by L. M. Carr
“No, thanks. You enjoy them both.”
Heading in the direction of the bonfire, we walk simultaneously while Andrew finishes one treat before unwrapping the other.
“I offered you something. Now you’ve got to give me something back.”
“What?” Why do I have to give you something?” I squawk.
“Because I was going to share my ice cream with you,” he retorts quickly. “Now you have to give me something in return.”
My smile falters. I can only imagine what he’s expecting so I raise my eyebrow in question.
Looking at me from the corner of his eye, Andrew purrs something in French.
I purse my lips and roll my eyes. “I don’t know what that means.”
Grinning, he sinks his teeth into the ice cream and says, “I know. That’s what makes it so fun. Now tell me what you’re thinking about.”
I smirk. “So you didn’t really bring that second ice cream down here for me, did you?”
“Not exactly, but I would’ve given it to you if you wanted it...and asked nicely.” The orange glow from the fire brightens his face, and I detect the humor in his pretty blue eyes.
Taking a cleansing breath, I fill my lungs with warm end of summer air and plop down onto the sand.
“I got married over Labor Day weekend.”
“Married? You’re married?” he screeches incredulously, choking on a bite of his dessert.
I shake my head. “No, not any more. My divorce was finalized last month.”
Andrew pulls his eyes away and looks out over Long Island Sound. “Wow.” He exhales sharply. “Married and divorced. What happened?”
Silence stretches into minutes.
“You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal, but you did see me completely naked last night so...”
Quiet laughter emerges and I smile, appreciating his interjection of humor into an otherwise serious topic.
I sigh heavily. “It was lonely,” I pause then take a deep breath before continuing. “You see...my ex was the life of the party and he loved the attention. He didn’t understand that a marriage was about two people meeting each other’s needs. I met his, but he didn’t even try to meet mine. I was always second to him and everyone else. It took me a while to realize I was never going to be number one in his life.”
“Yeah, I know a little something about that.”
I turn my head to look at Andrew and wonder if there’s a woman out there who broke his heart.
“I ended it before I wasted too many more years in his shadow.” A dark chuckle slips from my lips and I jiggle the bottle of beer in my hand, knowing the alcohol has given me loose lips. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to unload all that. I should’ve just said it didn’t work out, huh?”
Andrew offers a half smile and says, “I get it.”
My lips tighten into a hard line and I look down, remembering the look on Sean’s face when I told him. Even though my decision was made, it hurt my heart because I’d never seen my husband cry until that day. I think he realized how much he had hurt me over the course of our union.
“I’m sorry.” Andrew offers, turning his focus back on me. “That must’ve been tough.”
Sweeping my eyes back up, I gaze at him and notice genuine interest. “It was tough watching my friends all get married and do things that couples are supposed to do. It was sad when it all started to crumble.” I draw in the sand with my pointed toe to distract my thoughts from going to a place as dark as the night sky. “I was sad and lonely all the time, but I knew I didn’t want to be like that for the rest of my life...so I left, filed for divorce and changed my name back as soon as I could. I kind of lost sight of who I was for a little bit there.”
“His loss.”
I shrug. “I think I gained a lot more than he lost.” I pull my legs in and rest my chin on bent knees. “I know who I am and I know what I want now.”
“And what is it that you want, Ms. Morgan Montgomery?” Andrew whispers with emphasis on my maiden name as he moves in to caress my face.
To feel your lips again. To feel your touch again.
“I know I will never let anyone put me second ever again.”
“Embrasse moi,” he demands quietly, leaning in closer.
“Andrew,” I sigh, shaking my head, meeting his lustful stare. “Kissing you is not a good idea.” Been there— done that.
“Why not?” he asks playfully, angling his head to rub his nose against mine.
“Because I don’t know if you’re Andrew or Jackson.”
Boom! There it is out in the open.
Like a balloon, Andrew deflates and returns to his original position beside me.
“I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have left the way I did that night. It was wrong of me. Things were happening with my parents and...”
