“Oh, god, yes.”
The sounds escaping her lips were so erotic. Not the fake kind of ear-piercing screams women often executed. No, these were unmistakably real.
Moans.
Soft whimpers.
Labored breaths.
He could probably get-off on her sensual sounds without even touching her. But touching her…
Feeling her slippery warmth gripping him felt so damn incredible! And then, of course, watching her as she absorbed his body: her hair slightly tousled, eyes fluttering, lips parted, and her soft skin glowing red underneath the safe light above had him teetering on the edge. But he had to hold back. He wanted to last for her. Needed to feel her body constrict around him when she climaxed and he knew she was close.
“Please… don’t stop”, she pleaded breathlessly. She’d never felt like this before. Her entire body was hypersensitive. Alert. She felt as if she were a butterfly erupting from its cocoon, seeing the world through a different set of eyes, leaving behind the constraint that confined its freedom. It was like she was having an out-of-body experience, hovering above, observing the metamorphosis taking place. Never had she felt so exposed, yet simultaneously, so aroused.
Forcing the weight of his upper body against her, he removed one of his hands from her backside and reached in front where they were joined. Stroking the pad of his thumb leisurely over her clitoris, he continued pumping into her.
Her body was drawing tighter, tenser. She was close—so close. “Grant, please… I…”
“Let go, Livvy.”
“I… I can’t!”
“Yes, you can. Let go—come for me…”
He watched as her head thumped back against the door, the rapidly expanding shockwave so intense she could no longer hold it upright.
Her body erupted, exploding and imploding, pleasure rushing over her in a cataclysmic blast. A wave of pure orgasmic energy channeled a path through her body like a swift river of liquid lava.
At the first sign of her impending peak, he pounded into her with purpose and when she finally surrendered with his name on her lips, he let go, too. Her tight muscles contracted around him, milking his submerged length, emptying his core. He groaned, cursed aloud, and then buried his face in the crook of her neck. Spreading soft, gentle kisses along her satin skin, he listened as their breaths gradually returned to normal.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
“Yeah. You?”
Removing his lips from her neck, he leaned his head back and gazed at her beautiful face through hooded eyes. “I’m better than okay… damn it, Livvy, you feel amazing…”
Raking her teeth against her plump bottom lip, her mouth turned upward in a seductive smile. And then, as quickly as her sated grin surfaced, it faded.
Awareness and reality overwhelmed her.
She’d had the most mind-blowing sex of her entire life. With Grant—her brother’s best friend…
Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, this wasn’t good.
He could feel the tension growing with her every breath. His arms were still holding her up and were it not for that, he knew she’d probably attempt to run away from him.
“We should probably get dressed. Ty’ll be home soon”, she informed him.
Grant hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to let her go—not like this. She was trying her damnedest to appear calm on the outside, but he saw through her guise. Inwardly she was freaking out. He observed her for a moment longer, stupefied over her swift transformation. She didn’t appear angry, sad, happy… the interesting thing was, she was completely devoid of any outward signs of emotion. She was retracting before his very eyes—shutting him out once again.
“Yeah”, he sighed. Lifting her body, he removed his sex from her center and then loosened his grip on her backside.
Slowly, she slid down his body until her feet came into contact with the cool concrete floor. Squeezing past his large muscular frame, she righted her denim skirt and reached for the rest of her clothes. She kept her back turned, terrified of the bewildered look in his eyes. She just needed some time. Time to recover and regroup. Time to figure out what the hell she was doing here
CHAPTER 9
Kendall sat in the corner booth of the Boardwalk Diner, one hand under her chin to support the weight of her head, her free hand tapping a rapid rhythm with her fingernails against the table’s surface. She glanced at her watch just as Olivia arrived and then observed as her best friend slowly toddled toward her, her gait cautious and guileful.
“Sorry I’m late”, she announced as she carefully slid into the seat across from her. Olivia opened her menu, skimming over the lunch specials when she suddenly sensed that Kendall was meticulously analyzing her.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. Just making an observation.”
“About…?” Olivia questioned.
Kendall took a small sip of her sweet tea and then placed her glass back on the table. “Well, for one, you’re almost never late. You finally arrive, waddling in here like your nine months pregnant and to top it off, your skin’s glowing a brilliant shade of satisfaction… If I didn’t know better, I’d say someone got lucky.”
“Shhh”, Olivia gestured with her finger. “Do you mind keepin’ it down?”
“So it’s true”, she whispered excitedly. You did get lucky!”
Olivia sighed. There was no point in denying it now. “Yeah, although I’m not feelin’ so great about it right now.”
“Why not?—”
“Alright ladies”, the waitress interrupted, “what’ll it be.”
Kendall ordered a big, juicy bacon cheeseburger and onion rings. Olivia shook her head and smiled. She honestly didn’t know where Kendall put it—the girl had the body of a model. Tall, thin: she could probably eat everything on the menu and still never gain an ounce. Olivia was in shape as well, although it didn’t come naturally. She had to work hard to keep her figure, watching everything she ate and then running four or five days a week. She opted for a chef salad, dressing on the side.
