by H. M. Irwing
Emily hit Lisa's brother Mark. What the hell good would that do? Unless of course he knew exactly which of his friends made use of his bed and my sister, that night.
"So you do know what all this is about. I'm glad someone has an idea. Care to share my dear?" My dad stared down at me expectantly. I could only stare back stumped. I had backed myself into a hole over that one and I wasn't the brightest when it came to thinking on my feet. I turned to Emily imploringly and heard her sigh in frustration before rolling her eyes in annoyance. Just then the doorbell pealed out a lifesaving tune. I sighed with relief. Saved by the bell I turned to scuttle off and answer the door but my Dad beat me to it.
"Elise? Answer the damn door will you," Dad passed the privilege on to mum. I stared disappointedly at Emily at having my escape route effectively blocked. Time was ticking and I drew up a continual blank over how to address this.
"I would like to see Emily," a deep markedly male voice rang over the softer tones of my mum's initial greeting. There was a muffled conversation that followed and then the footsteps could be heard leading up to the kitchen where we were all gathered. I looked in horror at Emily wondering what new development this was and she turned a paler shade of herself when a tall good looking young man appeared behind my mum. Mark!
"Sir I am Mark, Lisa's brother. I'd like a word with Emily please," he said with considerable congeniality considering the bruised chin he was sporting was from my sister's impressive efforts.
I hid the grin that threatened to emerge before throwing a congratulatory wink at Emily. As luck would have it, the wink was not missed by Mark who barely contained his ire to inflect only the slightest narrowing of his gaze.
Dad gave up about then and sent Emily off to have a word with her guest telling her implicitly that she must apologise. We watched Mark and Emily step out of the house to discuss in private. Cat and I grabbed our plates of food from the kitchen and made a dash upstairs to eat in solitude away from prying ears and more importantly offer me an opportunity to appease my curiosity over what exactly transpired with Cat the night before.
Cat and I trashed over her evening with her mysterious man and later over Emily's efforts to find out just who Cat’s mysterious stranger was. No one noticed the time ticking away. It was well past midnight when the dragging footsteps of a very tired Emily could be heard marching on to her room.
"Em?" I called out as she passed by my closed door but rather than coming in she only called back out," I'm tired we'll talk later."
After that Cat went off to her bed and I tucked myself comfortably if somewhat lonesomely in mine till my alarm buzzed me awake the next morning. I rushed like mad tossing clothing into bags and getting dressed for my horrible weekend ahead. I had just sufficient time to stuff some breakfast down my throat before Jake was here. Only it was not Jake alone.
The white limo that drove up the slope to our house looked as if it would topple over bonnet over tires back down the steep little climb. But somehow it held on waiting for me to emerge from the safety of my home and plunge into the vortex of doom. Which I did only shortly after. Buckling up my seatbelt then we were off in Richard's limo heading to the Reeves farm house for the long weekend. The stony silence in the limo was unbearable. I ran a hand down the ruffles at the front my dress and grimaced at the colour grey. It was fitting to the emotions running high in the car.
The four of us riding in the limo to Richards country home was not the ideal combination. A grumpy Jake who looked decidedly unhappy in seeing me attired in Richard's choice, Celine who appeared to be overly unaffected by it all and Richard who hasn't even spared me a glance. I wondered for the umpteenth time why was I here at all.
Smoothing down yet another ridiculous ruffle on my dress I had to agree the dress did do one thing for me. It brought out the grey in my eyes. I can now safely say I viewed the world in all its various shades of grey and there was no black and white answers.
The drive was endless as it was boring. I played with my phone throughout most of it till I lost coverage. Then I glued my vision to the scenery vanishing past my window. Impressive though it was after a while my craning neck started to ache.
That was when I turned to face the other quiet occupants of the limo. Richard was immersed in his laptop no doubt doing work. Celine had a thick serious looking novel open in her lap the type I would never touch for it would be written in a very text bookish tones. Jake was asleep. Sound asleep. Did he not get a good rest last night? I stared at the tired lines about his eyes and wondered how his day went yesterday. I turned more fully so that I may look my fill of him.