“What about them?”
Shaking his head, Andrew declines to elaborate while exhaling heavily.
“I adore your parents, but I don’t think they’d be too thrilled to know I had a one-night stand with their son six years ago.” I jab his ribs with my elbow.
“At any rate, I am sorry,” he replies with a sullen voice.
“I’m over it, but I should punch you.”
Confusion materializes on his face. “I think you already broke a rib, now you want to punch me?”
A sad smile creeps on mine. “I was so embarrassed and felt completely dejected. A week later, I walked right into Sean’s arms when he showered me with a little attention. And I had to endure the name Dickman. Morgan Dickman. Can you imagine living with a name like that?”
Andrew laughs. “Now I’m really sorry about leaving.”
“Andrew! Morgan!” Rob calls to us. “Game time!”
Entered into a bean bag throwing contest, Andrew and I team up and win round after round until we reach the championship level.
“Don’t blow it.” A smirk is attached to my words.
“I’ve never blown a thing. In fact, I nailed the last three,” Andrew counters, holding the small square in the palm of his hand and I roll my eyes thinking of the woman he screwed around with last night. She’s only one out of three.
“Don’t press your luck. Ten bucks says you don’t make it in.”
A salacious and tempting grin spreads across his handsome face. “Ten bucks? That’s it?” He bends at the waist and extends his arm, preparing to launch the bean bag. “A hundred bucks.”
My confidence is boosted by my consumption of beer. “You’re on!” I say as I walk to the opposite side and stand behind the wooden box. I bend over and place my hands on my knees, exposing the cleavage through my T-shirt. “Come on! Right in the hole.”
Andrew’s eyes narrow as he licks his lips. With a gentle toss, he releases the bean bag.
I watch with rapt attention as it sails through the air and lands millimeters away from the open circle.
“Yes!” I shout and pump my fist in the air then do a little happy dance complete with shrugging shoulders.
“Why are you so excited? You’re on the same team!” Rob exclaims.
Sauntering back over, I stand aside while Emma tosses her bag and misses.
“Let me show you how it’s done,” I whisper to Andrew then wink, shimmying my way in front of him.
“OMG! How’d you get every single bag in?” Emma asks me incredulously.
I shrug, fighting a smile. “Beginner’s luck?”
“Congrats, man!” Rob says, shaking Andrew’s hand. “You’ve got a good partner there.”
Andrew’s eyes shift to mine and he hums. “Yep, she is really good.”
“Maybe she’s a hustler,” Rob suggests.
“A bean bag hustler?” I laugh. “Not exactly.”
“That’s right.” Andrew purrs, nodding in remembrance. “I think she’s played before.
Surprised by his comment, I realize Andrew remembers playing this exact game six years ago the night we slept together. We’d hung out most of the night, playi
ng yard games and drinking until we ended up in bed. It was the one and only time I ever got drunk and had a one night stand.
♦♦♦
Standing amongst the last few of Rob and Emma’s friends, I smile, happy that I accepted Andrew’s invitation to join him, thankful to have met Emma. “Thanks for tonight. It was really fun!”
“Hope to see you again soon,” she says, offering me a quick hug.
I smile tightly but don’t reply.
Emma looks at Andrew. “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow night,” he replies, much to my surprise.
“But your parents won’t be back until Tuesday. Aren’t you going to wait to see them?” I ask sharply.
Andrew tosses me a hard look.
“Well, you better come back for the christening!”
Hoping to bring this evening to a close, I extend my hand to Rob. “It was nice to meet you.”
As though he wants to eat me for dessert, Rob smiles devilishly and nods, taking my hand and raising it to his lips. “Likewise. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
His flagrant flirting makes me extremely uncomfortable, and I attempt to pull my hand away. I get the impression he’s a “touchy-feely” drunk. Having older brothers has prepared me to stand up for myself and put him in his place.
