The Whiskey Effect: A Small-Town Standalone Romantic Comedy

by J. W. Ashley

  It’s hot. Erotic. And I want more.

  Quickly, he undoes my laces and tosses my shoes to the side then my jeans. As he climbs back up my body, his hands work the muscles of my legs, kneading as they move further up toward where I’m aching for him.

  “Leo.” His name is a whisper—a plea—honestly, I have no damn clue at this point.

  “Yes?”

  “I need you.”

  He chuckles. “You’ll have me, Claudia. Patience never killed anyone.”

  “No,” I agree, breathless. “But I might if you don’t get your ass up here.”

  His deep laugh reverberates through me, my body reacting to the deep baritone vibrating against the delicate skin of my inner thigh. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” Leaning down, his warm tongue glides over the thin fabric of my underwear, and I arch up on the bed. The delicious friction is nearly enough to send me over the edge.

  “Like that, huh?” he whispers against me. “Tell me, Claudia.”

  “Yes,” I say, unable to form any more than that. He’s driving me absolutely wild with need—with delicious, spine-tingling pleasure.

  Too soon, he’s gone, pulling away from me, and I sit up quickly, getting to my knees and gripping the front of his jeans. I pop the button of his jeans open and grin up at him as I shove them down.

  “I’d say we’re even now,” I say as I study his red-and-black-checkered boxers. The guy is literally wearing lumberjack underwear.

  In one swift move, Leo has me on my back and is covering my body, his mouth on mine. He grinds into me, the thin fabric that’s separating us not nearly enough to keep us apart and yet too much of a barrier.

  Frantically, he shoves my panties aside and slides his fingers against my wet heat. I cry out, and his lips steal the sound as I arch back off the bed.

  His lips leave mine, and he buries his face in the crook of my neck as his fingers furiously drive my body closer and closer to the release I’m desperately chasing. “You’re so fucking wet,” he groans, the sound vibrating against my skin. “So fucking wet,” he repeats.

  “I want you,” I say. “Desperately.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Fuck yeah.”

  He chuckles against me, and I arch up into his hand as he dips a finger inside of me. “Shit, Claudia, you’re going to drive me wild.”

  “Then get inside of me.” I reach down and grip him through the fabric of his boxers. He’s hard in my palm, and I grind my hips up into his hand again. “I want you inside of me,” I say, breathless. “Now.”

  He steps back and shoves his boxers down. I reach back and unclip my bra, sitting up and letting it fall to the side. He drinks me in as I do him, the sight of him naked before me, the most wonderfully arousing thing I’ve ever seen.

  Reaching into his nightstand, he pulls out a condom and opens the packaging. When he starts to roll it on, I shake my head.

  “Let me.”

  He locks gazes with me, bright eyes watching me as I take the condom from him and place it over his tip. Leo swallows hard as I slowly, purposefully, roll the sides of the latex down over him, squeezing softly as I go. I lean forward and kiss his hip before lying back on the bed. Lifting my hips, I remove my panties and toss them to the floor so I lie before him completely naked.

  “You’re fucking perfect,” he says as he covers me, settling down between my legs.

  I arch up, and he slides into me. I cry out as he fills me, the pressure pushing me closer to the release I ache for.

  “Fucking-A, Claudia. I don’t—” He slides in the rest of the way and stills. The pressure is nearly too much, but as my body accommodates, he begins to move. The silky friction building as my release grows closer and closer.

  He slides out and thrusts in, again and again, his hand reaching up to cup my breast. Lowering his head, he takes my nipple into his mouth, gently nipping and sucking—the delicious pull unraveling the threads of the orgasm I’m teetering on. I cry out his name as my release rips through me.

  Body shaking as I shatter around him, he thrusts twice more and lifts his face from my breast, capturing my mouth with his as his own breaks free and he throbs inside me.

  Somewhere, thunder booms, but it’s nothing compared to the hammering of my heart. Leo pulls out, falling onto the mattress beside me. “That was—” he starts.

  “Amazing? Thrilling? Heart-stopping? Toe-curling?”

