fingers kept their ministrations until my body calmed.
When his hand was gone, I felt the loss. Not only of pleasure, but of our connection. Lifting up, I curled my body against his and pressed my lips to him.
“My turn. Let me take care of you now.” I reached down, cupping his hardness, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me away.
“Not tonight. Soon, I promise. But not here on this couch. When you touch me, I want to be free to let go. Okay?” He kissed the corners of my mouth and then my forehead.
I couldn’t hold back my grin. There would be a next time. More. With him. Thank you, Jesus!
“Okay.” I kissed him again and stood up, adjusting my clothes.
He settled on his back, his arm crooked underneath his head. I leaned over him, placing my palms on his chest. “Thank you for giving me what I needed. That was beyond words. And now I can’t wait to give it back to you.” I kissed his cheek, and he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Sweet dreams, Jon.” I sashayed my hips a bit as I walked out of the room. Turns out, an orgasm made me a little sassier. Huh. My words for him were the same as the night before, but I knew after what we just did his dreams didn’t stand a chance of being anything of the sort.
Chapter Twelve
Daisy
OCTOBER HAD ALWAYS been my favorite month of the year. The leaves changing colors, pumpkins on porches, warm cider, and comfy sweaters.
I slipped a soft, cream cable knit sweater over my head, and smoothed the static out of my hair. I’d found a pretty plaid hair scarf at the store, and I knotted it underneath my nape, letting my hair flow free around it.
“Daisy! You ready?” Delilah called from downstairs.
“Be right there,” I yelled back, yanking brown knee length boots over my tight jeans, and then grabbing my wallet.
Mom tasked Jon, Delilah, and I with picking pumpkins to carve for Halloween. We decided to hit the local fall festival at Jared’s Farm. That way we could get lost in the corn maze and snack on caramel apples, too.
Delilah shimmied with energy as she stood on the front porch. “C’mon! Sarah and Trudy are meeting me at the festival. I’m gonna hang with them for a while if that’s cool.”
I nodded, my heart picking up speed at the thought of more stolen moments alone with Jon.
“I figured you wouldn’t mind.” She tilted her chin in the direction of the truck, waggling her eyebrows at me.
“Cut it out, Delilah.” I gently pushed on her shoulder, and we walked down the driveway, country music blaring out the windows of Jon’s truck.
Delilah opened the passenger door and motioned for me to get in first. Climbing into the truck, I slid across the seat, into the middle.
“Hey there, Sunshine. You look great.” Jon spoke low, keeping his compliment private.
I looked a little bit country and a whole lot plain. Jon, on the other hand, looked… devastatingly hot. He would be turning heads at the farm, for sure.
He wore fitted, dark jeans, square-toed brown cowboy boots, and a rust colored, skin-tight Under Armor pullover. The zipper went down just past his neck, and he left it open with the collar popped up, exposing his Adam’s apple that strangely enough, at the moment, I wanted to kiss. The shirt highlighted every muscle on Jon’s arms. Well-developed triceps and biceps looked enormous under the smooth fabric. Sleeves were pulled up to his elbows, showcasing his forearms that were thick with corded veins.
The man’s discipline at the gym paid off and then some.
I licked my lips and forced my eyes off his chest and to his face. My fingertips tingled with the urge to touch him. Between work and my always-present family, we hadn’t touched one another since the night of my birthday. I folded my hands together to keep myself under control.
His eyes were shielded by dark gray aviator sunglasses, but his lips curved upward in a smirk that made me think he caught every second of my ogling.
“Could you put the window down a crack? I’m a little hot,” I asked, pressing my hand on my warm neck.
The door clicked shut as Delilah climbed in. “Let’s go! I’m late to meet my friends.” She buckled her seatbelt and sang along to the tune on the radio that was all the rage with her fifteen-year-old squad.
Jon cracked the window and reversed out of our driveway—his one-handed grip on the wheel was even sexy.
“It’s chilly. Why’s the window down?” Delilah complained, hands rubbing on the upper arms of her plaid long-sleeve shirt.
Jon gestured with his thumb to me. “Your sister said she’s hot.”
Delilah frowned. “That’s cause you’re wearing a huge sweater. I swear, Daisy, you hide your body too much. Jon, don’t you think Daisy has a great figure? I think she needs to show it off and forget everything Belinda and Marnie used to say to her.”
Jon cleared his throat. “One hundred percent agree with you. Daisy always looks beautiful.”
I stared at my entwined hands as a flush crept up my neck and across my cheeks.
“I’m not letting this one go. Take off the bulky sweater, Daisy. C’mon.” Delilah faced me with her arms crossed over her chest, but this time it wasn’t
because of the temperature in the cabin.
