by Leela Ash
“The house has not been lived in for several years,” Jasmine said, hoping that her voice did not betray how shaken she felt by his eyes on her.
“Neither has anybody bothered to look after it,” Marvin replied immediately.
“Our family faced difficulties which, unfortunately, took our attention away from looking after the house,” Jasmine said. She was clutching one of the glasses of whiskey in her right hand, and now she swirled the liquid around for lack of something to do with her hands.
She was equally as surprised as her mother when Marvin suddenly laughed. It sounded cruel and almost inhuman when he did that.
“I’m well aware of that,” he said and looked around the room again.
“Mr. Byrne, we are certainly aware that the house requires some attention. But I’m sure you can see that it won’t require much,” Jasmine’s nervousness was now giving way to irritation. Marvin’s behavior was rude and she could see her mother panicking.
“This house will never sell in this town. Especially in this condition. You must certainly be aware of that as well,” Marvin said and both her mother and Jasmine stood staring at him in silence. She almost expected her mother to faint and fall to the floor.
“We were expecting an interested buyer Mr. Byrne. We didn’t know you were meeting with us to criticize the condition of our house,” Jasmine managed to say. She knew her eyes were wide and angry; her lips were quivering, and she couldn’t hide the shakiness from her voice any longer.
Marvin shrugged his shoulders and threw her another smile.
“Mr. Byrne,” Jasmine’s mother squeaked, after several minutes of silence. “What my daughter is trying to say is that we know that the house hasn’t been looked after, and we appreciate your interest in it,” her voice was meek and submissive, and all Jasmine wanted to do was show Marvin the door – and maybe push him out of it. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her mother look so utterly subdued.
Marvin seemed to grunt and look around the room again.
“Why don’t we show you the rest of the house and you can sleep on it?” Jasmine could see her mother visibly struggling with keeping a polite and straight face.
“I think I’ve seen enough. I’m well acquainted with the layout of the house, thank you,” Marvin said and dug his hands into the pockets of his pants.
“Oh yes! You mentioned you’d met my father,” she said, forcing joviality into her voice. Marvin didn’t respond to that, but instead just threw Jasmine another look and began walking out of the room.
“Are you sure you won’t stay for a drink?” Camilla called after him, but he didn’t respond. Just like that evening on the beach, Marvin was walking away from the scene without a parting word.
“Jasmine, what did we do wrong?” her mother wailed the second they heard the front door bang shut. She watched as her mother collapsed onto the couch with her face in her hands.
“I don’t understand, Jasmine,” she was repeating, her voice muffled by her hands. Jasmine remained standing where she had stood throughout the entire episode. Without thinking, she gulped down all the whiskey from the glass in her hand.
“I’m going over there,” Jasmine said, almost to herself.
“What?” her mother raised her head to ask. Her eyes were puffy and her voice was screechy.
“I’m going over to his house. He has no right,” Jasmine said and banged the glass down on the bar. Her nerves as rattled as the glass against the wood.
“Are you crazy?” she heard her mother yell as she strode out of the house into the moonlit driveway of her grandfather’s house.
Chapter 6
It took her some time, but Jasmine found Marvin’s home eventually. During their drive in the morning, her mother hadn’t been able to stop talking about how the interested buyer was a billionaire with the biggest house in town. She now stood on the beach, a part that she was certain was private property, staring up at a massive colonial style home at least twice the size of her grandfather’s.
It was dark now, and Jasmine was still waiting for her eyes to adjust to the low light.
“How can I help you?” she heard Marvin’s voice in the dark and suddenly realized that he had been sitting in the patio all along. The thought that he knew and had seen her staring up at his house for several minutes, sent a shiver down her spine. For some reason it also made her angrier.
“I need an explanation,” she finally managed to say. She remained standing, her pumps digging into the sand, while she crossed her arms and tilted her head up towards him. She knew doing this caused her breasts to be thrust out even further than normal, but she felt safer in that stance while approaching this man in the dark on the beach. He was several feet away from her, but she could see the glass of whiskey in his hands and his blue eyes were shimmering in the moonlight.
“What kind of explanation do you need, Jasmine?” he asked and took a quiet sip from his glass. He sounded like a man scolding a child.
“For your behavior,” Jasmine said and hoped he couldn’t see how nervous she had suddenly started to feel. Her fingers were unconsciously rubbing the smooth silk of her shirt in an effort to calm her nerves.
“My behavior?”
“Your bad manners, yes. You came into our house on the pretext of being an interested buyer and did nothing but insult our house and family and just left,” Jasmine replied and watched as Marvin stood up from his chair and walked over to the patio railing.
“I don’t owe you an explanation,” he replied, placing one hand on the railing. The glass of whiskey remained in his other hand.
“I don’t know where you get your arrogance from Mr. Byrne, but you were unnecessarily rude to us,” Jasmine had raised her voice now. Marvin climbed down the few steps it took him to reach the beach and now was standing much closer to Jasmine. She imagined she could feel the heat he had soaked up from the sun earlier radiating from his skin.
“I’m sorry, did I hurt your feelings because I refused the drinks you were pouring?” he asked sarcastically, and even in the dark Jasmine could see him grinning. Her rage had risen to impossible heights now and all Jasmine wanted to do was break things.
