Magnolia's Fall From Grace

by Zara Teleg

  “Maggie, have I told you how much I love you?” Sissy looped her arm around my neck. I could smell the whiskey shot she had just downed that some cute guy had sent her.

  “And not just because you helped me get these killer boots.” She stuck out her foot, admiring them again. Her words slurred as her grip tightened. “I can tell that you don’t always feel like you belong here, but you’re practically one of us now. I hope you know that. And I’m not sure what’s happening between you and Venom, but no matter how many times you say you’re just friends, no one looks at their friend that way.” I followed where she was pointing. Vincent, leaning against a wall with a foot kicked back, exhaled smoke as his eyes roamed over me. It sent immediate chills over my whole body.

  “This is the most fun I’ve ever had,” Shannon screamed over the band’s cover of one of her favorite Def Leppard songs. I didn’t know the words, but I apparently was born with rhythm because the music and beer had me moving my body in ways I hadn’t before.

  “Hey, ladies, mind if we join you?” I shivered at the sound of the man’s voice speaking against my ear.

  “No, thank you.” I tried to step away, scanning the crowd for the boys.

  “One dance.” He blocked his body between the girls and me. And before I knew it, the sea of people had separated me from the girls, and Vincent was nowhere in view.

  I spun to face the guy, who was a foot taller than I was. “You’re even prettier than I thought,” he said. The smell of alcohol assaulted me as his bearded face got closer to mine.

  “I’m here with someone.” I tried to back away but was only met with a wall of people.

  “Looks like you’re on your own now.” He twisted my wrist and thrust me against his sweaty chest. My heart hammered as I frantically looked for help. Sissy’s red hair was feet away near the stage, bopping up and down.

  I turned my wrist, freeing it and pushing at him. “Let me go!” I screamed in his face. Hands came around my waist, pulling me into a rigid body, causing me more panic.

  Then I saw Viper squeeze between me and the brute. “I would listen to the lady.”

  “I can’t leave you alone for a minute, beautiful.” I relaxed into Vincent, comforted by his voice.

  Vicious, Viper, and Mongo moved in, surrounding the jerk.

  “Whoa. Whoa. Sorry, I didn’t know she was yours.” His hands went up as he backed away. “I don’t want any trouble.”

  My eyes drifted between the boys, who all had Cajun Kings medallions, proudly glaring at the man.

  “Sorry, babe. You alright?” I nodded. I was more than alright. I’d never felt so safe as when Vincent’s arms were around me. When he let go of my waist, I spun around to face him and placed his hands back where they were. I put my head against his chest as a slower song began.

  Vincent tilted my chin up as he sang to me in a hushed voice. His eyes were connected to mine in such a way that my whole body weakened against him. Our bodies were melting together, and all I wanted to do was get lost in his kiss again. I watched his lips as he continued to sing. My body ached when his hand moved to my thigh under my skirt as he sang out the words to “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” The lyrics did me in. His fingertips were warm on my skin, and I didn’t want him to stop. I swallowed hard and stood on my tiptoes, my eyes never leaving his. I mustered up the courage to take what I wanted, what my body was aching for, and my lips captured his. Sparks fired in my body like the Fourth of July fireworks. All I wanted in the world at that moment was his touch. Vincent lifted me as he backed us up into a wall. He broke the kiss, turning his lips’ attention to the side of my neck. He sucked in my skin, and pain seared through me.

  “Please, can we go somewhere?” I panted into his ear.

  I wasn’t sure if the alcohol had lowered my inhibitions, but when he sang those words about making love to me, my insides burned with need. I wanted to be alone with him. I needed him to make me his. The angel on my shoulder told me that what I was feeling was just lust, that it wasn’t real. But my lips against Vincent’s begged to differ.

  “Are you sure?” His amethyst eyes sparkled under the light as he waited for my answer.

  “I have never been more sure of anything in my life.”

