Loving Lies

by Renee Field

  He’s more in the way than I should like. I let his warmth cascade through me, hating myself for feeling safe in his embrace. You’d think I’d know better by now. There is no safe place when you’re on the run and hiding from everything you once held dear.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Blake

  She’s as skittish as a stray dog and I’m wondering what the hell happened. Less than twenty-four hours ago Alyssa looked confident and passion was clearly written all over her face. Did I do something wrong? Christ what if she’s found out why I’m really here? Worse, what if she talked to the owners? I knew I shouldn’t have gotten involved with her but I can’t seem to help myself when it comes to sexy passionate women. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask her what’s up. Instead, I keep quiet. I did just wrestle a yes to a hike from her and I get the feeling that it cost her.

  I’ve always been better with actions so holding her in my arms feels perfect. I trace my hand lightly over her spine, reacquainting myself with her curves. She’s all wound up tight so I start to knead her back in small circles. She doesn’t resist and I’m thanking my lucky stars.

  “Come back to my place for a drink,” I urge, letting her know with my hands I’m willing to give and not take. “I promise another blissful massage and that can be it.” Plus if she’s back at my place I’m sure I can get her to open up and tell me what’s up.

  She tilts her head up so I’m left staring into those magnificent teal blue eyes of hers and all I see is the sadness almost weeping from her.

  “Honey, what happened?”

  “Nothing.” She chokes on what I know is a lie, but I’m battling with myself. How much do I want to push her? It`s not like I am going to be able to fix all her problems but it’s killing me to see her look so sad.

  I hug her tight and whisper reassuring words into the top of her hair, catching her signature coconut scent.

  “You can tell me. I don’t bite. Well, okay I do bite, but if I recall you liked it last night.”

  She chuckles and a newfound warmth zings through my heart.

  “I like your bite.”

  I know then what she’s getting at. She’s willing me not to push, not to ask questions, to play it safe with our bodies loving each other but that’s it. She’s built a boundary, a concrete wall around what she’s willing to divulge and who the hell am I to ask her to let me in. I’m a nobody. A con. A man trying to find his way in the world when he’s been practically left alone all his life. An image of cleaning up my father after one of his drunken stupors hits me. Yeah, I`ve never been able to count on anyone. My grip tightens and instinctively I lean into her warmth.

  This time when she leans her head back to look up at me I see the determination in her eyes—she’s locked down tight whatever happened. The vault is sealed.

  “A drink sounds great, but I’m holding you to that killer massage.”

  I grin. “You’re on. I picked up a red wine from the store for you and I’m praying you like red more than white.”

  “You didn’t have to do that and I love any wine,” she says, as I tuck her against me.

  “I know. But I’m watching my figure,” I say, patting my stomach.

  She laughs for real and I glance over at her to catch her rolling her eyes. “Funny man.”

  We ease our way from the room and lock up the building. It’s dark by the front door so I switch on the flashlight app on my cell. We walk arm in arm to my place which surprises me. I thought for sure she’d reclaim her hand for fear of getting caught with me. I find myself tampering down my enthusiasm for her hand in mine. If I don’t watch myself Alyssa will worm her way through my own barriers and I’ve got to keep my poker face in play. I’m making progress with the owners and plan to pop in tomorrow for a quick hi. I’m anxious for the geological work-up to come back and according to Carol that won’t happen until the end of the week. Still. That leaves me with four more days to fill and I can’t think of a better way to occupy my time than to get to know the woman walking with a smile on her lips through the door of my cabin.

  I switch on the light and close the god awful blinds. I tell Alyssa about the tour the owners gave me as I pour us each a glass of wine.

  “What did she say when you pointed out your cabin?”

  “Actually she immediately apologized again and offered to move me. She pointed out that my cabin is the last to get renovated and the new summer staff have been really busy.”

  “We have been. We have one staff meeting at the beginning of each week, but after that I hardly see them until Saturday night at the Cave.”

