by Louise, Tia
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’ve avoided her like the plague ever since that idiot drove out of here on the piece of crap motorcycle he rode in on leaving both of you devastated and hurt.”
I exhale with a huff. “I just didn’t feel like reliving it is all.”
Emberly’s lips press into a line, and she nods. “Well, good. I’m glad you’re burying the hatchet. Travis was a dirt bag, but I think Daisy really fell for him.”
My hand is on my hip. “Thanks for caring about my feelings.”
“Oh, stop it. You would’ve gotten over Travis in six months or less. He wasn’t half smart enough for you. All he had going on was that cocky grin and a few tattoos.”
And that dimple… I seem to have a thing for dimples. “What makes you think Daisy was different?”
Emberly leans against the back counter crossing her arms as she thinks. “I don’t know, but she actually cried for him. You got pissed off and tried to sleep with a sixteen-year-old.”
“Seventeen!” I try to defend myself while cringing on the inside.
My best friend starts to laugh, and I soften a little bit. “Why would Daisy cry over idiot Travis? Why would she even give him the time of day? She’s so quiet… and straight laced… and traditional.”
Emberly returns to her book. “Just because she has a baby doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a wild side.”
“Daisy Sales does not have a wild side.”
A moment passes as my friend thinks. “I don’t know. Maybe he was different with her. All I know is she was a mess.”
“Well, it’s her own damn fault. She knew he and I were together when she let that wolf in the door.”
“I agree.” My best friend shakes her head. “I’m still glad you’re talking again. Especially since she ordered the most complex birthday cake. It’s Alice in Wonderland, and it’s huge. She must’ve made a big commission. When I told her how much it would cost, she didn’t bat an eye.”
“What is it?” I walk over to look at the design when the bell above the door rings.
“Good afternoon, ladies.” That deep voice makes my stomach flip.
Emberly leaves me at the table. “Chad! I haven’t seen you all day. Where have you been? You didn’t stop by at lunch.”
“I had business. An old promise to keep.” To his credit, he doesn’t look at me, still my whole body, including my face, is red hot.
“That’s nice.” Emberly looks over her shoulder to me. “It’s nice to hear some men do keep their promises.”
It certainly is… I think, but I only smile and nod, turning on my heel and picking up the clean pans from the drying rack.
“Were you out of town?” She continues. “I didn’t see you in church Sunday either.”
“Robbie had a new place he needed me to check out. I’m sure I missed a good one.”
“Just more shouting about depravity.” Emberly shakes her head. “I wish Mamma would get off that kick.”
“Your mother?” Chad is confused, but he’s probably the only person in town who doesn’t know Emberly’s mother provides my uncle with the texts for all his sermons.
My best friend stumbled upon the emails right after her daughter started preschool. It only reinforced my decision never to step foot in that tiny house of worship again. Money money money. It even makes the religious world go round.
What would Jesus do?
Start flipping tables if I remember correctly.
Yes, I went to Sunday school.
I tune in just in time to catch Emberly’s next question. “That’s right! You were in Africa and Asia. You should get with Tabby. You know she’s working on a travel site right now. She just said something about Madagascar.”
Supposed to be working on it. I stretch and return the final pan to it’s cabinet. “I might leave a little early to finish up,” I say, but she’s not listening.
Chad however never takes his eyes off me. I might have lingered a bit longer, stretching to put the pan away before looking over my shoulder and giving him a wink.
A hint of a grin curls his lips, and he answers her absent-mindedly. “They think it’s where Eden used to be.”
My best friend is not a slow learner. “Is that so?” She turns to give me a piercing glare. “I just heard that somewhere today…”
“Umm… Yeah.” If I wasn’t busted before, I sure as hell am now. Clearing my throat, I dust off my hands. “So I need to leave early. To finish up the site.”
“To finish up the site. Right…” Emberly gives me a knowing look. “No problem! You came in early after all.”