I glance at Emma to gauge her reaction, but she’s smiling at her husband’s outward display of affection. She slaps Rob’s arm playfully, knocking away his hold on me. “Leave her alone. If she’s immune to this guy,” she points to Andrew, “she’ll definitely be immune to you. Evidently, your charm only works on one woman on the entire planet.”
Rob pulls her close and kisses her lips with a loud pop. “That’s right, baby!”
“Later!” Andrew says, ushering me around the house to where his father’s newest toy is parked.
We settle in our respective seats, but he doesn’t start the engine.
“Thanks for coming tonight.” Andrew looks at me. “Sorry about Paige. I didn’t think she would be here. Last I heard she and Emma had a huge fight and weren’t exactly on speaking terms.”
I look down at the BBQ sauce stain on my shirt. Annoyed just thinking about the obnoxious woman who practically jumped into Andrew’s arms and knocked the plate of food out of my hand, resulting in his pork sandwich smashing into my chest, I simply sigh. “No worries. It’s not like this was my favorite shirt or anything.”
He offers a genuine smile. “I can see why people like you so much.”
Tilting my head, I raise my shoulders, grin and bat my eyelashes dramatically. “Look at me! What’s not to love?”
Andrew stares at me. “I’m looking.”
On the drive back to the house, Andrew asks about my family and my upbringing.
“Three older brothers?”
I nod. “Yep.”
“That explains why you’re such a tomboy.”
Offended, I reply with a huff. “I’m not a tomboy. I’m just not overly girly. It wasn’t easy being the only girl. I constantly had to prove myself to them. I was about to take Rob out if he didn’t quit touching me.”
Andrew’s eyes shift to my burgundy T-shirt, cuffed ‘boyfriend’ style jeans and worn flip flops.
“I wasn’t going to get dressed up to go to a beach party,” I snap.
“Fair enough.”
We arrive back at the house a short time later. Andrew parks the car, completely unscathed, in its original spot after opening the garage door. Matching my footsteps in the dark, Andrew’s arm brushes against mine as we cross the yard and stop at the front entry of the house. I step onto the landing and turn to face him.
I clear my throat. “Thanks for the invite. It was fun.”
“Sorry again about Rocco.”
I smile. “Ah yes, Rocco. Hopefully he’ll be able to walk tomorrow.” I laugh, remembering how I “accidently” lifted my right knee and nailed him in the groin when he pressed his body against mine. I couldn’t believe he acted as though it were accidentental, yelling something about how people need to be more careful. Apparently that’s his MO to talk to women, but I saw him coming a mile away.
With a disgusted and contentious hiss, Andrew interrupted Rocco’s insincere apologies, and threw his arm over my shoulder, staking a claim.
“Get lost, Rocco. This beautiful girl here...she’s with me. She’s mine tonight.”
Had it been anyone else, I would’ve corrected Andrew’s statement, but I was grateful.
“...tomorrow morning?”
I blink furiously, snapping back to the present. “What?”
“Do you want to grab breakfast tomorrow morning?”
I narrow my eyes, wondering why he’s the least bit interested in spending time with me. Perhaps he’s trying to make up for leaving so quickly after he screwed me.
Shaking my head, I decline his offer with a small smile.
Looking at me, he nods. “Okay.” Then he drops his eyes up from my face and focuses on my cleavage, his cheek pulling back into a sexy grin. “I’m glad you came tonight.” He licks his lips and I wonder if he’s referring to my near orgasm in the Mustang.
The tension which has been building between us reaches an all-time high.
“Well,” I sigh quietly, turning to unlock the door. “If I don’t see you, have a good night and a good flight back tomorrow.” With Andrew heading out west tomorrow, I know I’m giving up the chance to be with him again. It’s probably for the best anyway. The last thing I need to do is have random sex with someone I’ll most likely never see again. I’ve been taking care of my own needs for quite some time, tonight won’t be any different. “Don’t forget to feed the cats before you leave.” I spin around when I feel the proximity of his body.
