by Mia Grandy
She’d thought that nothing would be able to top that experience, but if she had laid money on it, she would have been wrong.
When they had originally pulled up to the giant mansion, she thought that maybe he had made a wrong turn or that he was just trying to impress her. It had white stucco walls and green terracotta tile on the roof. There were meticulously groomed ivy vines carefully draping different sections of the house and a flowerbed out in front. The fence going around the property was brick and wrought iron, and the groomed ivy was growing across it as well. The entire thing had the look and feel of a Gothic mansion that would be more in tune with something on the Gulf coast rather than something in Oklahoma City.
It wasn’t until Drake pulled around to the back of the property, parked, and climbed out of his car that it sank in that this was truly their destination.
“What? Do you rent the pool house?” she asked, cutting her glance over to Drake as she spoke. This mysterious man who scouted pool halls in need of a partner but who lived in the lap of luxury seemed too good to be true.
“No” he said, turning away from her and heading toward the small cottage that matched the giant house behind them only in miniature form.
She stopped in the middle of the drive and crossed her arms, her mouth slightly agape. “Okay, that’s it. I’m not moving another step until you come clean. I mean, who hits up people for help with a tournament to win a little nothing lakeside piece of property when you could clearly buy something twice as big as that without batting an eye?”
Drake stopped, and although she was too far away to hear him, she could see his shoulders heave as he sighed. Then, he turned and walked back until he was leaning over her, his large form pressed into her body and he whispered in her ear.
“I will explain everything. I wouldn’t have brought you here otherwise. Please, just trust me.” His lips were close enough to her ear that each puff of breath sent tingles down her spine. He placed his hand on her shoulder while he spoke, but then when he turned to leave it slowly trailed down her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps.
It was all he said before turning back around and walking directly into the house. Randa stood outside in disbelief as the sun seared her exposed shoulders. The heat was oppressive, but a moment ago when he had been so close to her, the air had nearly sizzled. She looked behind her and knew that it would not take much to walk back to main road and get a cab to the hotel.
She weighed her decision, but eventually her curiosity won out, and she followed him into the house.
The first thing she noticed when she crossed the threshold was that while the exterior of the house may have been old school gothic, the interior was very updated and modern. It was a nice contrast, and she felt herself at ease almost instantly. Drake was standing at the back of the hall, and when she walked in she saw him smile and motion her to follow him.
When she turned the corner, she found herself staring at a large open room with two pool tables on either end. The furnishings in the other rooms might have been modern, but the tables were decidedly not. They were large, and made from a thick, hard wood and the felt tops were so pristine there weren’t even chalk marks on them.
It was not often that Randa felt herself intimidated, but these tables had her at a loss. She walked around each of them, her fingers trailing across the carved wood. These tables were old school masterpieces, and she would have laid money that each of them was carefully maintained and balanced by a team of professionals.
“So, you live here?” she asked.
“Yes. I grew up here, and I inherited the house when my parents passed away.”
She studied him. He couldn’t have been more than thirty. There were very few wrinkles on his face, no grey at his temples, and not even a hint of flab on his body. Either his parents passed away when he was very young or he was the best preserved man she had ever met.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you. It was a plane accident. My father used to fly a small airplane, and my mom loved to travel with him. She would say it was far safer than driving a car.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, stopping at the opposite end of the pool table from her. “Sad thing was she was right, it was statistically far safer to be in the plane. But I guess statistics don’t mean anything to fate. When it is your time, it is just your time.”
Randa remained quiet, watching him and waiting for him to finish his story. She knew from experience that people often did not get straight to the point. Often, if you were patient enough, and waited long enough without interrupting them, you could gather a lot more information than if you started talking.
“That was several years ago. I was at college. For a number of years I did not come back. My grandfather was still around, and he saw to the house, the staff, and the business while I ran around the world trying to drink my fortune and my pain away. Somehow he made sure that didn’t happen. When he died he knew that the one thing I treasured most out of all of it was my father’s lake cabin. So, he left the property to the tribe with a set of very specific instructions on how the money raised was to be used and how the money was to be raised.”
“So, this pool tournament, it was set up by your grandfather, before he died? As in, it was in his will?” she asked, unable to believe the set of circumstances she now found herself in. This was not only outside of the realm of anything she could have imagined, it was also well outside of the comfort zone of what she was partnering up for.
“Yes, this is my chance to win back the cabin fair and square,” he said as he looked up at her. For the first time she saw the pain in the depth of his eyes and realized how badly he felt he had messed everything up. She knew that feeling all too well. “I’m sure I could try to buy it off the winner later, but for once in my life I want to try and win it outright.”