  The desire reflecting in his eyes made the fever ripping through me ignite into an inferno. I reached for the glass of beer on the table, gulping it down, followed by the rest of Shannon’s. I didn’t want to be sober. I needed to drench myself in all the feelings for Vincent I had been repressing. I didn’t need the shy, straight girl who always did the right thing to ruin this moment.

  “Easy.” Vincent stole the glass from my hand before he waved down Viper, signaling we were leaving.

  Vincent turned up the music, and we made out at every light until we reached the clubhouse.

  “Be careful, Maggie.” Vincent aimed the flashlight around, and instead of being afraid of the reflecting eyes, I started singing to them. I was a giggling mess and had trouble walking down the path to his fishing cabin.

  “Doll, you’re wasted.” Vincent put his arm under me as he opened the lock to the door.

  “I’m fine.” I giggled, pulling him into me, closing all space between us. I wanted to taste his lips again. The beer and smoke that would usually be off-putting were all I craved.

  His kisses deepened, his fingers winding through my hair. Following his lead, I ran my fingers through his thick black locks, gripping the tuffs in my hand as my tongue explored his mouth. Vincent slid his tongue over my lips, then down my neck, sending a painful ache to my core. I moaned as he sucked on my skin, and the farther down my neck, the ache became unbearable.

  “Vincent,” I cried as his hand climbed my thigh. With every inch higher, I could feel my body weeping for him to touch me where no one had. I backed up to the small bed that was against the wall. The flashlight that had fallen to the floor was the only light in the room.

  “Maggie.” Vincent was breathless as he watched me pull my shirt over my head, leaving me in just my bra. I reached behind my back, unclipping it. Vincent riffled through his pocket, retrieving his lighter and flicking the small lantern to life.

  “I want to see you, Magnolia. I want to marvel in all the beauty that is you.”

  At his words, the white fabric fell to the floor, and his eyes penetrated me, the flame from the lantern reflecting the fire we both were feeling. I moved back on the mattress, my skirt riding up. Vincent pulled off his shirt. I couldn’t wait to touch his skin and run my fingertips over each of his abdominal muscles. Vincent stood between my legs, pushing them wider apart. He crawled slowly over me, his fingers sliding up to my drenched panties. My back arched, and a feeling of pleasure crashed over me like a tidal wave. A moan escaped my lips as his fingers slid under the fabric and touched my skin. I nearly cried at how good his fingers felt. I wriggled around enough to make his fingers slide over the most sensitive spot. Vincent kissed my breasts, and with his fingers still running through me, a sound I’d never made before left my lips.

  “Maggie, you are so fucking beautiful it hurts.”

  “Please, Vincent, don’t stop. I want you. All of you.” More pleasure rolled through me, building inside as his hardness rubbed against me through his jeans. I ran my hand over the area.

  “Maggie, you are killing me.” Vincent stopped abruptly, standing up. “We can’t. Not like this.”

  “What? What are you talking about?” I grabbed my shirt, pulling it over my naked chest. “I thought you wanted this, wanted me?”

  “Of fucking course, I do. I never wanted anything more in my life. Maggie Grace, you are just the most amazing girl I have ever known, and I am not going to take your virginity unless you are clear and sober and you still want to do this. Darlin,” he leaned over me, placing a hand on each side of my face, “we have all summer, and I am going to savor every moment of my time with you. I want you to be a hundred percent sure you want this. You can’t undo this when it’s done.”

  I was shocked
by what he said but knew he meant every word. Maybe he was right; did I really know what I was asking for? This wasn’t me, I didn’t make rash decisions. But my body ached for him, wept for him, wanted nothing more than to get lost in the warmth of his mouth.

  “You’re right, we should wait, but I’m not ready to leave you.” I reached out my hand.

  “You’re not going anywhere.” His lips captured mine again as my body melted into his.

  Venom

  I held one eye open to see what made the light that pierced my eyelids. The sheet that was hung to act as a curtain over the cabin window was falling, allowing the morning sun to enter. Morning sun? I hadn’t slept through the night ever, not that I could remember. Even when I had been drunk, sleep had always evaded me. But with blonde hair that smelled like flowers splayed across my chest and Maggie’s pale arm across my stomach and her body half-curled on me, I had never slept better.

