by Annie Dean
"Since when do we have a song?"
That wasn't what she wanted to say. A snarky comment about Kitty hovered on the tip of her tongue, but she managed to swallow it back. The little cashier was already chatting to Ben Fuller, watching them from his seat on the rock bench.
"Since this moment.” His dark eyes lingered, and she felt the look like a kiss.
"What if I don't like this song?” Now she was just being difficult, because only Unchained Melody surpassed Wonderful Tonight for pure romance.
"Then you get the next one by default. I happen to know Lorene's got Walk the Dinosaur queued up next, though."
"This one,” she said hastily. “Although that's a great line dancing song. Lorene will teach you the stomp-clap thing."
He looked, quite frankly, terrified. “I don't suppose we could leave before then?"
"You're not having fun?” And then the dig slipped out. Damn her mouth anyway. “It seemed like you enjoyed yourself just fine with Kitty.” A soft cry escaped as he surprised her with a sudden spin.
"Ballroom dancing lessons,” he murmured.
As the song ended, he dropped her into a graceful dip and then hauled her up for a deep, hungry kiss. She forgot the question and lost herself in his wonderful mouth until a smatter of applause reminded her where they were. When he lifted his head, her cheeks felt hot, not with embarrassment either.
"Kitty is an exceptionally sweet young woman,” he said softly. “With the IQ of a packing peanut. Leave me alone with her again, and I'll never forgive you."
The first strains of Walk the Dinosaur came on, and people started lining up. This was a party favorite around here, right up there with Paradise by the Dashboard Lights and Louie Louie. Those would be coming up next, and it often turned into an impromptu performance contest. An evil gleam in her eyes, she tugged him toward the dancers.
"If you want to sleep in my bed tonight,” she said over her shoulder, “then you're going to have to get back in my good graces."
"That means dancing, doesn't it?” Sean sounded like she wanted him to walk over live coals.
"To say the least.” Addie grinned, feeling much more cheerful. “I'll make it worth your while, I promise."
"You'd better."
Later, after they won a month of free slushees at the Kwik-Stop for their duet of Paradise by the Dashboard Lights, she led Sean toward the car. Manu could find his own way home, if Lorene let him leave. She definitely had plans for the rest of the night.
Chapter Twenty-One
"So what do you think?"
The site offered a spectacular vista, no question, although Sean had wondered whether Addie's truck would make it all the way to the top. He looked out over the valley and listened to the wind rustling through night-dark trees. Overhead, the sky seemed heavy with stars.
"It's beautiful. But are we supposed to be up here?"
Instead of heading for the inn as he expected, she'd turned onto a service road, shushing him whenever he tried to ask where they were going. The impressive panorama definitely made the drive worth it, though. Inhaling deeply, Sean decided the air even smelled cleaner.
She shrugged. “Probably not. What are the chances anyone's going to catch us, though? That's the advantage to all this space."
"What're we doing up here?"
"Whatever we want."
She'd kicked her sexy shoes off to drive, and her linen shift was a bit wrinkled. He noticed the latter as she let down the tailgate of the truck and crawled up. Sean felt bad for not telling her how beautiful she looked earlier and for deciding to give her a taste of her own medicine. For no reason he could name, it stung more when she didn't get angry. Her melancholy hurt far worse, as if she expected nothing else, nothing better.
"No, seriously."
It was well after midnight and pretty damn cold on top of the mountain. He didn't want to seem like a pussy but he wished he had a jacket. Oddly, Addie looked nervous as she started unpacking the chest.
"Camping out,” she answered, not looking at him as she worked. “You and me, under the stars. I thought it'd be romantic."
Leaning closer, he saw she'd set out an air mattress, a thermal blanket, and small Styrofoam cooler with a wine bottle and a Tupperware container inside. He felt the sweetest ache that she'd made the effort. It felt like a long time since that had mattered to anyone else, and nobody had ever arranged anything like this, trying to please him.
