Latent Memories

by Charlotte Mills

  Jamie’s words boomed in my ear. It was only the weight of her body as she straddled me that prevented her from having to peel me off the ceiling. I could feel my heart beating in my throat as I struggled to catch my breath. Totally regardless, Jamie snapped into action, grabbing my arms, holding them above my head as she held onto the back of the sofa. I felt helpless under her as she leant forward, kissing me lightly on the lips.

  “So, how are you feeling after your brush with d–?”

  “Death?” I said, finishing her sentence.

  “I was going to say disaster actually.”

  “Just a bruised ego … and ass,” I said with a grin as she kissed me again.

  “I see. Well maybe I can take your mind off it for a while.”

  “Oh, really? I’m open to suggestions.”

  She released my arms in favour of cupping both sides of my face, holding it captive for her lips to unleash an attack. I wallowed under her ministrations, enjoying the feel of her lips on me. Moving my arms down over her body, they settled on her thighs before cupping her tight ass as it settled across me. Pushing my hands up inside her T-shirt, I quickly found her small round breasts. Holding them in my hands, I gently massaged them, rubbing her nipples with my thumbs. Releasing my lips, she quickly pulled her top off, exposing her lightly tanned frame. I leaned forward, seizing a nipple in my mouth while my hand cupped the other. Jamie leaned into me as she began rocking her hips, pressing against me. Her skin was soft even as it developed a delicate sheen of sweat.

  Moving a hand down the waistband of her shorts, I felt the wetness between her thighs. A groan escaped her throat as I used two fingers to part her lips. Her clit was hard as I circled it. Jamie pressed against me, riding my fingers. I could only hold on as she pounded against me; an extra flood of wetness told me she was close. Reaching up with my free hand, I guided her lips to mine, kissing her fully until she pulled away, her hands gripping the top of the sofa as she came against my hand. I loved this moment, the heavy breathing, the throb of her orgasm as it slowly faded before she slowly came back to me.

  “I love you,” I whispered into her ear as she rested her head on my shoulder.

  She lifted her head to look at me, her hand cupping the side of my face, a relaxed grin on her lips. “I love you, too.”

  I smiled as I wiggled my fingers, making contact with her clit, just enough to make her flinch, pulling her hips from mine with a playful yelp. Taking advantage of the moment, I rolled her over onto the sofa, quickly pulling off her shorts before my own as Jamie tried to pull my top off at the same time. Both fully naked, I climbed on top of her, slipping my thigh between hers as I covered her lips with mine. Jamie’s thrusting had pushed me to the edge. I needed to release the ache between my legs. Pressing against her, my breathing quickly became short as I ground against her. I felt the wetness flow between us, the tension rising in every corner of my body. Our movements became slicker, my thrusts faster, as I crashed over the edge, collapsing against Jamie, her arms holding me close.

  I woke still wrapped in Jamie’s arms. It was dark. Untangling myself from her, I squinted at the clock on the wall. It was after ten. Jamie stirred at my movements. The TV screen on the wall was in a constant loop as the DVD film menu for Curse of the Golden Flower repeated itself. Stretching for the remotes on the coffee table, I turned them both off. We’d both managed to nod off during the film. I loved days like these, lounging around, making love, followed by more lounging around. A couple of years ago, I couldn’t imagine being in this position, this happy with someone.

  “Umm … we should probably go to bed,” Jamie mumbled in a hoarse voice.

  I looked down at her as she rubbed her face. Now the only light in the room came from the moon through the patio doors. I looked in awe as it bounced off Jamie’s beautiful breasts. Her nipples looked luscious. I licked my lips in some kind of Pavlovian response. My gaze finally moved up to her face when I found her eyes fixed on mine, a question formed on her brow.

  “It’s not my fault … They’re right there in front of me,” I said, embarrassed.

  Getting up from the sofa, I stretched the aching muscles in my back. I hoped they were from being cramped up on the sofa rather than from my fall earlier.

  “You go up … I’ll let Murphy out first.”