  I studied the beauty of her face. I watched the rise and fall of her chest as she took each sleeping breath. I closed my eyes, and I could feel her heart beating. I wished I could stay here forever in this moment. When she woke up, I hoped she’d have no regrets; I was afraid if this moment ended, so would we.

  Did I take it too far? Would she be mad? I tried to stay as still as I could to savor every breath, not knowing what would come when she woke up.

  My forever moment ended too soon. The calling of a bird had Maggie stirring. Her eyes popped open, and she looked around. I could feel her body tense before her head moved enough to have those emerald eyes catching mine.

  “Morning, gorgeous.” I kissed the top of her head. “How ya feeling?”

  Maggie’s hand rubbed at her temples. “My head is throbbing.”

  “I got ya.” I had a jug of water in a cooler and always had aspirin around. I pulled a glass from the dusty shelf and, after cleaning it, filled it with water. “Here, you’ll feel better soon.”

  As she drank some water and took the aspirin, I thought of what to say. I didn’t want last night’s events to be the end.

  “I think maybe I should find Sissy and change.” Maggie’s face got washed in pink when she looked at my bare chest and then dropped to the floor.

  I fell to my knees in front of her and took her small hands in mine. I forced her eyes to meet mine. “Maggie. Please don’t be shy about what’s happening between us. I know this is fast for you and I—”

  Surprising me, Maggie leaned in and stopped my words with a kiss.

  “Vincent, the only regret I have is not letting go sooner.”

  I placed my hands under her arms moving her back onto the bed and kissing her entire face before leaving her with one long kiss. “Good, because I wasn’t going to let you go that easy.”

  Maggie smiled. “Is that so?” Mischief laced her tone.

  “It is.”

  I let her up, offering her my hand. “Come on, we can go get breakfast and use the bathroom at the main house.”

  Maggie stopped short when something caught her eye on the way out. She knelt down, picking up a queen chess piece that must have fallen.

  “Do you play chess?” she asked as she studied the piece.

  “Yeah, not so much anymore. Paw-paw used to play with me all the time. I haven’t played in a long time.” I took the piece from her hand and looked at it. I hadn’t seen this in a long time.

  “He taught me how to whittle when I was a kid. We made this set together.” I pulled the hand-carved box and board from under the bed, placing the piece where it belonged.

  “That is amazing, Vincent. These are beautiful.” She ran her fingers over the carved and stained pieces.

  “We should play sometime. I used to play with my brother. He was on the varsity team, but I occasionally beat him,” she bragged.

  “Okay, we’ll see if he just let you win,” I challenged.

  When we got to the main house, everyone but Sissy and Sienna was still asleep. Sissy was drinking coffee on the porch in a bikini, soaking up the morning sun. When she saw Maggie, she nearly spit it out. Her sunglasses dramatically slid down her nose.

  “You bad girl.” She waved her finger at Maggie.

  “Sissy!” Maggie slapped at her arm.

  “Come on, you look like you could use some coffee.” She put her arm around Maggie and walked her inside.

  “What about me?” I opened the screen door she let close on me.

  “You can get some too. There’s plenty in the pot.”

  Sissy poured Maggie a cup, dumping milk and sugar in it.

  “Do you mind if I take a quick shower before we head back?” I asked, loving the way she looked in the morning, sitting at our table.

  “Sure, I’ll drink my coffee and wait for you.” She swept her hair over her shoulder. “Give me ten minutes.” I pecked her cheek and made my way to the bathroom.

  Vicious met me in the hall, a towel around his waist. “Hey, Venom, glad you’re still here. I got word from Ringer last night. Voodoo is coming next week, and before he does, he has a few things we need to take care of.”

  I knew that visit would change everything. Voodoo wasn’t coming unless it was necessary.

  “The good news is, he’s bringing your bikes.”