“Are you sure you want me as your partner? I mean, I’m pretty good at hustling low grade pool hall guys, but I don’t know if I would count on me in a tournament; especially not one where the stakes are so high. I don’t want to be responsible for you not winning back your family cabin, and there are professional players who would be a lot better at what you’re looking for.”
Drake crossed rounded the edge of the table and crossed the gap between them in just two short strides. “You may just think of yourself as a two bit hustler, but I watched you play last night for hours. You have skill, quite a bit more skill than you give yourself credit for. I wouldn’t want anyone else to stand with me. I don’t know you, and I don’t know your history or your life story, but I can tell a lot about you just by the way you hold yourself. When you are playing pool, you are the most confident person in the room.”
When she tried to duck her head, to look away from his gaze because she felt embarrassed at the praise he was showering her with, he tucked his hand under her chin and pushed it back up.
“No, I made the right choice.” He whispered just as his lips crushed down on hers.
Randa was taken by surprise at first, but she could not deny the spark that flowed through his kiss and into her. It was electric, and when she sighed and leaned into him, his arms braced her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.
When his tongue slipped between her lips, she sighed and tilted her head back, her hand clutching at the nape of his neck as she pulled him even closer. Fire surged through her body with each beat of her heart, electrifying her skin and sending what felt like a river of lava coursing into her lower abdomen.
It had been years since she was this turned on. The rational portion of her brain screamed that she needed to slow down, that she had just met this man. But the woman in her was not listening. And when his hand slid down her back and under the edge of her shirt, she felt her flesh shiver in anticipation of his touch.
His fingers lightly trailed up her back, each one having the same reaction as the last, until it felt as if her entire body was on fire. She could feel his growing arousal through his jeans, and when he pushed his hand
under her bra strap, she took her free hand and ran it along the top of his pants, her fingers feathering along his flesh until they came to the button.
When her fingers dipped below and touched the tender flesh of his erection, he moaned into her mouth, his hands moving around to the front of her blouse, until they were cupping and kneading her breast, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She could feel it building up inside of her until she let out a roar of a moan and clung even tighter to him, her body swaying slightly.
Then, as soon as she felt her balance giving way, Drake swept his hands down and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his torso as he took the two steps to the pool table so her rear end could rest on the thick wood as she straddled him. Then, he slid his hands up, pulling her shirt over her head in one swift movement before repeating the action on himself, his bare chest pressed against her flesh.
As soon as her lips were free from his kiss she could feel them, raw, throbbing, and burning with desire. She tilted up her head, expecting him to resume the kiss, but instead he chuckled a little and dipped his head down to the nape of her neck, leaving a trail of burning patches on her flesh as he made her way down to her breasts.
Using his hand, he gently freed first her right breast, then her left from the restraints of her bra. The fabric bunched underneath them, scratching slightly at her tender and exposed flesh while simultaneously thrusting her breasts upward and giving him easier access. His mouth closed around one nipple, his tongue working designs over the tightening bud as his hand cupped the other breast and resumed its kneading and pulling.
Randa leaned backward, thrusting her chest upward and moaning as she sank her hands into his short hair. She was no stranger to sex, but no one had ever been able to make her entire body throb as intensely he was at this moment. The heat that had built up at the apex of her thighs was so intense now that she could feel the muscles clenching, already seeking some form of release from the building storm.
When he used his teeth to gently nip at her breast she could no longer contain herself and instinctively she felt her pelvis push out against the rough denim of his jeans as a yelp tore from her mouth.
Just when she thought she wouldn’t be able to take anymore, she felt his lips moving down across her ribs and over her navel. She sucked in a large mouthful of cool air that burned in her overheated body as he continued to work his way down, his tongue lapping at the edge of her underwear as he pulled down her pants.
Suddenly she was exposed, and she could feel just how wet she truly was. Drake stood up and once again kissed her, his tongue entering mouth just as his fingers first stroked her outer folds and then thrust a finger upward into her. She felt herself spasm around him, her climax already starting to build as she rose up to meet him, her pelvis pushing down on his finger, her body racing to try and fill up.
With his free hand he pushed her back against the felt of the pool table, her legs dangling over the edge in such a manner that it caused her to be even more exposed as his finger continued to stroke the inside of her, his thumb slowly circling over her pleasure button until she bit down on his lip to stifle the scream building up inside of her.
Just then he broke off the kiss and for a second she gulped at the cool air, as if it could put out the fire in her body. Then, when she felt him once again leaving a trail of kisses down her chest and over her abdomen she found she could not breathe as her entire body tensed in anticipation. He flicked his tongue just under her belly button and trailed it all the way down until it covered her mound.
Taking her clit in between his teeth he gently nipped and then licked at it and when he did, she screamed into the stale air of the room as her body simultaneously bucked upward. They had just begun and she already found herself so close to orgasm that it wasn’t even funny. She didn’t think she had ever been this turned on in her life. That was until he moved downward and thrust his tongue into her, licking, probing at the inside of her.