But she seemed to take his silence as a bad sign. “If you're not the outdoorsy type, we can just go back..."
"No,” he said quickly. “It's wonderful. I'm just ... surprised."
"Good surprise?” she asked, reaching for the hand pump.
"Very much so. Let me do that, baby."
Deftly he connected the pump to the air valve and inflated their bed. It should just fit in the back of the truck, and Sean couldn't help but smile, picturing them snuggled up underneath the crushed crystal glitter of the night sky. While he took care of the mattress, she unpacked the cooler, and the unmistakable scent of strawberries wafted out. Addie struggled for a moment with the wine bottle before the cork gave, splashing her a bit.
Strawberries and champagne.
"If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were romancing me to get in my pants.” He grinned up at her.
"You know me so well.” She hefted the bottle, holding it aloft to peer at the label. “Lorene says it's good, but I don't know much about it."
He vaulted up beside her on the tailgate. “So you've recruited your friends to help seduce me?"
"Well,” she said, running her fingertips along his jaw and he shivered in reaction. “I haven't needed much help before. But I forgot the glasses, so this won't be as romantic as I'd hoped."
"It's perfect."
Testing the air mattress with his foot, he decided it would bear their weight, so he crawled up to the top and beckoned her. She snuggled in between his thighs as he wrapped his arms about her. He leaned, reaching for the blanket, and they bundled up, sharing body heat.
Sean had eaten so much earlier that he wasn't hungry, but he couldn't resist nibbling a strawberry from her fingertips. When she offered a sip of champagne from the bottle, he took that as well. God, she feels good. His cock swelled at the way her ass nestled right against him, but he tried to shift so she wouldn't notice. Aching for her, he rubbed his chin against her hair; even after long hours at the party, it still smelled faintly of green apples.
"When did you plan this? I mean, was it before..."
"Before you ditched me and went trolling for chicks? Yeah.” She angled her head to offer him an amused glance and then popped a whole strawberry into her mouth. He wanted to taste her tongue, lick the juices from her lips. “I wanted to make up for everything I've put you through. You know, something special."
There went that tug again. “Wow, and you still brought me up here. I mean, after..."
She nodded. “Sure. Maybe tonight didn't go exactly as I imagined, but you came home with me. That was your choice, just like you decided to get to know Kitty. I don't believe in punishing people for exercising free will."
"If I hadn't, Ben Fuller would have,” he said before he could stop himself.
Deep down he wanted her to deny it, but she merely sounded thoughtful. “Maybe. I am a little curious whether he's as awkward in bed as he is at everything else."
The irony lay in the fact that he didn't think Addie wanted to make him jealous. That wouldn't even occur to her. She was just giving the question due consideration, like whether she wanted a second piece of pie.
"If he is, then you're going to lose an eye,” he muttered.
"Wouldn't that be something?” she mused. “I could take out my glass one and scare kids at Halloween. Maybe I could get one that didn't fit right, so it'd always be rolling around in the socket. I think I'd need to lose some teeth and to buy a corncob pipe before I could completely pull that look off, though."
That surprised a laugh out of him. “G
od, you're wonderful."
"I am?"
"Yeah,” he said huskily. “You are."
She was quiet so long he thought maybe she'd dozed off, and he listened to her breathing, savoring her warmth against him. Sean took another drink and thought that the picnic reminded him of Addie in some ways—rough around the edges but warm and genuine. When she asked, “What's she like?” he realized what she was thinking.
Sean considered how to describe someone he'd known his whole life. “She's pretty and smart. Professional. She's worked really hard to build her business. And she's always put together, nails and toes done, gets her hair trimmed once a month. She likes things organized ... back when we still took vacations together, she planned our time down to the minute."
"She sounds great."
"In some ways. But it's hard to live with someone who never gets riled.” He lacked the words to express the sterility of it. “I guess it sounds like I'm a masochist, but I'd prefer someone who yells at me because it means she cares enough to get mad. Cami makes me feel like nothing I do matters. We coexist, but I don't touch her."