  “The Cave?”

  She takes a sip of her wine and I can see she’s debating what to tell me.

  “It’s just a place the locals and staffers go to unwind.”

  I slide into the space beside her on the sofa. “So I take it this is a party place.”

  A full grin fills her face, making her look sweet and innocent. She might be sweet, but she’s far from innocent. “Will you take me?” I ask.

  “What?”

  “The next time you go to the Cave can I come with you?”

  “Ah, I don’t think that’s a good idea and honestly it’s not my scene.”

  Placing my drink on the side table I lean in to nuzzle her neck. “What is your scene?”

  “Less people,” she says, moaning as I make my way from her neck to her sensitive ear lobe.

  “Less people is good. I missed you today.” She doesn’t say anything and I’m kicking myself. “Once you finish with your drink it’s massage time.”

  Playfully she downs the rest of the red wine.

  “You do know wine is supposed to be savored and enjoyed slowly,” I say, with a grin on my face.

  “Tell that to my achy muscles,” she says, her eyes sparkling with mischief. This is the Alyssa I could fall head over heels for. She’s saucy, confident and so desirable I have to tell my dick to behave.

  Yanking her up from the sofa, I urge her to the bedroom. “The best way to enjoy a massage is to get naked.”

  A full laugh brightens up the room. “Now that’s a corny line.”

  I give her what I hope is my charming oh-so-innocent look. “I can’t help if it’s true.”

  At the store I also bought battery powered candles so I flick the switch on them and enjoy the look on her face.

  “You, Blake, have thought of everything.”

  I didn’t think of everything but I certainly stocked up with more condoms and some lube. Nothing fancy in that department when there’s only one drug store in town.

  “I like to be prepared,” I say, truly meaning it. “So strip.”

  She sits on the bed and pulls off her sneakers. “I feel weird stripping by myself.”

  I yank off my shoes, whip my shirt over my head and plant a hungry kiss on her lips. “I’ll join you.”

  A man could fall down a well for the grin Alyssa delivers. “Thanks. I’d like that.”

  When we’re both naked I urge her onto the bed. I reach into the nightstand drawer and pull out the massage oil I also purchased. I palm it between my hands to heat up the coconut scented oil and then lean over her.

  She gasps when my lubricated palms slither over her back. I take my time with her muscles, gently coaxing the knots away. Her hair is obscuring her face but I can tell from the throaty moans and sighs coming from her she’s enjoying it.

  With my knuckles I dig more into her lower back. She’s full of knots and while it might be painful she’s not complaining.

  Only once she’s fully relaxed do I swipe her hair from around her neck to move it away from her face. I made sure the entire time my hands were all over her body that my dick wasn’t nudging into her. I know she’s not oblivious to my erection but the point of tonight was making her feel at ease.

  “How you feeling?” I whisper into her ear.

  She opens her eyes and it’s that sleepy, well-satisfied look I missed this morning when I awoke alone.

  “You�
�ve got amazing hands.”

  “Talented man, I am,” I reply, letting my right hand roam over her body. This time I don’t ignore her ass. I palm it and knead it and then kiss those plump cheeks of hers. The sigh she rewards me with is different than before. Passion sizzles my senses and I can’t resist leaning more of my weight on her.

  “Spread your legs for me,” I urge.

  She complies and I slip a hand down her ass, loving the feel of her curves and muscles. Her pussy is already wet so I slip a finger into her cunt, feeling her cream. I remove my finger so I can taste her.

  “Is this part of the massage?” she asks, sounding breathless.

  “This is the full package massage. Trust me, you’ll like it.”

  I move my body so I’m now kneeling between her spread legs and then because I can’t stand another minute more without her on my tongue I delve face first into her. Bless Alyssa, who instantly widens her legs allowing me more leverage to get what I crave—her all over my face.