His golden brown hair was tousled, his clothes carelessly tossed on and his sleeves were rolled up to display a fine sprinkling of golden soft hair. I ran a hand down his arms to test that softness. A disapproving grunt from Richard's direction had me stopping and yanking my hand back as if I did something wrong. I stared into Richard's fierce gaze and shrunk back into my seat involuntarily. If Jake and Celine were not in the car with us there was no knowing what he would have done. The thought of his kisses only the day before rushed forth to mind. I barely contained the whimper of desire that would make itself known. I watched as his gaze burned hotter as if in sync with my thoughts. Desire flooded me and I squirmed in its heat.
My hand reached out blindly in search for an anchor to ground me and latched on to Jake's arm.
"Huh?" Jake woke up with a jolt. So I spoke the only word that came to mind, "Are we there yet?"
I got a lot of sardonic brow lifts at that. The car fell silent again after that and I turned back to stare out the window. It was not long before I thankfully felt my eyes droop shut.
"Lucy?" I felt a hand press down on my shoulder and gently shake me. I snuggled further up against the warm chest I was lying on. "Hmm...Jake?" I murmured sleepily.
"Lucy was here?"
I raised my head up then to look about and he was right, we were here. My heart lifted up in excitement. Just outside the window the Great Plains ended and the extensive spread of the farm begun. It started with fields and fields of green hay grass and corn grown for cattle ranching then followed on to the actual herd of cows. I saw drovers rigged up in jeans and t-shirt on horseback driving the herd back from the road frontage.
It was a scene straight out of an old western flick. I grew excited about the weekend ahead. I turned to beam up a happy smile at Jake who ruefully returned it but the steady burning sensation at the back of my head demanded my attention. I turned slowly to encounter Richards cold stare on me.
I buried my face back into the soft fabric of Jake's shirt and breathed him in slow calming breaths. I would not let Richard affect me. I would not have him come between Jake and I. With that new resolute decision I turned my narrowed gaze back to meet Richard's head on.
The slight smirk that twitched the corner of his lips was unnerving as if he knew a secret I didn't know off.
"Look Lucy," Jake called my attention away to point out the mansion we were approaching and it was certainly a sight to behold. As we pulled up by the lavish entrance I saw that the other weekend guests had arrived. Rows and rows of Range Rovers, Hummers, Jeeps, Porsche Cayenne and other four wheel drives were scattered about parked along the long drive into the courtyard.
Pulling up by the figure art, a centre piece that stood tall in the middle of a water fountain, we got out of the limo and stretched. I did a slow turn to take in the cultured gardens and manicured green lawns that spread either side of the massive structure. I could get lost in all this splendour and I haven't even taken a step inside yet.
Shaking my head at my errant thoughts I moved to help Jake haul out my luggage. I was glad he had gotten over his unexplained gumption with me and was now even smiling at me. I doubt he was angry over Richard kissing me for I should have guessed that Richard withheld that little bit of information from him. I guessed he would leave that to me. I shot Richard a nasty look before following Jake in.
I lit out of the roo
m eagerly. I was famished and in need of a good breakfast.
Last night had been wonderful. Jake had already been in my room when I came up after dinner.
"Your room? Babe this room is ours." He said smugly. I only leaped onto him and rained kisses over his lovely mug. We stayed up late doing everything but what we wanted most. Jake was adamant we don't rush things and I was just happy to be with him. I left him still snoring in bed. I have plans to visit all those lovely horses this morning. So rather than the lavish concoctions that Richard had purchased for me, I wore my old baggy jeans and T.
We had been given a tour the day before of what was what so I roughly did know where I was going. Hearing voices in the breakfast room I drew closer to peek inside. Spotting Richard mutter on the phone while having his morning coffee had me backing away from the door. I decided to grab some fruits and visit the horses first. I could breakfast later when Jake was up.