“See you tomorrow.” I’m out the door quicker than anybody can say gotcha.
Seventeen
Chad
The scent of Tabitha Green has been on me all day, making me crazy. I see her cuffed on that bed, breasts heaving, legs rubbing together slowly. I taste her, sweet and rich on my tongue.
Standing in my kitchen, I lean on the scrubbed metal counter holding my scotch and remembering her sitting here, kissing me. I tilt my glass back and forth, watching the amber liquid move side to side. Kissing her is like a fever in my brain. It’s hot and fast and hungry.
She’s so fucking sexy and so damn smart. When I first saw her, I admit, I fell for her looks. Of course, I did. She was standing in a transparent bra and panties at the side of an ancient pool looking embarrassed and angry and defiant… and so damn tempting. I was curious, yeah, but I had come here to get myself back together, to stop ignoring the past and trying to outrun it. I had to put her on hold.
But she never left my mind.
How could she?
I would see her every day, and every day she was the same—embarrassed and angry and defiant. She thinks she knows who I am, but she doesn’t. She thinks she can put me in a neat box, but she can’t—just like she can’t be fit into a box, categorized like a fish or a bird.
We’re complex and more alike than she realizes.
She skipped out of Emberly’s bakery like a rabbit, but I don’t think she’s scared. It’s been a fast three days, but she doesn’t seem like the type to spook easily. She turned her back on me for a year… until she didn’t. Now I can’t get enough of her, and I’m pretty sure she feels the same way.
Am I wrong?
I want to know the answer.
I want my hands on her.
I want to kiss her again.
Lowering the glass to the counter, I jog down the steps, shove my feet in a pair of tennis shoes, and I’m out the door. My head is on fire, and I’m walking fast. Almost like I’m being driven.
It takes a few minutes to walk the mile separating her house from my apartment. The lights are on inside, and I see the shadow of her sitting in front of that huge computer screen. Lifting my phone, I quickly text her.
You busy?
She doesn’t move at first, and I wonder how long it takes for a text to make it into space and back down to where her device waits beside her… Not long.
I watch as she straightens then lifts the phone. She holds it a minute, and my stomach tightens. Will she answer? Will she tell me yes?
Her reply makes me smile. Can’t concentrate again.
Are your wrists okay?
They don’t hurt, but they look bad.
My stomach tightens. I never want to hurt her. Can I see them?
I’ll send a photo.
Open the door.
Her shadow quickly turns in the chair. I wonder if she can see me through the window, standing here in my gray sweats, my white undershirt, and my old tennis shoes. She stands, briefly disappearing from my sight before opening her door a crack.
Her pretty, pretty face appears in the moonlight, and she hesitates a moment. I take a step closer, tense, anxious, feverish. Will she be angry I showed up on her doorstep? Will she tell me to go away?
She smiles, and my muscles relax. “What are you doing here?”
I jog the few steps separating us and s
top in front of her. Her eyes are wide, moving quickly from my waist to my shoulders to my lips then all the way to meet my gaze. It’s electric.
“I had to see you again.” My voice is low, a little hoarse.
Without a word, she reaches out, taking my hand and guiding me into the room, closing the door behind me. We stand face to face, breathing quickly, anticipation so high. Does she feel it, too? I know she does when she puts her palm flat against my chest, right over my beating heart.
I cover her hand with mine, lifting it out so I can see the dark bruise on the side of her wrist. It’s just below her little Believe tattoo, and it makes me wince.
“I’m sorry that happened.” Lifting her arms, I kiss one, then the other.
When our eyes meet, she reaches her hands around my neck, placing her thumb on my chin. Green eyes hold mine, and she rises onto her tiptoes, lifting her face. I don’t hesitate.
Our mouths collide, and it’s passionate, needy, hungry. Tongues caress, and she’s in my arms.
I want her, and I want her to know how much.