  I flick her swollen clit and savor the taste of her on my tongue. She’s leveraged up more, providing me with full access and I take what she’s offering. Biting the insides of her thighs with love nips I suck hard on her cunt, loving her musky scent filling my senses. I lick and lap at her until she’s wiggling that ass of hers for more.

  “Blake, please,” she cries.

  “What do you want, Alyssa?”

  “You.”

  “What part of me do you want?” God I can be a prick sometimes. My fingers tease her slickened folds but I don’t indulge. I want her to say it. To spell it out.

  She turns her head back to look at me. “I want you to fuck me. Give it to me now,” she says with grit and passion fueling her on.

  I sink a finger into her. “Isn’t this good enough?”

  I pump my digit hard into her, letting my hand settle over her ass as I repeat my actions.

  “No. Yes. No. I mean. Christ, give it to me.”

  “Give you my cock?” I ask playing dumb, while slipping another finger into her opening.

  “Cock. Now,” she repeats and her voice has taken on a real gritty sound which I’m thinking is a great combination between pleasure and frustration.

  Chuckling lightly I remove my fingers and open her legs wider, tilting her in the process with her head down toward the headboard. I reach over to the side table by the bed and grab a condom. With my teeth I rip open the package and sheath myself. And because I can’t stand another minute more without the feel of her around my dick, I plunge deep into her warmth.

  She cries out. “Fuck. About time.”

  I can’t speak. My cock has taken over and I’m absorbing the feel of this lusty woman beneath me. With a mind based on pure lust and determination its sole goal is being heaven deep inside Alyssa. I could go slowly, but I don’t. It’s like all the frustrations of the day are unleashed and I go hard and heavy on her. My arm slips around her waist, anchoring her body to mine as I thrust deeper into her. She’s moaning with pleasure and my balls are tightening with need

  Her muscles milk my dick and seconds later I’m coming hard, cursing in pleasure. I collapse on top of her and she grunts to bear all my weight. A second later I roll over, careful to pull out. I quickly deposit the full condom in tissue and hand her some to clean up. She does and then and only then do I open the covers and urge her under. We haven’t spoken and I’m beating myself up for being too rough.

  She settles into the crook of my arm and I’m loving that we’re still skin to skin.

  “That was great.”

  “Yeah, it totally was.” I say, kissing the top of her head. And because I want to keep her in my bed, tucked tight to me, I focus on her and not the urge to nod off for a few blessed blissful winks. Plus I get the distinct impression she’s thinking of a way to leave my bed and that’s not happening. I want this woman more than I’ve wanted anyone and I’m start to hate myself for not telling her the truth from the get-go.

  “Tell me about your photography.”

  She turns her head so she can look up at me. “Really?”

  “Yeah, really. What made you get into it?”

  She laughs and I’m making mental notes so she’ll repeat that wonderful, carefree sound again, just for me.

  “You know I used to take selfies of myself all the time, but I met this guy once…”

  She goes still and quiet so I urge her on. “A guy once?”

  “Yeah, he was close to seventy, I think, and he had faith in me when no one else did. He’s the guy who taught me how to mix drinks and it’s because of him I got this job here. In his back room he had these amazing black and white photos of places all over the world. I thought someone, like someone famous, had taken them and he laughed like hell when I told him that. Anyway, he was an old pro and not into digital at all.”

  My fingers claim a long strand of her hair and I twirl it around my wrist. “So he taught you how to develop photos.”

  “Actually, he taught me everything good I know about photography. He said take pictures that make your heart smile so I did.”

  “So you take lots of people pictures?” I have to keep urging her on so she doesn’t get lost in her memories.

  “People don’t make me smile. Landscape does. I love taking what Mother Nature has created and capturing it on film.”

  I lean over and kiss her cute little nose. “Will you show me sometime?”

  She closes her eyes and I’m wondering if I’ve pushed too hard. “Maybe. I don’t have many here but who knows, maybe tomorrow I’ll find something I like on our hike.”