  At the sound of her name, she was on her feet heading for the back door. I felt a small kiss on my shoulder as Jamie brushed past me in all her naked beauty. I watched her hips sway as she walked towards the stairs, but Murphy’s whine as she shuffled her feet at the back door pulled me from my thoughts.

  “Okay! Okay!” I pulled a bottle of water from the fridge to quench my thirst after my nap. Realising I was also naked, I picked up our clothes, which were still strewn on the floor. Dressing quickly, I walked towards a now tap-dancing Murphy. Switching on the outside light, I was faced with a rough outline of a figure in shadow against the blind that covered the half-glazed back door. The sight stopped me in my tracks for a second, then it was gone, just footsteps into the distance. The reality of what I’d seen registered as I quickly moved towards the door, moving the blind to one side to get a view through the window. My heart was in my throat for the second time that day. The street beyond was in darkness with only the occasional streetlight on the left-hand side where the houses were situated. In the distance I saw red taillights as they drove away. I couldn’t make out the colour or style of the car in the darkness. I scanned the street and what I could see of the garden again. Nothing. I looked down at Murphy. Her intense stare told me to ‘open the door, idiot’.

  “Are you sure you need to go?” I asked, receiving only a wiggle in response. Reluctantly, I turned the key. Opening the door, the air was cool on my skin as Murphy zipped down the stairs to the small garden at the back of the house. I stepped out onto the veranda, whisper-shouting, “Good girl Murphy.” She returned only moments later. Relieved, I quickly shut the door, fumbling with the key as I locked it before removing the key to hang it on the coat hook on the wall.

  I stood for a moment, unsure of what to do. Had someone been spying on us? It was so dark in the house; I doubt if they would have seen anything. I decided to leave the outside light on. Maybe it would be some kind of a deterrent, putting them under the spotlight if they decided to return. Grabbing my bottle of water and Jamie’s clothes, I turned to leave, but the light coming through the patio doors changed my mind. Had they been looking at us asleep on the sofa? I quickly crossed the room, closing the curtains tight as I tried to push that thought from my head.

  I heard the shower as I reached the top of the stairs. Murphy headed straight for her bed as I walked into the bathroom.

  “Something really weird just happened,” I said as I leant against the sink.

  Jamie peeked out from behind the shower curtain. “What?”

  “I turned on the outside light to let Murphy out … and there was someone there on the other side of the door. As soon as the light went on they ran off.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Jamie asked in disbelief.

  “No I’m not.”

  Jamie stepped further out of the shower, indicating she had finished with it. Reaching behind me, I handed her a towel.

  “Shit! Did you see who it was?”

  “No. I looked, but it was dark. I think I saw a car drive off in the distance, but I couldn’t be sure it was the same person.”

  “Fuck!” Jamie stepped out of the shower standing in front of me. “Did you let Murphy out?”

  “Yeah, I had to, but I was a bit freaked.”

  “You should have called me.”

  “Have you seen anyone hanging around?” I asked, realising there was one possible candidate from our past.

  Jamie thought for a moment before answering. “No … But I’ve been a bit preoccupied of late.” Her words softened as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

  “Have you seen Mia lately?” I asked.

  “No. Have you?”

&n
bsp; I shook my head. “She was really pissed the last time I saw her,” I said, recalling her anger on the beach.

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  “She was pretty aggressive.” I realised I hadn’t actually told Jamie this before.

  I could see the question forming in her eyes. “What did she do?”

  “Just pushed me.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to make a big deal of it. I just wanted to forget it.” We were both quiet for a moment. I regretted not telling Jamie about Mia at the time. I didn’t want there to be secrets between us. “I’ve hung the keys on the coat rack and left the outside light on.”

  Jamie stood so close to me I could smell her minty fresh breath as she let out a long breath.

  “Okay,” she said as she kissed the corner of my mouth then she pulled back, locking eyes with me before speaking. “Now I want you to try and forget about all that and get in the shower. I’ve got something that might interest you.”