  That was good news. I perked up at the thought of taking Magnolia for a ride, having her arms around me, feeling her body pressed against mine as we drove. My mouth curled into a grin as I daydreamed for a moment.

  “Did you hear me?” Vicious asked.

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “So you’ll go see Paw-paw Virgil?” He crossed his arms, knowing I wasn’t paying attention the first time.

  “I got it. I’ll get it done.”

  “You should take Maggie with you. I think he’d like her. She might help you with the old man.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Chapter 11

  Magnolia

  “I’ll see you later this week.” Sissy hollered after us from her spot, sitting on the old railing with her legs kicked up, downing another cup of coffee.

  I waved. “See you, then.”

  “What was that all about?” Vincent asked as we loaded into the old pickup.

  “Nothing, we’re just going to go out after our shift sometime this week. A girls’ night.”

  Vincent beeped and began yelling, “Viper, are you planning on walking back? If you don’t get your ass moving, I’m leaving without you.”

  The screen door slapped against the wall as he came out with no shirt, a pair of jeans, one boot on and the other he was struggling to pull on, and a donut between his teeth.

  “Viper, you’re going to choke, eatin’ in such a rush,” Sienna hollered after him as he ran and jumped in the back.

  “What are you waiting for?” Viper smacked the side of the bed. “Let’s go.”

  “Morning, Maggie Grace.” His eyebrows waggled as he reached into the window of the cab, turning up the music.

  I threw my head back and laughed as he sang.

  Viper being along for the ride made it easy for us not to talk about what happened last night. When we parked at the mission, Vincent jumped out and ran to my side, opening the door for me.

  “Such a gentleman,” Viper teased.

  “Well, that’s how you treat a lady.” Vincent took my hand and helped me out before reaching inside and grabbing my bag.

  “I’ll walk you to your cabin.”

  I could tell he had something he wanted to say. He had that same look on his face whenever he had a question during our morning chats.

  “What’s on your mind?” I nudged him with my elbow as we walked.

  “How did you…?”

  “We have been spending a lot of time together. I am getting to know your looks.” I searched his face as I waited for his response.

  “I have to go see my grandaddy, Paw-paw Virgil, this week. It’s been a long time.” He kicked at the ground as we walked. “I was hoping you’d come with me.”

  “Meet your granddad? The
one who taught you to whittle?”

  “Yup, the same one.” He smiled warmly.

  “Uh, yeah, sure, why not? But are you sure? Why would you want to bring me?”

  “Because you’re good company and you mean a lot to me. I know he would love you. The Landry men are suckers for beautiful women.”

  I could feel my face burning as we stopped in front of my door.

  “I had a real good time with you last night, Maggie Grace.” He took my hands in his and looked into my eyes. When his finger found my chin, my heart fluttered. He tilted my chin up, then his lips descended softly on mine, setting even my ears on fire.

  “I’ll see you later?”

  Before I could answer, my cabin door flew open, Shannon bounding out. “I thought I heard you.” She smiled, revealing all her braces. “Sorry. Am I interrupting?”

  I said no while Vincent said yes with a chuckle.

  “See ya.” Vincent jumped off the step and started to his cabin, lighting a cigarette as he walked away.

  “You better give me all the details.” Shannon pulled me into the door to sit on the bed, where she waited for me to speak. “Come on, Maggie, you are killing me. When Sissy dropped me off. She said she doubted you’d be back, and she was right.” She steepled her fingers. “Spill it, girl.”

  “Nothing happened.” I tried to play it down as I fussed with the edge of the bedsheet.

  “Fine, I’ll get it out of you someday.” Shannon jumped on her bed, covered her ears with headphones, and began singing.

  I helped out with the big Sunday dinner that was being hosted in the picnic grove. It was a crab boil, and the crowd was filing in, sitting at the picnic tables.

  “Can I help?” I recognized Alcide’s voice.

  “That cooler looks awfully heavy.” He leaned over and extend his muscular arms taking the ice-filled chest from my arms.

  “Thanks. What are you doing here?” I grabbed two more bags of ice and pointed to the area we were finishing setting up.