Quite literally, but then Addie knew that.
"You deserve better,” she said quietly.
"Thank you.” Without fanfare, he realized he was ready to accept that possibility. Whatever went wrong between Cami and him, it wasn't a result of certain personal failure. The awareness made him feel curiously light, and he wanted to celebrate, wanted to prove himself all over again with the woman in his arms.
"How did you meet her? I met Fast Eddie at a poker game ... he claimed he got the nickname because of his hands.” Her tone shifted into a spectrum he hadn't heard before. “And that should've told me something."
"I can't remember meeting Cami,” he answered. “She lived two doors down from me. We played together as kids, and when she grew breasts, I decided I was in love with her. We went to junior and senior prom together, separated in college. I went to LSU and she went to Meredith College in Raleigh. We dated other people during those years but it didn't stick. I thought it was better to be with someone who knew me. So we came back to Sharpeville and I got a job at the paper ... she started her own design company."
"Wow. So you practically married the girl next door."
He smiled. “Yeah. Guess you shouldn't choose your wife when you're six."
"Most people change their minds,” she pointed out.
"What can I say? I'm stubborn."
"In first grade, I decided I was going to marry Danny Bailey. He was so cool, he'd eat anything on a dare.” She sighed, rubbing her cheek against his chest. “Sadly, I would've been better off since he works as a stuntman now and makes excellent money."
For a few moments, he tried to remember what he knew about her ex-husband. Apparently the man had cheated on her and landed her in dire financial straits, but other than that, he couldn't think of anything; she didn't talk about him much. Christ, what made smart women fall for assholes like that?
"I guess you just can't predict some things,” he said eventually. “No matter how well you think you know someone, there's always a chance he or she won't turn out to be the person you thought."
"Sure things don't exist.” Her voice sounded soft and a little sad. “That's why I don't gamble anymore."
Shifting, he saw the vulnerable curve of her mouth, lower lip downturned slightly. “So if you don't win on your first try, you stop playing the game?"
Addie brushed her hair back out of her eyes and tugged the blanket up further, but Sean had the idea those were delaying tactics while she thought about her answer. “Look, I'm the go-to girl for fun, Sean. That's all I want."
"Well, there's certainly a place for fun,” he said, smiling.
"Would that place be on top of a mountain in the back of a truck?” That quickly, she seemed to banish the slight melancholy, her eyes shining with mischief.
In a quick flip learned in his wrestling days, he put her flat on her back and leaned down, propped on his elbows. In the starlight, her face looked graven and beautiful, all line and shadow. Reaching up, she sank her hands in his hair, thumbs drifting down to feather across his brows. He shut his eyes on a shiver that didn't come from the chill beyond the blanket.
"I don't know,” he teased, lips mere millimeters away. “We could cuddle. Maybe talk about our feelings."
She lifted her head enough to brush his lips with hers. “Well, my feeling is that I packed champagne and strawberries because I want to fuck you on this mountaintop."
The word shimmered through him like pure heat. “Do you?"
"Yeah.” Her hands linked at the back of his head, bringing their mouths together for a kiss that clung and tasted. “And judging by the way you've been poking me for the past fifteen minutes, your cock's in complete agreement."
Christ, how does she do this to me?
He unbuttoned her dress to the waist, baring her breasts. The realization that she'd been walking around all night without a bra sent a little shock through him. For a moment he felt cheated because he hadn't known, but then maybe that was best, as things would've been much harder.
Addie traced the shape of his mouth as he plucked a strawberry from the dish, broke it between his fingers and traced half of it along the side of her throat, down her shoulder to her breast. Then he followed that path with his mouth, nuzzling up the sweet, sticky residue on her skin. When his lips closed over her left nipple, her breath caught, and she tried to arch, but the sleeve holes of her dress prevented her from lifting her arms all the way.