I’m not holding back anymore…
* * *
Tabby’s cheek is against my chest, and she’s spread across the bed when I open my eyes again. The sun floods the room with bright white light, and I lift my head, looking for a clock.
She doesn’t have one.
Her breath is a whisper against my skin, and I don’t want to move. I smooth her hair away from her cheek, thinking about last night. Even with the fever driving me here, it was different.
We weren’t starving.
We took our time, touching, observing, holding. She straddled my lap, and my hands roamed the length of her back, my palms fitting into her curves as she rode me, as we climbed higher together.
When she came, it was waves crashing, galaxies soaring, showers of fireworks. Yet, at the same time, it was the two of us together, hearts beating in time, exchanging our breath. I curled her in my arms, and we slept… then sometime in the night, we made love again.
Rubbing my palm over my eyes, I realize with a jolt I didn’t use a condom. Shit. Was I even awake when I slid inside her from behind last night? All I know is I wanted her, and I reached for her. It was like a dream I’ve had so many times—the two of us together, no barriers, rocking gently, eyes closed.
I have to tell her I’m clean. Apologize.
A breath and she exhales a little sound. She stirs, lifting her head off my chest, and her brown hair hangs to the side in a silky curtain, green eyes finding mine.
“What time is it?” she whispers. “I can’t believe I slept all night.”
“You don’t seem to have a clock.”
We both sit up, and she’s beside me, her chin down as she rubs her forehead.
Her hand drifts down to her mouth, and she blinks up to me. “You spent the night again.”
“I did.” I take a moment, waiting.
Tabby’s stubborn, but even she has to feel what’s happening here. I know she does, but will she acknowledge it?
She drops her hand to her lap, twisting her fingers together. “We had sex without a condom. I never do that.”
“I never do that.”
Both our voices are quiet, and she blinks up to me once more. “I went and got tested after Travis cheated on me. I’m always careful, but I just needed to be sure.”
“I get tested every year because of my job. People can get violent—biting, scratching, whatever—I never know.”
“So we’re good?” Her eyes are on mine again, and I nod.
“I am if you are.”
She nods, and her lips press into a line… which slowly becomes a smile. The tension evaporates, and I reach out to put my hand on her neck, my thumb on her bottom lip. Leaning forward I try to kiss her, but she arches back.
“Oh, no. I know exactly where that leads, and I have to get to work.” Swinging her legs around, she hops out of the bed completely naked and goes into the bathroom. “We’re really going to be the talk of the town today.”
“How so?” I stand, walking over to where I stripped off my clothes last night.
The toilet flushes, and she returns wrapped in a lavender silk robe. “How did you get here last night?”
My grey sweats are on my hips, and I lower the tank top over my head. I don’t miss her lusty gaze on me as I straighten the fabric over my body. It makes me grin. I know you like what you see, beautiful. The feeling’s mutual.
She shakes her head, clearing her throat. “What was I saying? Oh! How did you get here last night?” She walks to the window as I slip in the bathroom to use it and splash some water on my face. “Is your truck parked out front again?”
“I walked.” As soon as I’m finished, I go to where she stands, lowering my face to her neck and sliding her hair off her shoulder.
She ducks and spins away. “I’ll drive you home. What time are you supposed to be at the station?”
“Probably now.” I lean my back against the wall, arms crossed over my chest as I watch her opening and closing doors, pulling out leggings and a tee before disappearing into the bathroom again. “If you owned a clock, I could tell you.”
She’s out just as fast, her hair up on her head in a messy bun, dressed in black leggings and a gray tee falling off one shoulder that reads I love Jesus, but I cuss a little.
“Nice.” I nod to her shirt, and she catches my hand.
“I’ll drive you home real quick. Maybe they won’t see us.”
Holding her hand, I give it a gentle pull, stopping her. “I don’t care if they do. Now, give me a kiss.”