When the waitress retreated, Olivia attempted to steer the conversation away from her sex life. “So, how’re things at the pharmacy?”
“Nice try. I’m not letting you leave here until you tell me everything about your little rendezvous with a certain fireman.”
Damn, she should’ve known better. No way was a change in subject going to deter her best friend. “Alright, what do you want to know?”
“Um, everything!—where, when, how…”
Olivia cleared her throat. “Okay: in my darkroom, yesterday, up against the door.”
Kendall’s shoulders sank, her head cocked sideways, and her mouth dropped open. “Oh, c’mon, Liv—this isn’t the game Clue. You know I need more details than that! Like: how’d he look?—is he big?—was it good? You know, details like that!”
Warmth spread across her cheeks as she recalled the vivid memory. It’d been a long time since she’d blushed this vibrantly. “Well, he’s built like a Greek God—a very well-endowed Greek God—and he was absolutely phenomenal.”
“Okay—so then what’s the problem?”
“Besides the fact that he’s Ty’s best friend? He’s… well, he’s…”
Kendall crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze. “Oh. My. Goodness.”
“What?”
“You like him—you really like him!”
Nervously she tucked a strand of hair behind one of her ears. “Don’t be ridiculous! We’re just friends. I’ll admit I had a lapse in judgment yesterday, but it won’t happen again—it can’t.”
“Are you sticking to that story? Because do you want to know what I think?” Kendall asked, clearly amused by Olivia’s reluctance to admit her true feelings.
“No—but I’m sure you’re gonna tell me anyway.”
“I think Grant scares the crap out of you! He’s good-looking, charismatic, and any fool with half a brain can see he’s crazy about you.”
The waitress
arrived with their lunch. She placed their dishes on the table and then warned Kendall to be careful with hers; it was very hot. After setting their ticket on the table, the waitress wound her way back into the kitchen.
“Good-looking, charismatic, yes—but crazy about me? No offense, honey, but I think that one’s a stretch!”
“Now, see, that’s where you’re wrong!” Kendall said as she pointed one of her onion rings at Olivia. “No woman has ever kept his attention for longer than a week or two and none of those women have ever stepped foot into his beach house. You’ve managed to do both of those things. I could give you more examples if you’d like.”
“No—that’s okay. I get it.”
Kendall popped the onion ring into her mouth and chewed. “So? Now what?” she asked curiously.
Olivia ran her fingers through her honey-blonde hair and sighed. “I don’t know yet. I guess I just need some time to figure things out. Things were supposed to stay flirty and fun. Somehow I have to figure out how to get back to that…”
Hoping that her work would distract attention away from her “thing” with Grant, she entered the fire station in search of Chief Handler. She’d procrastinated long enough. A major newsworthy photo op wasn’t going to fall into her lap, especially in this small island town.
Nope. If she wanted to catch a break, she was going to have to create her own favorable circumstances.
After knocking on his door, Chief Handler invited her to enter.
“Olivia! Nice to see you, honey”, he said as he stood and came around to greet her on the other side of his desk. He enveloped her in a sentimental bear hug and then took a step back, settling his large derriere on the edge of his desk. “Ty’s not on shift until Thursday.”
“Yeah, I know. Actually I came here to see you.”
“Well, alright then, have a seat”, he said as he gestured toward the empty chair in front of him.
Olivia lowered herself onto the folding chair and winced slightly when her bottom came into contact with the cold hard metal seat. She needed to do this quickly and then head home to ice her very sore private area.
“What can I do for you?”
“Well, I’m sure Ty’s mentioned that I’m a freelance photographer.”
“A time or two”, he uttered as he winked at her. “He’s very proud of you, you know—we all are!”
“Thanks Chief, I appreciate that! You see, my specialty is capturing pictures during times of tragedy and devastation: acts of nature and sometimes evil only mankind can cause. Anyhow, I’ve taken a hiatus from my usual routine of travelin’. And since Butler Island isn’t the kind of place someone in my profession is likely to flock to, I was hopin’ I could ride along with the department.”
Chief Handler studied her for a few long beats, steadily chewing on his toothpick. “You want to take pictures while we’re responding to calls?”
“Yes sir, I’d like to. Look, I know for the most part it’s pretty slow around here. But I also know the town’s seen its fair share of unexplained fires the last few months. One fire is probably accidental, two is coincidental; five fires in less than three months is darnright suspicious!”
Chief crossed his arms over his large round belly. “So you think we have an arsonist on our hands?”
“Well, it’s certainly a possibility, don’t ya think?”
Without answering, Chief Handler stood from his desk and walked to his chair on the other side. After taking a seat, he reached into his bottom drawer, grabbed an extra on-call phone and then sat it on his desk. “Here are the conditions… One: you have to stay in the background. I won’t risk your safety in order for you to get a good shot. Are we clear on that?”
“Yes sir—crystal.”
“Good. Two: after you leave here, you’ll need to head to city hall and fill-out the necessary paperwork relieving the department from any and all liability.” When Olivia nodded her head in agreement, he went on. “Three: The city won’t allow citizens to ride along during calls, so you’ll have to provide your own transportation.”