“Cut it out. I’ll be fine when I have some space, and I’m out of this old truck.” I shot Delilah my best, your big sister is going to kill you if you don’t shut up look.
Ten minutes later, Jon pulled into the farm’s parking lot. Gravel crunched beneath the tires of his truck, and I bounced in my seat as we maneuvered over the unpaved road. After quickly circling the lot, we found a spot near the entrance, marked with tall cornstalks and wagons filled with gourds of all shapes and sizes.
“I won’t get out until you do it.” Delilah pressed her back against the passenger side, arms spread wide.
My sister’s stubbornness rivaled a rabid boar, so if I didn’t give in, we’d end up suffocating in the truck long before she relented. Since Mom would be disappointed if we came home without pumpkins, and I’d be pissed that we just drove out here for no reason, I had to give in.
Ugh. Sisters.
“Oh, for God’s sake.” If I could have stomped my foot I would have, but there was no freaking room to do so. I grabbed the hem and pulled it over my head, tossing it at Delilah’s face. The force of my actions propelled me back onto Jon, my chest heaving. I looked up at his face as he ripped his sunglasses off.
My shirt was very tight. Wearing the cream-colored thermal under my sweater kept my skin from getting scratchy. The three buttons at the top were left unclasped because I thought they would never see the light of day. My fingers flew to secure them, but Jon’s hand was just as fast, stopping me, his grip firm.
“Don’t you fuckin’ dare. Leave it be.” Jon’s words were hard, his voice rough.
I whipped my head to Delilah, but she stood on the outside of the truck, blowing me a kiss before closing her door.
My ass scooted over to her seat, my hands busy smoothing back wild hair and tightening the scarf that kept it out of my face.
“Your sister’s spot on. You looked great before. Now, you are walking perfection.” Jon gave me a long once over, his gaze touching every piece of my body where I wanted his hands. He made a satisfied, guttural sound, then opened his door and hopped down.
I lowered the visor and looked in the mirror. My hair was messy but in a cute way. My cheeks were pink and my eyes were sparkling. I looked good. Even I had to admit that.
Jon had walked around the front of the truck. He opened my door and held out his hand. “Let’s go enjoy this day, Sunshine.”
His hand held mine as I jumped out of the truck. Neither of us broke the contact. Instead, Jon’s grip on my hand tightened. His thumb traced circles over my knuckles, the feeling making me dizzy with pleasure. God, I wished we didn’t have to let go. I wanted to walk through this festival, our hands clasped together, telling everyone here that he was mine and I was his.
But that wasn’t the truth. We had no claim on each other. And just like that, the elation I felt evaporated. I pulled my hand away from him, my back straight, and shoulders squared. Despite the fact that Jon would never really be mine, I was determined to do just what he said.
I was ready to enjoy this day.
And all the ones that followed.
~~~
We walked past the stands, checking out the homemade honey, canned pickles, and bouquets of wildflowers. A three-piece band played in the corner, old-school, down-home country tunes filling the air.
My hand itched to slip into Jon’s, but instead, I tucked them into my back pockets.
“Well, aren’t you just sex on a stick,” a sultry voice purred from behind us.
We turned around to see a brunette staring at Jon’s ass. As he angled to face her, her gaze remained in that location, so that her eyes were now fixated on his dick.
I guess she wasn’t the shy type.
“Hey, Collette. How’ve you been?” If I wasn’t mistaken, Jon sounded… nervous.
At the sound of her name, Collette raised her gaze, slowly traveling up his body, to his face. She bit her lower lip, and a small moan escaped from between them.
Nope, not shy at all.
Collette was a knockout. Like me, she wore tight jeans, but instead of practical boots, she wore high-heeled suede booties. I wasn’t sure how she would fare in the pumpkin patch with those beauties. Her top was see through. There was no other way to describe it. It was sheer black, and with the bright sunlight, it practically created a spotlight right to her black lace bra. A bra that housed perfectly pert breasts. Her face was heavily made up and her brown hair expertly wavy. Her lips curled as she had her eyes on the prize.
My prize.
“I’ve been good, Jon. Missing you, though. What’s it been? Since last Christmas break?” She tapped a red manicured fingertip against her glossy lower lip.
Jon shifted back and forth. “Not sure. Hey, let me introduce you. This is Daisy, one of Dean’s younger sisters.”
Not gonna lie, that one smarted. Yes, all we had was an arrangement to help each other out, but being classified only as one of Dean’s sisters happened my whole life. Somehow, I thought Jon would be different. Maybe even claim me as a close friend.