“Chad, I—”
Her protest is lost in my lips covering hers, pushing them apart, sliding my tongue along hers. She melts almost at once, and I feel her hand touching my lower back. The other one is on my cheek, and it makes me smile. Our eyes blink open, meeting, and she sighs, smiles.
“I like spending the night with you. I liked fucking you without a condom. I like where this is going, and I don’t give a fuck who knows.”
Maybe it’s too fast. Maybe it’s too strong, but I’m not interested in that. I’ve watched her, waited for her to open the door. She let me in, and I won’t have her spooked by small-town gossip.
“So bossy.” She touches my stomach, and I know she’s into it. “We still have to work today.”
I catch her hand and kiss her fist. “I’ll jog home, and I’ll see you at lunch.”
Not waiting for another word, I take off out the door, glad I shoved my feet in tennis shoes before I left my place last night with one thing on my mind.
* * *
Lunch finds Tabby straddling my lap in the cruiser. We’re parked off a narrow road leading to a small beach, behind a tree and two thick bushes, far enough from the main road to be hidden.
My hand is in the back of her panties, cupping her ass, and I slip my finger in that little hole, using it to guide her forward and up as she rides my dick.
“Oh!” She jumps and her inner walls grip me tighter at the sensation. I almost blow.
We’re soft and slippery, skin against skin, no barriers. Her breath is laced with little moans as her orgasm builds, and it’s so fucking hot.
Too eager to wait, we’re both still partially dressed. Her skirt is up, shirt unbuttoned, and I jerked her bra down so her soft breasts bounce right at my chin. She exhales a whimper of pleasure with every thrust. Dipping my head, I catch a hard nipple, giving it a firm tug, a gentle bite, and her orgasm explodes all around my cock.
“Yes…” Her head tilts back, and I lean up, loving the feel of her coming on me. Two more upward thrusts and I let go with my own blistering orgasm. It blanks my mind.
“Tabby…” I hold her, filling her, realizing every time we do this, it gets harder to stop, harder to imagine ever letting her go.
She sighs, relaxing into me. Her elbows are on the tops of my shoulders, and she traces a finger along my hairline. “Two weeks, and I’ve not only ridden in a cop car, I’ve
ridden you in a cop car.”
“They warned me you were a bad girl.”
“You’re a bad boy, Chad Tucker.”
That makes me chuckle. I’m still deep inside her. Her shirt is still open, soft breasts against my chin. Our lips are a breath apart, and I hold her, sliding my hands along her soft body. “You bring out the best in me.”
“The best or the beast?” It’s a sassy purr, and I kiss her again.
“What do you think?”
“I think lunch is over, and I’ve got to get back to town.” She hops off my lap to the other side of the car, straightening her panties under her black skirt.
My uniform pants were only shoved partially down my ass, and I jerk them back into place, looking down for any signs of what we just did. Somehow, I don’t see any.
Tabby’s murmuring on the other side of the car. “Andy ruined these.” Her stretched and misshapen panties are on her finger, and anger rises in my chest.
“Who’s Andy?”
Her face flames red, and she covers her mouth with her hand. “Did I say that out loud?”
“Tabby?”
“Are you acting jealous?” Her eyes widen, and she starts to laugh more.
“Who’s Andy.” My voice is level, and she leans toward me.
“The anaconda in your pants.” She gives me a quick kiss on the lips, and I snatch the panties off her finger. They’re in my pocket before she can protest.
“Andy…” I shake my head.
She hops to her seat again, flipping down the visor and touching up her makeup. “I need to shower. I’ll have to make do in the bathroom.”
“You’re beautiful, you know?”
That gets me a sly look from the corner of her eye, and a sexy little grin. “You’re trying to spoil me.”
“I’d love to spoil you.” Reaching out, I smooth her hair off her cheek, resting my hand behind her neck. “I’ll make you forget all the assholes who came before me.”
Her lips press together, and she blinks a minute, thinking about my promise. Something changes in her face, a softness is there, a thoughtful expression.