  “I know I’ve already found something I like,” I say, making sure my corny line creates one of those beautiful in the moment smiles which instantly transforms Alyssa from beautiful to downright gorgeous in a heartbeat.

  I shuffle down so we’re face-to-face in the bed and then I kiss her, saying with my lips this time we’re going to go slow so I can savor every aspect, every delectable part that makes me burn for her. And like she knows exactly what I’m thinking she snakes a hand through my hair to anchor me more firmly to her.

  The hike is perfect. It’s just me and Alyssa and the best part is that while she was working I was working, though I’m hoping I didn’t come across like I was. I also got an email with a preliminary report on the minerals in the area and it’s a freaking gold mine. Well, not full of gold but copper, beryllium and uranium. It’s the beryllium that excites me. I fired off a note to grandfather this morning and he was very impressed. Now the trick is getting the owners to sell so we can start getting real investors in on this mega project.

  We crest another hill and the air is warm but crisp. I’m sweating because I’ve got a backpack full of food and a bottle of wine along with bear spray. The last was an item the owners insisted I take when I let slip I was heading up the trail they had recommended the other day. They assured me most bears wouldn’t bother with us, but I’m all for being prepared.

  At the top we stop to catch our breaths and I use that as another excuse to pull Alyssa closer to me. Two mountain peaks sit directly in front of us but I notice Alyssa has her eye on the large boulder that’s sitting pretty but looks totally out of place.

  “That must have gotten dumped here during the ice age,” I say.

  She nods, but her hands are already moving to her camera pack. “I’m going to take some pictures.”

  “While you do that I’m going to set up our food.”

  Again a nod and how sick is it that I find it charming that she’s totally absorbed with her photography.

  I admire the scenery, mainly Alyssa, as she quietly sets up and takes picture after picture. We had been hiking for two hours and I’m thinking she hasn’t realized she’s spent the last sixty minutes snapping photos so I pull up behind her and snag her to my middle. Playfully she tells me off and that she’s busy. I laugh but remind her we have to eat and hike down before it gets dark or before the bears come out to play.

  That immediately
gets her attention. “Give me five,” she says, and I’m smitten enough to realize I’d give her all the time she needs.

  I pour our wine and don’t point out what was supposed to be five minutes had turned into fifteen before she sits beside me.

  Without hesitation she plants a firm one on my mouth. “Thanks so much for being patient.”

  “I can see you totally love what you’re doing and it’s nice.” I hand her a large sandwich and we settle into filling our stomachs. The silence is special and I don’t feel one bit awkward with it. The wind is picking up and the scent of wild roses fills the warm breeze.

  “These sandwiches are really good.”

  “According to the chef in the kitchen, they are gourmet. Her special recipe.”

  Alyssa laughs. “She’s an amazing chef and she’s always whipping up these new dishes which we get to sample. I’m sure I’ve gained ten pounds since being here.”

  “Well, if you have, the pounds are all in the right places.”

  We tuck back into our food and I pour us a second drink.

  “So, Blake, tell me a little bit about yourself.”

  A dip settles inside of me. I want to tell her the real me but I’ve got to be careful. “Not much to tell.”

  “Or not much you want to tell,” she says, looking at me over the tin mug that’s filled with red wine.

  “Alyssa, my childhood wasn’t great. My father’s an alcoholic and we bounced from one place to the next while he tried to hold down a job. What about you?”

  “Like you, not much to tell. My mom died when I was an infant and my father sort of raised me.”

  “Is he still alive?”

  A hawk cries overhead and Alyssa grabs her camera. I let her fire off about a dozen shots but she’s not off the hook. Only when she’s resettled and while I pack up our stash do I raise the question again.

  “So is your Dad still around?”

  A look so full of sadness passes over her face and I’m kicking myself. I drop the backpack and pull her in for a reassuring hug. “Shit. Listen you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” I catch a whiff of that sweet exotic scent of her.