“Cool. Dean’s a fun guy. Loved partying with him back in the day.” Colette held out her hand as we shook.
“Nice seein’ you, Collette.” Jon wasn’t feeling chatty, that much was clear. He scanned the stands, seeming to try and cut off any more communication between the three of us.
“Call me. Let’s get together.” Collette tried to sound casual, but I noticed the way her chest was rising and falling, indication her breathing had increased.
Jon shook his head. “You know how it is. I’m gonna buy some food. You comin’, Daisy?” Not waiting for my answer, he turned to the food stalls, his pace quick.
Collette and I watched him go before she placed a hand on my forearm. “Be careful with that one, sweetheart. He’s gorgeous, but he’s tough. He can perform magic on your body, but you need to guard your heart.” She frowned before sauntering off in the opposite direction.
What the hell?
After a few minutes, I found Jon paying for his food. He motioned to a hay bale off to the side of the eating area. We sat next to each other, and he handed me a caramel apple. My mind raced with questions to ask, but I didn’t want to anger him or scare him off.
My teeth sank into the warm, gooey caramel sauce and then found the crisp, tart, green apple. I groaned as I chewed. So freaking yummy.
Jon chuckled. “Good?” His thumb swiped a smudge of sticky caramel off my chin, and he licked his finger.
My blood raced through my veins at the gesture.
“Try this.” Jon tore off a piece of a cider donut. Instead of taking it with my fingers, I let orgasm brain take over. I hadn’t had an orgasm today, but they were on the brain all right.
I opened my mouth and lowered it onto the chunk of fried dough, sucking both it and his thumb into my mouth. I hummed my approval, feeling the vibration of the sound down to my toes.
Jon must have felt it, too. I wish I could have seen his eyes, but he still wore those damn sexy sunglasses, shielding them. Slowly, he pulled his thumb out of my mouth, letting my tongue glide along it as he did. His head dropped, and he muttered, “Fuck me.”
My body flushed with heat. I loved this. The back and forth. Teasing. Flirting. It was a high I had never known.
We finished eating, feeding bites to each other. By the time the snack was gone, my nipples were hard, and I’d bet all the cider donuts on the farm that my panties were wet.
“Let’s do the corn maze.” I tilted my head toward the massive puzzle cut out of a corn field. Time alone with Jon in the privacy of the maze was too good to pass up.
“Sure, Sunshine.” Jon led the way, the noise from the festival fading as we walked further into the shaded field.
We explored in silence, trying different paths before hitting dead ends as we maneuvered closer to the center of the puzzle.
“Jon, look.” I stopped in a hidden corner, a long beam of sunlight shining down on us. “Isn
’t this beautiful?” I gazed up at the blue sky and thick white clouds, allowing the light from the sunbeams to warm my skin.
When I looked at Jon, his sunglasses were off, and his focus was on me, not the sun or the sky. He walked closer, cupping the side of my face with his hand. “So, beautiful. Tell me. What happened with Belinda and Marnie? How did anyone ever convince you that you were less than stunning?”
Before I could answer, his lips kissed mine softly. I shivered, placing my hands on his hips to steady myself.
“Tell me,” he spoke against my lips.
I shook my head. “I’d rather just forget about it.”
His tongue swiped along the seam of my pressed lips. “Please, Sunshine. Trust me.”
The one thing I couldn’t do was watch him while I told the story. I had never shared this with anyone. I rested my forehead against his. “It started with Dean and you, actually.” With my grip on him, I could feel his body stiffen. “Looking back, things had been escalating for a while. I was getting teased by boys in middle school because I developed early. Some of the girls joined in, and while it never occurred to me at the time, Belinda and Marnie didn’t stand up for me or have my back. I think they enjoyed it. But they remained my friends. Now I realize they were using me. It was so stupid.” My stomach rolled as I spoke the words and remembered the torment.
The breath I inhaled was shaky. “They thought they could hook up with Damian and his friends. We were in eighth grade, for goodness sake. They asked if they could have a sleepover. Damian had a few buddies over, and they were hanging in the basement playing video games. Belinda and Marnie tried to convince me to steal Dad’s beer so we could be chill and flirty. I refused, and they were pissed. They insisted we go downstairs and were being loud and annoying.”
Jon’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t remember any of that. How were Dean and I involved?”
My laugh was hard. “It was over four years ago, the summer before you left for college. Of course you don’t remember. Back then you and Dean were assholes. Never to me, of course. You came in after partying by the lake, drinking God knows what. You both started in on Belinda and Marnie, teasing them about trying to flirt, and so on.”