"Oh, I think I like that,” he whispered. “Seeing you bound."
Watching her eyes told him she liked the teasing, even if she pretended to snarl. So he slid the strawberry against her flesh again, and then lowered his head, offering a switch-change from soft suction to tantalizing teeth. Addie gasped his name, but she was smiling, albeit dazed, as she offered her right nipple. Gliding the strawberry between her breasts, he licked and nuzzled and sucked until he could feel her heart racing.
"Christ,” she whispered, sounding shaken. “I need you to touch me. Let me up. You're on my dress and I can't..."
"That's right. You can't. Tonight you don't come until I let you."
Her whole body trembled in reaction. “You're kidding, right?"
But he wasn't. With the berry, he painted a path down her belly and then followed with his mouth, wiggling down beneath the blanket until he found himself eye level with her pretty, panty-covered pussy. Deliberately he curled his fingers into the lace waistband and ripped, an act of calculated ferocity.
"You're not kidding,” Addie whimpered as he toyed with her lips, massaging in a way that made her buck, thighs splaying wide.
She jerked when he pressed the fruit against her clitoris, but he replaced it with his mouth, licking up all the mingled juices. Her body smelled so good, sex and desire: things he'd almost forgotten. The wonder over it broke over him anew—that he possessed the power to move her this way.
His cock ached, and he knew he couldn't tease either of them anymore. If he didn't take her soon, he might come while eating her sweet little pussy, and that wasn't how he wanted the night to end. Then an awful thought occurred to him, though it wasn't enough to stop him from rubbing against her. But Christ, surely a woman like Addie had it handled. He hoped to God she'd packed condoms along with the champagne.
Sean found it hard to think, let alone frame a coherent question. “Protection. Shit. Do we have any...?"
"Don't worry about it. It's covered. Check the cooler."
With shaking hands, he took care of it. He almost moaned in relief as she tilted her hips under him to offer a better angle. Leaning down for a kiss, he fumbled between their bodies, feeling like he'd die if he didn't get inside her. Soon, oh God, soon.
"If you set me free, I can help you."
"No.” He bit her lower lip as he settled between her thighs. “You lay still ... and I fuck you until you come all over my dick. That's what happens tonight. You
can make the rules tomorrow."
"Don't you think I won't.” Her voice sounded husky. “Because I—oh God..."
He loved the way her eyes widened as he pushed into her, as if he were a little bigger than she remembered. Her breath caught, and she held it for two or three strokes before it rushed out of her in a ragged moan. “Like that. Please."
The contrast of the cold night air and the warm cover across his back gave him back a little control, allowing him to thrust just like she wanted without losing himself in her. But the feel of her lifting up to meet him, bucking as best she could soon broke his rhythm, and he took her fast, pure heat and friction.
"Please,” she repeated, and he found her clit with his fingertips, feeling his orgasm surging closer. He stroked her, counterpoint to his thrusts, and she tensed beneath him, her legs wrapping around his hips. “Still,” she ordered. “Hold still."
Astonished, he could only comply, feeling her pussy working on his cock as she came. It sent him, and he took her mouth, wanting to taste her cries, feel his name mouthed against his lips. As he rolled away, his whole body felt heavy. When she could move, she immediately shrugged out of the ruined dress and then curled into his side. After disposing of the condom, he wrapped his arms about her, anchoring her. At this moment, he felt like he'd never let go.
"Just so you know, I could've got free anytime,” came her sleepy murmur.
"Sure you could.” Sean closed his eyes, stroking along her sides. Her leg came up to drape his thigh, delightful stickiness anointing him. He found the scars on her knees again, and she tensed. That woke him up a bit. “Addie, what happened here? I know it wasn't roller-skating."
She managed an unconvincing little laugh, paired with a half-shrug. “I'd been drinking, fell on some broken glass. It took some stitches to close up the cuts."