It was gentle at first, but then as she felt the waves of the orgasm building within her, he continued to move harder and faster. Then, when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, his hand cupped the top of her mound and massaged her clit, pinching and tweaking it in much the same manner as he had her nipple. The tender flesh rolled and kneaded expertly in his fingers.
It was too much. The instant he touched her she bucked upward and screamed. Then as she felt every single muscle in her lower body simultaneously contracting and then releasing she cried out into the room, her fingernails digging into the edge of the table as she struggled to regain some type of control.
Drake rose up over the edge of the table, his fingers continuing to massage her through wave after wave of pleasure. Then, she heard him unzip his pants and looked down just in time to see the length of him as he entered her.
Using both of his hands, he pulled her hips toward him, thrusting into her as he pulled her ass just over the edge of the table. She leaned up and put her hands around his neck, kissing him. The taste of herself was still on his lips, and it was both salty and sweet.
Just then he pulled out and slowly re-entered her, causing her core to spasm along the length of him and send shivers down her spine. He did this again and again until she thought she was going to scream with madness. But then, just as she was sure that she was going to break, he thrust into her hard over and over again until her breasts were sore from the bouncing and her breathing was coming in short, ragged pants that never seemed to reach her lungs.
When every last molecule of her body seemed to be tingling with a pleasure so profound that she thought she might fall apart at the seams he groaned and pushed into her one last time. She collapsed against the back of the pool table as the cool air flowed over her sweat slick body as she tried to calm the spasms that were running rampant across her body. For a moment she was afraid to open her eyes, afraid she would find herself back in her hotel room, this entire thing a heightened daydream of her sex starved mind.
When she felt herself being scooped from the table and carried from the room she opened her eyes. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“To finish this somewhere more appropriate.” Drake smiled.
“Finish?” She felt another shiver run through her, but she didn’t protest as he went into another room and laid her on the bed. Instead, she once again linked her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her, giggling.
Chapter 5
When Randa has passed out from exhaustion, Drake had called the hotel and paid for another night with his card so that her belongings would not be cleared from the room. Then, he called and made travel arrangements for the tournament, and he was sure to book two separate rooms just so she could have her privacy. It seemed a little forward to assume they would share a room.
Once that was finished, he sank into the bed with her, smiling against her back as he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning he heard her stirring and then woke up as she sat straight up in the bed.
“Oh no! My room. I hope they haven’t cleared it out,” she said, scrambling over the edge of the bed and sprinting around the room as she tried to gather up all of her clothes.
Drake rolled over on his elbow and watched her for a moment, the fogginess of sleep still clinging to him as he struggled to understand what was going on.
“Don’t worry about it. I took care of it last night,” he said.
“What?”
“I figured you wouldn’t want your stuff thrown out in the street so I called the hotel and booked another night.”
“Oh,” she said, her brow furrowing.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No,” she answered, still studying him and he could see that she was choosing her words very carefully so he waited for her to continue even though the pause in the conversation left a void that he was itching to fill. “It's just…I don’t know that I’ve ever had someone show that much interest in my stuff before.”
“Well, I g
uess I’m just considerate that way,” he said as he rolled out of the bed and pulled on his underwear before heading to the bathroom. “I’m going to take a quick shower. Help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen.”
“Um…” she started but then stopped.
“Yes?” he prompted.
“I don’t know where the kitchen is.”
He chuckled a little under his breath, remembering how hasty the introduction to the house had been yesterday. “Yeah. I guess I didn’t cover that in the tour yesterday. If you turn left here, the hall will eventually dead end into the kitchen. It should be fully stocked.”
She nodded, and he turned back to the bathroom. He didn’t mean to be abrupt, but he could already feel that he was starting to get an erection again, and he wanted to make sure that they at least got in a few hours of practice today. If he didn’t curb it now, he would likely end up pulling her back into the bed before either of them had a chance to do anything else.
Drake made sure that when he turned on the water that it was a little cooler than normal.
When he emerged fifteen minutes later, his skin was tingling, but he definitely felt like he was back in control of his base instincts. That was until he made his way into the kitchen. Randa had thrown on a t-shirt, but was not wearing any pants, and she was standing in front of the stove humming to herself. He could hear the sizzling on the oven and the smell of bacon was wafting through the air.
Although they had just met, he found himself struggling to resist the urge to walk up behind her, wrap his arms around her, and put his face in the groove of her neck. Instead, he leaned against the door frame and cleared his throat.
She startled and turned around, dropping the spatula onto the floor as she did. At once, Drake was glad that he had not sneaked up behind her. As jumpy as she was, it was likely he would have gotten covered in bacon grease.