The fruits basket was closest to the breakfast room door so I snuck in on tip toes to grab an apple.
"Don't rush off on my account," said the ever vigilant Richard from behind me. I froze on hearing the chair scrape against the polished hardwood surface as Richards pulled back to rise from his seat. I knew he would take the opportunity to approach me and he didn't disappoint.
"So I see you couldn't locate the new pair of jeans I bought you or any of the tops for that matter. Tell me are you at least wearing the underwear I sent you? Hmmm?"
I actually was. The lingerie had arrived later last night. I had even worn a particularly risk shift to bed with Jake. Jake hadn't been happy at Richard's blatantly flaunting his money on me but he could appreciate a sexy apparel as much as the next guy.
"Er.. yes I am. Thank you," I muttered feeling decidedly awkward.
"So why aren't you wearing the jeans I bought you?" he demanded.
"I wanted to see the horses and didn't want them to get dirty," I said practically.
"You didn't..," Richard broke off to laugh out loud at that. I didn't get the joke. So I stared on… disgruntled with him.
"Come have your breakfast. I promise I won't bite," he said still amused. I was hungry so I didn't demure and instead grabbed a plate to heap up with the delicious offerings on the buffet table. Jam and buttered toast simply won't do this morning. I required greater sustenance. It all the fresh country air must agree with me.
I loaded my plate with bacon, eggs, baked tomato, sausage and fruits.
Richard refilled his coffee and took his seat beside me. He started to regale me with funny tales of living in the country.
Breakfast was over all too quick. It was not just me wolfing down my food like there was no tomorrow but it was also Richard's company that had remained strangely non-confrontational for the stretch. That in itself was odd but then he did an even more baffling thing, he escorted me over to the paddocks.
I was in haven. The smell of horse and hay mingled with a dose of Armani was my own personal blend of seduction.
"Monique is a beauty. Just look at those straight lines," I gushed out like a professional prime horse surveyor. "And Gigi has the cutest eyes," I reverted back to the real me all too quick there was only a limited horsey terms in my vocabulary.
Richard only laughed at my descriptions he neither bought my efforts to sound all masterly nor my honest to goodness for real exclamations. "You're shitting me!"
"I shit you not, sir. Do you not see the beauty of your own horses?" I exclaimed annoyed on the horses behalf. Why did he buy them if he thought they were ugly?
"They're not horses. They are Palominos," Richard guffawed at me.
"Palominos are horses! Call them any name you wish," I stamped my foot in annoyance and was about to march off before Richard's hand closed about my waist.
"I paid a fortune for these so I hope you can understand why I found it amusing you thought they were mere horse. But you are right. They are not pure bred Arabian's hence a Palomino is merely a horse. Never mind that their stamina is greater than the average horse or that these two in particular have won their fair share of races," he voice lowered midway to whisper huskily in my ear sending thrills coursing down my spine.
I shivered then and tried to move away. I hated this effect he had on me. I was not even sure I liked Richard. He made me feel too young and inadequate at every turn. I did not see why he had to go out of his way to make me feel...feel...
I lost my train of thought. His fingers caressing the sensitive skin on my nape was distracting to say the least. I moved away from him and he reluctantly released me but not before his regretful sigh had me trembling internally. I held myself together with effort and the tension in the barn was considerable. Echoes of his kisses flooded my mind and I almost swayed back into his arms in reaction.
"Am I interrupting?"
I looked up to see Jake approaching his expression cool and remote. I guess he saw...
"Ah Jake. You can take over from here I think. I have been neglecting my other guests," Richard excused himself and was gone before I could even catch my breath. I huffed it out in small pants as Jake continued his slow walk to close the distance between us. His expression remained inscrutable so that I knew nothing of what he was thinking. It was unnerving. It was also beyond sexy.