“You might be rich, but you have no manners Mr. Byrne!” she said through gritted teeth and turned on her heels to walk away from him, but he had lunged towards her and caught her hand.
“Now, now, Ms. Kiberd. No need to sulk,” he said with a laugh and pulled her towards him. She was taken aback by his strength and the grip he had on her wrist. He had barely moved and the glass in his hand was still steady. Now that she was only a few inches from him, she tilted her head up to look at him. She could feel her heart start to speed up in her chest at the close proximity to this obviously virile man.
“This is inappropriate. I wish you knew how to behave yourself,” Jasmine said, even though she didn’t want to say any of those things. Especially not since his eyes were focused on her face, staring at her lips and then flickering over to her eyes again.
“I am behaving myself Jasmine,” Marvin said after a few seconds of silence. She could feel his hand tightening around her wrist still, and she instinctively licked her lips. Her body was tensed and tied up in knots and her thoughts were jumbled and she couldn’t think and without a second thought, Jasmine had leaned towards him, their lips grazing and their breaths falling on each other’s faces. She felt his hand relax and fall away from her wrist, and she immediately raised her hands and placed them on his shoulders.
She had no time to judge her own actions because he bent his head further down, their lips unabashedly touching. All Jasmine had to do was lean in a little closer and they were kissing. His slim tight lips were exploring her large pouty ones. She could smell the woody masculine scent of him and it gave her a heady rush. The moment she felt his tongue frantically push apart her lips and find its way into her mouth, she clasped her hands on his shoulders and squeezed.
She heard the glass of whiskey in his hand fall with a thud on
the sand and immediately after, his hands had gripped her waist and he was lifting her up. Their lips didn’t part as he smoothly maneuvered her into position; her jean-clad legs fit perfectly on either side of his waist while her arms remained encircled around his neck.
He suddenly pulled away from her and Jasmine felt a dull ache on her lips. She didn’t have to look at herself in the mirror to know that her lips were very swollen by now.
“Forgive me for my bad behavior,” he said with that same devilish smirk. Jasmine wasn’t in the mood for jokes and she surprised herself by ignoring his words and lightly biting his lower lip. His hands were clasped tightly around her bottom, propping her up against his torso. She could feel the rising heat between their bodies as she pressed herself up against his chest.
“Jasmine,” he said her name gruffly, while his mouth was muffled by her hair. She was about to pull away from him, but he instead tipped his body forward towards the sand, and for a second she thought he was throwing her off. Her back touched the soft, cool sand as he lay her down gently. She watched him as he bent over her, stretching his body over hers and kissed her again, this time more softly. She had clutched his t-shirt, unconsciously balling the fabric up in her hands. Marvin looked at her hands and accurately assumed that she wanted it to come off. In one swift motion he had pulled it off over his head and flung it away from them.
She didn’t even try and resist running her fingers through the grizzly curly hair on his chest, which now hovered over her. She could feel the muscles of his torso under her touch. His smooth, tanned skin stretched over his abdomen, and Jasmine traced it all. When she looked up at his face, his eyes were narrowed with desire, staring into her own eyes.
Their eyes meeting seemed to trigger something in him because his hands were immediately on her, fondling her breasts through the fabric of her blouse. He grunted in dissatisfaction and, without asking, lifted her blouse up to her neck and was now gently squeezing her lace covered breasts.
The sensation of his hands playing with her breasts, his fingers squeezing her erect nipples, was too much for Jasmine to bear. She wanted more. She squeezed her hand between them and over his slacks; she could feel him growing big. His penis was hard, throbbing against her thigh, and suddenly all the barriers of clothing made her claustrophobic.
It seemed like he shared this opinion about the clothing, and he grunted again while unbuttoning her jeans and peeling them off her legs in slow-motion. He hooked his finger on the elastic of her lace underwear and gave it a sharp tug. The cool sea breeze against the exposed, wet triangle between her thighs was an overwhelming sensation, and Jasmine couldn’t help but moan softly.
She hadn’t realized that he had taken his pants off as well. It was only when she felt the pressure of his strong bare thighs against her own that she sensed his rising urgency. He had to have her. She bit down hard on her lip and arched her body up towards him as she felt his hands grip her waist as he lowered himself on her.
When he entered her, he did it with a sudden force and she arched her body further up towards him, while his hands on her hips kept her in position. He was big and strong inside her, her wetness helping him slide in smoothly. With the first thrust he held her down strongly and then slowly pulled himself out. She quivered with pleasure and a loud moan escaped her lips.
He pushed himself inside her again. This time with more force. Jasmine moaned again, and he removed his hands from her hips and placed them on her breasts, squeezing them tightly in the palm of his hands. He seemed to have found his grip because he immediately increased his pace. Pulling out slowly and then thrusting himself back into her again.
She could feel her back sliding up and down against the sand with the motion he had developed. With one hand he pulled down the straps of her bra and then bent down his head to suck wildly on her left nipple and then the right. Jasmine could do nothing more than moan and arch her hips towards him, trying to take in even more of him.