  He chuckles. “All of the above.”

  “I mean, I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to move again,” I say, half-joking. I’m deliciously satisfied, my body feeling like jelly that is melting in the heat.

  Leo lifts an arm and puts it behind his head as he stares up at the ceiling. Rolling over on my side, I run a finger over the ridges of his muscled chest. There’s a small dusting of hair over his chest, and I trace the outline of it. I don’t touch the scars, not wanting to spoil the moment with whatever memory caused the permanent marring of his skin.

  “I hope you’re up for a repeat,” I say, my gaze flickering up to his.

  He laughs. “You’re insatiable.”

  “With you, it definitely seems that way,” I say with a grin.

  Leaning forward, he kisses me quickly before pushing to his feet. “You hungry?” He walks across the loft to the open bathroom door and turns to face me.

  “Starved,” I say. “I think I’ve worked up quite the appetite.”

  “Great.” He walks out and grabs a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt. He dresses quickly and walks past where I sit on the bed. Kneeling on the edge, he leans down and cups my chin, tipping my face up and kissing me gently. “I’ll go fire up the grill.”

  Leo

  “So, I guess we can add master chef to my list,” Claudia says, a sexy smirk on her face. I look over my shoulder at her as I finish washing dishes. Wearing one of my shirts, the fabric barely covers her perfect ass, and the sight of her in my clothing thrills me more than I care to admit.

  The sex—damn, the sex. It was the best I’ve ever had, and I’m already ready for round two. “I’m glad you liked it.”

  “Liked it?” She snorts. “That was the best meat I’ve ever had.”

  I glance over my shoulder and see her smiling again, a devious glint in her moss-green eyes that tells me she knew exactly what she was saying.

  “There’s more where that came from,” I say with a smile.

  “Good.” She sighs. “I guess I should probably go get dressed.”

  The thought of her leaving sucks, but I ignore my initial thought, which is to tie her to my bed and never let her leave.

  I’m pretty sure that’s illegal. Plus, she’s already made it clear what she’s looking for, and long-term? Not on her list. If I have to choose between having her for a short time or not at all, well, I think you know what I’d pick.

  I finish drying the last of the plates and set it on the drying rack before I turn to face her, leaning against the counter. “You could stay,” I offer. “I make a mean pancake.”

  She grins, the smile lighting up her beautiful face. “Can I step into the barn and call Lena? I want to check in on her.”

  “Of course.”

  Claudia pushes off the stool and grabs her phone from the counter. “I’ll be back in a few.”

  “Sounds great.” She heads for the door, throwing a mess of red curls over her shoulder, and I watch, tongue practically hanging from my mouth, as she sashays away from me and slides the barn door closed behind her.

  Thunder booms outside, and Lila wines, so I kneel down to the floor and rub her soft black fur. “It’s just a little storm, girl. Nothing to be worried about.” After one last rub, I straighten and stretch as the door slides open and Claudia steps in, shutting it softly behind her.

  “All good?”

  “All’s good. Apparently, they don’t miss me at all.”

  She sets her phone on the counter and crosses the floor to me. The sexy strut making my pulse race as blood hammers through
my veins. She’s so fucking beautiful, and when she slips her arms around my waist, we’re a perfect fit. Thoughts of long-term have never assaulted me this way—not after only one day. But damn, the only thing I can focus on is giving myself more of her—more of us before she bails and goes back to Idaho.

  “What a shame.”

  “I figured I should be somewhere where I would be missed if I were gone.” Lifting up on her tiptoes, she presses a kiss to my lips, and I tighten my grip on her, pulling her against my body. “Would you miss me if I left, L.L.?” she whispers against my mouth, and I take her lips again, sliding my tongue against hers, devouring her as I slide my hands down her body and cup her round ass.

  “I really fucking would,” I say, my voice deeper than usual and betraying the lust pushing me into overdrive.

  “Then I think this is where I should stay.”

  “I’d say that’s only fair.”