Jake stopped to look down earnestly at me then after a lengthy pause he lifted a finger to push back a strand of hair and wound it behind my ear. Then he lowered his lips to press it to mine all the while staring into my eyes. I watched his green flecked in gold darken even as his lips parted and pressed in to part mine.
Then my eyes watered from the strain of meeting his unblinking gaze and I let my lids drop shut and concentrated wholly on his lips moving on mine.
My mouth opened wide as he took it in a wet kiss that seemed bent on consuming me whole. Again and again his lips parted and made contact as he kept diving back in for a better perch… a better angle… a deeper taste.
Our muffled breaths and pants could be heard echoing about the otherwise empty paddock. Finally his grip on my hair relented and he moved his head back. Staring hard down at me. Taking in my kiss swollen lips and lust filled eyes he said, "Don't you ever go anywhere alone with Richard again, Lucy. Don't play the game of making me feel jealous."
Not waiting for me to catch my breath to answer, Jake tugged me out into the open where the bright morning sunlight had me squinting my eyes in the face of the glare. I blinked them open to see Richard staring daggers at Jake and Jake retuning the look with one of his own.
Had Richard seen us kiss? Did Jake know he was watching? Was that why he kissed me the way he did in that very un-Jake-like way.
I did not get the answers to the questions that popped into my mind but I did take charge of the tense situation that was unfolding and grabbed hold of Jake's arm to tug him away from Richard and after me. I led him back up the gentle slope towards the mansion and straight indoors.
I led him past the guests starting to mingle about in the breakfast room and opened the next door to the right. The library. Perfect!
"What was that all about?" I spun around to question Jake angrily but he only caught my lips up with his to continue on where we left off. I tried to pull away but he only held on tighter. He released my bruised lips then to state huskily," You're mine! I won't lose you again."
I groaned out loud. "I was 16 then. That was different," I muttered under my breath.
"You're not that much older now. Anyhow, Richard is too old for you."
My shocked gasp got swallowed whole as Jake took my lips again. I pushed against his chest this time a last decent effort before I had to resort to something brutal like biting his lips off.
His tongue ran teasingly over mine and just like that the mood shifted. I no longer wanted to claw his eyes out. His clothes however, was another matter entirely. I gave in to the urge and the sound of buttons popping filled the silence that followed before Jake's laughter could be heard echoing about.
I shifted annoyed at his change o
f mood. Why is it that the two men who made me feel so ...hot... also had the ability to make me blush red with embarrassment?
"You my darling are so given to passion. I love that about you...I love you," Jake's whispered words had me hotter than before. I yelped as his hands swept into my hair as he pulled my now eager lips for yet more of his wondrous kisses.
It was a while later when we both pulled up for air panting hard that I felt the overwhelming urge to confess to Jake.
"Richard kissed me. ...when we went shopping..." I trailed of awkwardly
"I know he told me. He is a master at manipulation. That is why I keep telling you to stay away from him. He is better at wooing the women than I am. Don't fall for his charm. Did you know he has his latest fling sharing his room over this weekend? Melissa Carr, a porn star of all people. Richard has no scruples he will do whatever it takes to ensure he gets what he's after...."
I tuned out of what Jake was saying as soon as he mentioned Richard's latest flirt. I felt the awful twinge in my middle that could only mean jealousy. I shuddered in horror.
"It’s okay love. I am here. I won't let him try to....."
Thankfully, Jake misunderstood my reactions. But then he didn't really. I did need Jake to save me …from myself.
"All this has been rather entertaining but I would wish that you do not disparage my brother under his own roof," Celine's smooth cool tones had us pulling apart in embarrassment. I hadn't seen her when I entered. The high backed chair she had been seated in faced its back to us concealing Celine from our view.
"Celine you should know better than to eavesdrop. You should have made your presence known," Jake uttered angrily.
"And you should have knocked before entering," snorted Celine before gracefully existing the library. After a quick pause in which Jake and I stared at each other. I rushed on out needing some space from Jake to think.