His pace was strong and steady, and with each thrust, Jasmine could feel the knots in her body untying themselves. A quivering sensation was rising between her thighs and she couldn’t quell it any longer. She was teetering on the edge now, while his mouth remained stuck on her right breast. She couldn't help but scream out his name as her body shook. She shut her eyes tightly and allowed her body to react without her mind’s control. She could sense that he had let go as well. She could feel him raise himself, place his hands on her waist again and heard him grunt loudly.
The throbbing wasn’t even close to ending. Her body shook, and her toes curled while he remained inside her, still thrusting in and out in slow-motion.
When she finally opened her eyes, he was lying beside her on the sand, staring up at the stars. No smile on his face.
***
They lay on the beach, on their backs, for at least an hour, their bodies barely touching. Marvin asked her about her work and the kids she spent her days with, while Jasmine avoided the big looming question that was filling her brain - why Marvin Byrne, lived alone in a huge mansion by the beach. He spoke to her about the town’s history, but not for once raised the topic of his own family or hers.
There was a certain easy flow of conversation between them, even though they were not really talking about anything serious. Jasmine wasn’t sure if he was simply being polite or was genuinely interested in small talk after sex. At least, if nothing else, they weren’t being embarrassingly awkward after what just happened.
“I should head back,” Jasmine said finally with a sigh. She didn’t want to add that her mother might be waiting up for her. Marvin didn’t respond to that, but remained, silently gazing up at the stars as she sat up and looked around for her shoes. They had both slipped back into their clothes earlier.
Marvin eventually sat up as well. “So, I suppose that explanation is never coming my way,” Jasmine said with a laugh as she stood up and started dusting off sand from her clothes. She twisted her head in his direction to find him glaring at her, this time the sarcastic glint in his eyes was replaced by embarrassment. Jasmine felt a sudden joy of victory - she had successfully been able to make Marvin Byrne feel guilty about his actions.
“Don’t tell me now,” she interrupted him just as he was about to say something. “Come meet us when you’re in a better mood,” she said with a giggle. He remained sitting on the beach as Jasmine bent down and kissed him on his forehead, expecting him to pull her down to him again. She yearned for his touch, but he had turned to stone again. Within the matter of a minute, he had turned back into the man who had rudely huffed out of her grandfather’s house. He continued looking at the sea in front of him, ignoring Jasmine’s kiss and pretending to not notice the fact that she was standing there, glaring down at him.
She couldn’t believe it. His behavior was beyond her and she just huffed and started walking away. Every step she took away from him, she hoped he would call out to her and apologize and things would be back to the way they were an hour ago. But he didn’t.
Chapter 7
Jasmine didn’t have to sneak back into the house that night, her mother was sleeping – or passed out – on the same couch that Jasmine had left her on, the crystal decanter at her feet.
Jasmine sat at the large dining table by herself the next morning as dusty sunlight streamed in through the windows she had thrown open. She was grateful for the bananas her mother had packed for the trip, and Jasmine sat peeling her fourth one.
“Oh good you’re up, too,” her mother said when she finally walked into the dining room. She was in the same clothes as the previous night, minus the jacket. Her makeup streaked her face, while her eyes were puffy and her short hair was in disarray.
“Morning,” Jasmine said, trying to be cheery. She knew better than to point out the fact that her mother had drunk herself to sleep the previous night.
“Is there any coffee around here or will we have to go back to the diner?” Jasmine asked as her mother slipped into the chair at the head
of the table.
“You know, it wasn’t just our family he screwed over,” her mother replied instead. Clearly she hadn’t heard Jasmine’s question, and moreover, she had never her mother use profanity.
“Who?”
“Who else? My father, that’s who,” Camilla said and reached over for one of the two remaining bananas.
“What are you talking about, Mom?”
“Marvin Byrne’s family. He screwed up Marvin Byrne’s family as well,” her mother was peeling the banana now.
“I still don’t know what you’re saying, Mom. Grandfather knew the Byrne family?” Jasmine had stopped chewing on her banana.
“Well, he knew Marvin Byrne’s mother. The rest of the family, not so much,” she said and sat back in her chair.
“What are you trying to say, Mom?”
“That the woman my father was shacking up with in this house, was Marvin Byrne’s mother.” Jasmine was quiet, studying her mother’s face in silence as the news sank in.
“Is Marvin, Grandfather’s…?” Jasmine asked, her voice shaking uncontrollably.
“No, he’s not my half-brother if that’s what you’re asking,” her mother laughed dryly. “Marvin’s mother left his father and moved in with your grandfather. I’m not sure of the details, but Marvin must have only been about fifteen then.”
Jasmine felt a wave of relief, but that was short-lived. The implications of what her mother was saying were slowly seeping in, and they were jumbling up her thoughts.
“So Marvin’s mother and my grandfather…” Jasmine began.
“Yes. He broke up her marriage, forced her away from her own son.”
“How long were they together?” Jasmine could feel a dull headache coming on.
“Well, all of Marvin’s life, at least. Until she died.” Her mother was staring out of the window and Jasmine had no response. She didn’t want to think about the anger Marvin must feel towards her grandfather, towards her family.