“What are—” I raise my hand and slap it across his mouth as his face comes closer to mine.
“I want to kiss you,” he mumbles beneath my flattened palm.
I grin. “What if I don’t want to be kissed by you?”
Humor sparkles in his blue eyes as his hand grips my wrist, tugging it down away from his mouth. “You want me to kiss you right now just as much as you wanted me to kiss you earlier this afternoon.”
My mouth opens. “What?! I didn’t want you to kiss me!” Liar.
That same hand pins my arm above my head as the other reaches around to the nape of my neck, tilting my head upward.
“You’re dying for me to kiss you, Morgan.”
Part of me wants to knee him in the balls like I did to Rocco while the other part screams yes, please.
“I know your parents taught you better manners than this.”
The porch light illuminates his face and I see his moment of confusion.
“You should really ask before taking,” I answer nervously, trying my hardest to appear unaffected by the words he speaks, by the gentle caress of my face and by the fierce erection pressing against my belly.
“I spent some time at a vineyard when I was in France. You’re like the land full of thousands of grapes waiting to be harvested.”
I swallow.
“How do winemakers know when a crop is ready?”
I stare silently with no answer on my tongue.
“Do you think each grape, full and ripe, asks to be picked? No...” Andrew shakes his head slowly. “The winemaker knows when the time is right; he knows because he picks one. He holds it in between his fingers and inspects the size, the color and its firmness. Then he puts it into his mouth and swirls his tongue around, savoring its fragrance. With a single bite, the sweet juice bursts onto his tongue...then he knows. He knows the grapes are ready to be plucked, washed and pressed so others can enjoy its sweet juice and tenderness too.”
A shiver trickles through me and moisture pools between my legs. He hasn’t even touched me and I’m on the verge of a complete meltdown...again.
“You, sweet Morgan, are ready.”
Swallowing the urge to submit to whatever Andrew Darling is offering, I utter that he really should ask
.
He complies with my simple request, but before I can answer in the affirmative, his lips, luscious and warm, crash against mine. His tongue forces its way in and invites mine to play.
Having had my arm released, I am free to run my fingers through his hair and cradle the nape of his neck, mirroring his hold on me. My heart is pounding in my chest, adrenaline surges through me when his hand slides down my back and cups my ass, lifting me clear off the stamped concrete. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I feel my core throb against his stiffness. It’s as if my body remembers that one night so long ago.
I reach back and turn the knob without breaking contact with his mouth until he trails a line of soft kisses along my jawline and neck. My eyes close and I relish the feeling of his body. All sense of rationale and responsibility are left at the door; only lust and desire fill the room.
We collapse onto my bed and he immediately yanks the soiled shirt off my body. My breasts are pulled from my deep crimson bra and my nipples sucked into his mouth. Alternating nips and nibbles create a lethal combination, and I nearly explode.
“Wait! We...should...stop,” I pant.
“No we shouldn’t,” he counters.
“I...work for your parents...and...”
With a heavy breath, he promises, “I’ll be gone by tomorrow night.”
I have a choice to make and I need to make it quickly.
To spend an incredible night with Andrew Darling or ask him to leave.
When my name falls from his lips, my decision is solidified.
Wanting to slow things down to enjoy every second, I pull his mouth back to mine. Kissing Andrew Darling is better than I remember. I can only imagine how incredible the fucking is going to be once again.
“Andrew,” I breathe.
He hums in response.
“Look at me,” I plead.
Although the room is dark, the exterior fixtures provide enough light for me to see his lust-filled eyes staring down at me.
“I know you’re leaving tomorrow, but stay with me tonight.” All night I want to add.
I reach for the hem of his orange Broncos T-shirt and lift up. Needing to rid the barrier, he pulls it off and tosses it away. Showing appreciation for his perfect form, my hands skate along his skin and through the sprinkling of chest hair. My index finger continues its downward descent to his navel and I suppress a smile, thinking about how I had caused strife earlier in the day.