  Standing in the shower, I couldn’t help but rack my brains for who could have been out there in the darkness. Had Mia come back to see if Jamie was a free agent? Or Lucy? But no one had heard from her since James fired her. How would she even know where to find me or Jamie? It had to be someone looking for Jamie. No one even knew I was here.

  I quickly towelled off and cleaned my teeth. Walking into our bedroom, Jamie was reclining on her side, facing me as I entered. Pulling back the covers, I saw the something she was referring to. Sprouting out from between her thighs was a green dildo secured in a leather harness around her waist.

  “Ah … that is interesting … and a good choice of colour.”

  I saw the smile appear on Jamie’s face at my words. I was thankful for my nap earlier as I slid into bed next to her.

  “I thought you’d like that … tree hugger.”

  “That’s the plan,” I said with raised eyebrows, hoping she’d get my connotations.

  “Filthy,” Jamie said with a giggle.

  “You love it,” I replied as she pulled me to her.

  Chapter 21

  Jamie had been quiet since I’d arrived home from work. She looked subdued again. Even having her cast cut off hadn’t brightened her. Previously, I’d put it down to the tension that had been between us, but now I wasn’t sure. She didn’t usually arrive home until after I had at least walked Murphy on the beach, but today she had beaten me here. Having a long soak in the tub meant she had something on her mind. We hadn’t really talked about the figure at the window. Maybe Mia had made an appearance. After what I’d said about her the other night, she might have considered not telling me.

  Pulling the homemade pizza from the oven for our supper, I heard a loud crash coming from upstairs. Throwing the oven glove on the worktop, I dashed up the stairs. Walking into the bedroom, I found Jamie sitting on the floor wrapped in her bath towel.

  “Jamie! Are you alright? Pizza’s ready.” My voice trailed off as I took in the scene of destruction in front of me. I made a grab for Murphy, stopping her progress as best I could.

  “Yeah … fine.” Her reply was the faintest of noises. She was facing away from me, surrounded by cotton buds and broken glass.

  “What’s happened here, then?” I asked, as I dragged over a metal waste bin from the corner of the room. Bending down, I began carefully picking up the largest pieces and dropping them into the bin. I could see from her body language there was more going on here.

  “It slipped out of my hand when I picked it up.”

  “Stay there for a minute while I get rid of the worst of it.” I crouched down in front of her, avoiding the glass. I could see her puffy eyes hidden beneath strands of golden wet hair. I felt bad for not acting earlier. I’d seen this coming from her demeanour when I got home.

  “How do you do it?” she asked in her barely audible voice.

  “What’s that?” I asked in a soft voice.

  “Keep going … after all that’s happened. You’re still so positive.”

  I was a little taken back by her question. I looked down at all the cotton buds, taking a moment to consider her words. “Well … I’m not going to lie to you. I wasn’t always. I found it very difficult to adjust after the accident. A lot of things seemed to have changed and I didn’t remember doing them or remembering them even happening at all. It took me a while but I learned to deal with it.” I realised, not for the first time, that had Jamie hung in there after my accident, my anger and frustration might have driven her away for good. Maybe our separation was a necessary part of it. I’d had time to heal mentally as well as physically.

  “I think you did incredibly well. You’re amazing, back at work, moving on.”

  I watched a tear fall down her cheek. Reaching out, I rested my hand on her bare knee. “Hey, what’s going on here?” I said in a sympathetic tone. “I know you’re not that attached to these cotton buds. What happened today?”

  Her eyes were glassy as she looked up, meeting my eyes for the first time since I came in the room. Her left knee was still warm from her bath as I gently rubbed it.

  “I just had a shitty couple of days. I hate my new boss. She’s a total bitch.”

  I frowned slightly at her words, encouraging her to go on.

  “She blames everyone else for her crappy decisions. She’s constantly passive aggressive, leaving notes and emailing everyone, like the other day when she caught someone playing Candy Crush on their phone. She put up a notice about a Candy Crush tournament with the top prize being a permanent holiday.”