“That’s not a problem, Chief—”
“—And last but certainly not least, any and all information you may hear is to be kept confidential. You’re right—we have an arsonist at large and the worst part is we have no leads. The longer we can keep the residents on the island clueless about what we know, the better our chances of finding those responsible.”
“You have my word, Chief. Thank you”, she proclaimed as she rose from her chair. She gave the Chief a kiss on the cheek, grabbed the on-call phone from his desk and then headed out the door.
Next stop: city hall.
And then, an ice bath…
CHAPTER 10
Thanksgiving at the fire station hadn’t changed since Olivia was a little girl. The entire department and their families gathered together every year to celebrate the holiday, each family bringing a dish for the pot luck luncheon, while the department supplied the main course. With the fire engine parked in the drive, the bay was free to house the festivities.
Rows of long tables and chairs were positioned to accommodate the crowd, but Olivia wasn’t planning on sitting much. Not only were her girl parts still sore from her encounter with Grant, making long periods of sitting uncomfortable, the Chief requested she take pictures of the annual event as well.
Hard to capture the interplay and ambiance when her ass was glued to a folding metal chair…
Awareness assaulted Grant the moment Olivia arrived. It’d been four days since he’d spoken to her. Four days since he’d pinned her up against the door of her darkroom, naked. He’d known from the moment he’d left her that day what would happen. He was beginning to recognize a pattern: one step forward and two steps back.
Every time they reached a new milestone in their relationship, she withdrew. She’d disappear for a few days, ignoring his calls, avoiding contact at all costs. She was a control freak and she wasn’t used to losing her grasp on it. He got it—he really did.
This whole “relationship” thing was new to him, too. He was deep in uncharted water and truthfully, he was a bit apprehensive about the course ahead as well. But there was just something about Olivia that he couldn’t resist. It wasn’t just her body—lord knows he couldn’t resist that.
No, it was more than that.
He saw the beauty within her. The way she spoke straightforwardly, cared so deeply, loved her family and friends unconditionally.
She kept him on his toes and left him begging for more. He wasn’t sure where their road might lead, but for the first time in his adult life, he was eager to find out. Eager to let go of the reins. Eager to let destiny run its course.
Not wanting to ambush her, he waited patiently as she mingled through the crowd, taking pictures and talking. He kept a watchful eye on her, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible, waiting for the perfect moment to make his approach.
It hadn’t escaped her: Grant was monitoring her every move. No one else in the room seemed to notice, but she certainly did. Every time his eyes landed on her she felt a jolt of sexual energy. How he managed to do that to her when he was standing on the opposite side of the bay garage, she didn’t have a clue.
She liked Grant.
There.
She said it.
Whatever was happening between them, it was more than simple friendship. More than a quick roll in the sack—or against a door.
And wasn’t that the core of her dilemma? Grant was the kind of man she could easily fall for. And he was also the kind of man that could shatter her heart into a million little pieces…
She couldn’t allow that to happen. She refused to mourn the loss of another person she cared about. Her heart told her to keep herself guarded—to protect herself at all costs.
Olivia felt two taps on her shoulder and then turned around.
“Hey, Olivia.”
“Oh, hey, Jarrod. How’re you?”
“Much better now”, he said as he revealed a
heartfelt smile.
Olivia returned the gesture. “Well, aren’t you a perfect gentleman.”
“I’ll take that—I’ve been called far worse.”
Crossing her arms, she tilted her head. “Somehow I find that hard to believe.”
“Yeah, well, thanks…”
Jarrod shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “So, um, I was wondering if a certain, beautiful, photographer would be interested in joining this gentleman for a drink later?”
“What, you mean one of those raw egg cocktails you’re famous for?” she asked with a wide grin.
“No, I was thinking along the lines of something stronger. What do you say…?”
Dinner was essentially over. There were a few stragglers surrounding the buffet table for dessert and second helpings, but mostly the crowd mingled. Seeing an opportunity to catch a moment with Olivia, Grant started across the bay.
Along the way he was snagged by Chief Handler’s wife, Debbie. He tried to make a quick getaway, but he should’ve known better. Debbie Handler was an extremely kind woman with a heart of gold, but boy did she like to talk. It didn’t matter what about: weather, coupons, hell—the last time he’d been cornered, she’d divulged that cheese made Chief constipated. And when they’d attended a wine and cheese gathering at the Mitchell’s residence earlier in the year, he’d consumed a month’s worth of cheese in one night. She went on to describe how he’d been backed up for over a week and even went into detail about the various remedies he’d tried to get things moving again.
They exchanged greetings and before he knew it, she was telling him a story about the trouble she’d gone through yesterday when she’d cleaned the lint from the dryer.
“I stuck my hand in as far as it would go, but then I was terrified I’d get it stuck. And wouldn’t that have been an interesting call? I can picture you boys sitting here at the station, moments away from eating your lunch, when suddenly dispatch interrupts with an emergency: ‘We have an entrapment at 102 Second Street.’ That’s all I need—the jaws-of-life cutting me loose from my dryer. I mean, can you imagine?”
Picture Perfect (Butler Island) Page 9