  Thunder booms outside, and the windows shake, moments before rain hammers down on the metal roof, the loud pings blocking out any other noise. Claudia jumps, and I grin down at her. “Want to see something cool?” I ask loudly, and she nods without hesitation.

  Gripping her hand, I lead her back out into the barn. Before heading down the breezeway though, I pull her to the right and up a narrow, partially hidden staircase. It’s my biggest secret—my private place where I gather thoughts. Shit, sometimes I sleep up here.

  We’re stepping up onto the platform as lightning streaks across the sky, on full display via the large skylight I had installed. It’s nearly as wide as I am tall and stretches the length of the small, hidden room above the barn.

  “This is amazing!” Claudia exclaims, and I grin.

  Rain pounds on the glass pane above us, and Claudia tightens her grip on my hand as more lightning shoots across the sky, moments before thunder shakes the barn.

  “This is intense!” she says loudly.

  I can barely hear her over the storm, and I’m only a few inches away. “I’ve always loved storms.” Even after my deployments, the sounds of thunder were soothing to me where I know a lot of my brothers weren’t so lucky.

  But to me, storms have a way of blocking out all the other white noise that would otherwise lead me down a dark lane of memories I don’t want any part of. It’s honestly one of the reasons I wanted a metal roof.

  “I love storms too!” she calls over the noise.

  I can’t keep my gaze from drifting down to her. Strong jaw tipped up, she’s watching the sky through the pane of glass, the lightning flashing in her eyes. I know it’s cheesy as shit, but I honestly can’t help but draw similarities from the storm raging outside to the one inside of me as I stand here beside her.

  She’s a force to be reckoned with—I can see that much. A woman who hit me with the force of a category four hurricane. A damned storm is raging around me, but I don’t seek shelter.

  Because I want nothing more than to drown in her rain.

  10

  Fact: It’s Impossible To Hate A Butterfly

  Claudia

  “Auntie Claudia! Get up! It’s breakfast!” I open my eyes and peer at the most adorable little girl in the world.

  “I can’t,” I reply dramatically. “My legs don’t work anymore.”

  She bounces on the edge of the air mattress, and I reach out for the floor before I faceplant. “Come on! Mommy made porridge.”

  “I’m sorry, Cake. I’m broken.”

  Becca dramatically rolls her eyes. Something she absolutely learned from me. “Mommy said to tell you she’s going to come in and kick your booty if you don’t get up.”

  “Well then, I guess I should listen.” I groan excessively as I get out of bed, stretching as I go. “Come on, Cake.” Reaching down, I scoop up a giggling Becca and step into the hall.

  “I see you got lazy bones up. Good job, kiddo!” Lena reaches for Becca, so I let her go, and she latches onto her mom's neck.

  “I’m not lazy.” I stick my tongue out and head for the coffee pot for some freshly brewed joe. Truth is, I’d meant to get up about three hours ago and get started on some design work for an author client.

  But after not getting much sleep this weekend—I’d needed to get caught up on some Zs.

  “How was your weekend?” Lena asks as I pour my coffee, add some cream, and take a seat at the table.

  “Bliss,” I reply.

  “Here you go, sweetness.” Lena sets a bowl of oatmeal—or porridge, as Becca calls it—in front of her daughter.

  “Thanks, Mom!”

  “You want some?” she asks me, and I shake my head.

  “I’m pretty sure I gained about thirty pounds this weekend. Leo’s an amazing cook.”

  Lena grins at me, the gesture telling me she bets I more than worked off anything I could have eaten. And she’s not wrong. Leo is a damn animal in the sack. It’s a wonder I can move at all after the shit we did this past weekend.

  “You enjoy your breakfast, okay, sweetie? I want to talk to Auntie Claudia for a minute.”

  “Okay.”

  Lena turns on some cartoons, and I get to my feet to follow her out onto the porch. The sun is freshly risen, bathing the world in bright orange light. The backyard is bordered with trees that sway in the early morning breeze, filling my lungs with the scent of pine.