  “Arsehole!” People aren’t robots, I knew from my own experience. Office work used to drive me crazy after a while; a stroll in the fresh air or an Angry Birds break was essential.

  “Then today she got everyone together and told us there were going to be some serious changes to our department due to efficiency cuts, and we need to apply for a reduced number of jobs in our department.”

  “I’m sorry it’s not working out.” I hadn’t suffered at the hands of an idiot for a boss in years. There are some major benefits of having your own business. Although we worked together, Miles was kind of my boss and he’d actually been pretty cool about it so far.

  “I’m working from home tomorrow to stay out of her way. I don’t have to see her till next week then.”

  I wondered how she managed to spin that line to her new boss as I picked up a wad of cotton buds that had been ejected at the point of impact. I held them over the bin, rubbing them together in my hands like a boy scout trying to start a fire, to make sure there weren’t any unwanted glass particles. Realising it probably wasn’t the best course of action, the thought of a glass-encrusted cotton bud pressed against a delicate area made me shiver. I dropped them in the bin alongside the glass as an idea began to form that would give Jamie a break from her normal daily pattern.

  “Why don’t you come out with me tomorrow?”

  She gave me a blank look at my request.

  “I’ve got to go to Wickham Wood to see if we need to do any more beating up on the new plantation they planted a couple of years ago.”

  “Beating up?” she enquired with a frown.

  I explained as simply as I could. “Replanting of any dead ones that didn’t make it or plugging any gaps in the plantation.”

  “Shouldn’t it be called planting up?”

  I smiled. “I see where you’re coming from with that. We’ll probably be gone for most of the day but the weather’s meant to be good. If you’re good, I might even buy you lunch.”

  “We? Is Murphy coming?”

  “Of course.”

  She produced a genuine smile for the first time since I had arrived home. “Sounds perfect. You could teach me more about this beating up stuff.”

  Apparently, my dog had tipped the scales in my favour. I knelt in front of her in the space I had cleared of glass. Pushing the damp hair behind her ears, I leant forward, kissing her softly on the lips. I pulled back, locking eyes wit
h her. “I love you.” I moved closer, capturing her lips again. Her response was immediate as her mouth opened against mine.

  ***

  I woke early, putting my plan into action. Placing the cup of tea on Jamie’s night stand, I felt a warm hand on the back of my thigh.

  “Morning,” I said brightly.

  “Umm … when did you get up?”

  “Some of us have to work today.” I bent down, kissing the side of her face. “I’ve got to go. I’ll pick you up about ten. I’ve put some stuff together in the kitchen for later. I’ll pick some food up on the way back to get you. See you later.” I kissed her again before dashing out the room.

  It was just before ten when I pulled up alongside the beach house in the work truck. Walking into the kitchen, I found Jamie dressed in one of my work outfits. We looked like twins, although to be fair she looked better in the navy blue polo shirt and cargo pants than I did.

  “Uh … very nice,” I said, putting our lunch on the worktop.

  “I thought I should look the part as I’ll be your co-worker today.”

  I moved towards her, placing my hands on her tight hips, kissing her on the lips. “You certainly look better than Miles.”

  I felt a firm slap on my thigh in reply. “I should hope so. He’s about fifty and built like Hodor from Game of Thrones.”

  “Exactly! Are you ready?” I asked, preparing for another slap.

  “Yep! I’ll just get Murphy’s lead.”

  I packed our lunch in the cool box and picked up the blanket ready to pack in the truck.

  “Do you mind sharing the double passenger seat with Murphy?”

  “Can I have the window seat?”

  “Sure, as long as you don’t mind some dribble on your leg.”

  ***

  “This looks like a good spot,” I said as I reached the brow of the hill. The view across the fields in the distance was stunning. We had already surveyed half the plot. I’d put Jamie to work totting up the numbers of new whips required in the various compartments of the plantation while I marked them on the site maps. Due to the size of some of the compartments, we counted every fifth row to generate the figures and overall percentage of loss.