  “So,” Lena says, taking a seat on a patio chair. She pats the spot next to her, and I oblige. “Tell me about your weekend since you barely called at all.”

  I grin. “I was a little busy.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you were.” She smiles and pushes some of her blonde hair back behind her ear. I’ve always been jealous of Lena’s easy beauty. When we were growing up, she was this beautiful pageant queen, and I was an awkward redhead who hadn’t quite grown into her ears or teeth.

  It wasn’t until I hit seventeen that I finally felt like I was even mildly attractive. But not Lena, she’d always been beautiful and just as kind.

  A wonderful soul.

  “He’s a pretty awesome person.”

  “So, you like him?”

  I shrug. “As much as I like anyone. But at the end of this month, we’ll high five, congratulate each other on some amazing sex, and move forward.”

  “I wish I could do the same.”

  I reach over and wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Everything will work out.”

  “It’s going to be awkward as hell in this town when Graham realizes Becca is his.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because then I can’t leave. I’m stuck here with an entire town of people who hate me for what I’ve done.”

  “No one is going to hate you, Lena. It’s impossible to hate a butterfly.”

  She snorts. “I’m hardly a butterfly.”

  “Sure you are. You’re beautiful, gentle, sweet; all you’re missing are the wings.”

  “Not sure how I feel about being compared to an insect.”

  I take a deep breath, inhaling crystal mountain air. It’s insane how oxygen can be peaceful, but it is. Just breathing in the clear air soothes me, and I close my eyes, leaning against my best friend.

  “You have to stop worrying so much about what other people think, Lena. You’re doing what’s best for your daughter, and while—yes—you probably shouldn’t have waited so long, you’re here now. Anyone who gives you a hard time can eat a dick.”

  Lena snorts, coffee spewing from her nose. I move my arm as she leans forward, coughing. “Seriously?”

  “What?” I ask innocently.

  “Eat a dick?”

  “They can. It takes a lot of courage to face the music, Lena.”

  “It would have been more courageous to deal with it from the beginning,” she says sadly.

  I shake my head. She knows exactly where I stand with this whole Graham thing. She should have told him from the beginning, but she’d been doing what she thought was best. Even if it turns out she was wrong.

  “Mommy!”

  “What is it,
honey?”

  “Someone’s at the door!”

  Lena pushes to her feet, and I stand, stretching before following her into the house. “Well, well,” I say with a grin when I see who’s on the other side.

  Baseball cap low over his eyes, Leo smiles at me. “Good morning.”

  I step out onto the front porch, shutting the door behind me. “Isn’t this a surprise.”

  Leo reaches for me, and I step toward him. His lips meet mine, a tender kiss that stirs my blood. “I missed you.”

  “You just saw me yesterday,” I reply softly, and he kisses me again.

  “I guess you’re right, I’ll just go then.” He starts to pull away, and I yank him to me. With a chuckle, he lifts and spins me in a small circle.

  “You on your way to work?”

  “I am, but I wanted to see you.”

  “Well, your timing is perfect. I was about to change for a run.”

  “I wouldn’t say that’s perfect timing. Perfect timing would have been pulling up while you were leaving for a run.”

  I laugh. “I can arrange something like that.”

  Leo kisses me again before pulling back and letting me slide down his body. I keep my arms wrapped around him, not quite ready for this feeling to end.

  “So, I was hoping I could take you out tonight.”

  I can’t keep the smile off my face or soothe the butterflies dancing wildly in my belly. “Oh, like a date?”

  “Exactly like a date.”

  I purse my lips. “I don’t know. I mean, you’ve already seen me naked, you really don’t have to work so hard.”

  “I feel like if I’m going to keep you entertained for the rest of the month, I’m going to have to do something.”

  His arms are wrapped around me, and the scent of his masculine aftershave surrounds me. I can’t help myself. I inhale, breathing him in as I lean forward and kiss him. Something about Leo drives me wild, absolutely bananas, and I honestly believe I’m going to be bummed when I have to go back to Idaho.

  I swallow hard, not interested in thinking about leaving just yet. “I would love to go on a date with you.”