by Hope Ford
“This is perfect.” She smiles happily, squeezing my hand.
I laugh. “You don’t even know what we’re eating yet.”
“I don’t care. Whatever you brought is going to be perfect.”
I lead us over to a secluded spot, and she holds the other bag while I spread out the blanket. She sets out the sandwiches, chips, fruit, and of course, I brought slices of peach pie.
“Sorry, next time we’ll get a hot meal.”
She slides around on the blanket until she’s next to me instead of across from me. “Are you kidding? This is great.”
She bites into her sandwich. and we eat as we watch the boats coming in to the harbor.
“So where do you think you’ll go next?” she asks.
She tries to be nonchalant about it, but I can tell it bothers her.
I shrug my shoulders. “I really don’t know,” I tell her honestly. I haven’t even thought about leaving, which in itself surprises me.
“Why do you like it, you think?”
I raise my eyebrows, not understanding her question. “Why do I like what?”
“Traveling. Moving from one place to another?”
“Oh.” I try not to get caught up in my past, but this question always brings it up. I don’t really talk about it, but with Honey, it sort of just comes out. “I, uh, well, it’s not a pretty story.”
She reaches over and touches her hand to my knee. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m just trying to understand you is all.”
“When our parents died, I had to grow up quick. I had Reuben and Millie depending on me, and I had the hardware store. When I met my ex-wife, I thought it was my time to have the life I wanted. Reuben was able to take over the store, and Millie was doing good in school. So I got married and we moved to Syn City. I thought it was the big city she loved, but I think it was because she knew she couldn’t cheat on me and not get caught here in Cherry Falls. I don’t know. But after the divorce, I just started traveling, never staying anywhere long.”
She’s quiet, taking it all in. I can see in her eyes that she has questions, but for once, she’s not blurting them out. I’d rather she ask me. I sort of like that about her. “Ask me.”
She bites her lower lip. “Ask you what?”
“Whatever question you have in there. I can tell you want to ask me something. Don’t hold back.”
Her lashes lower, and I can’t see her clear blue eyes anymore. “Do you still love her?”
“No,” I answer without any doubt at all. “I honestly don’t know if I ever did. Our divorce didn’t devastate me. If anything, I felt free afterwards.” And right now, I’m almost positive I never loved her. I’m positive that leaving Honey right now would hurt me more than it did when I found out my ex was cheating on me.
She curls her hand around mine. “I’m so sorry.”
I shrug my shoulders. I can’t say it’s all right, because it’s not. My whole world changed that night, and now it makes me even more averse to settling down. And that affects my relationships. Including one with her.
“So you just keep moving?”
“Yeah, uh, I sort of get restless if I stay somewhere too long.”
She nods, but I can tell my words are hurting her, and that’s the last thing I wanna do.
“So what’s the longest you’ve stayed in one place since everything?”
“Two months.”
“How long have you been in Cherry Falls?”
I try to add it up. “A month.”
She nods her head as if she’s just now realizing our fate. She leans into my shoulder and snuggles into my side. “Well, I guess I’ll take you as long as I can have you, David.”
I don’t say anything. I can’t. I know this hurts her, but I have trouble believing that I really mean something to her.
“It’s so beautiful,” she says in awe of the moonlight dancing off the bay. There’s people down the beach from us, and I can hear their music. I couldn’t have planned a more romantic setting if I tried.
“I couldn’t agree more,” I tell her huskily, staring at her.
She giggles. “David. I’m talking about that. Look.” She points out to where the bay is.
I just shake my head, not taking my eyes off her. “Why would I look out there when I have the most beautiful woman sitting next to me?”
She opens her lips and then closes them again. I know I’ve shocked her, but I meant it. She is beautiful, and there’s no way I can take it for granted that she chose to be here… with me.
“I want to kiss you, Honey.”
Her tongue slides out between her lips, wetting them. “I’d like that,” she says breathlessly.
I put my lips to hers because there’s no way I can stop myself. We kiss, trying different angles as my hands stroke up and down her arms. She climbs up into my lap and straddles me, the heat of her sex pressed against my manhood. I moan against her lips, wanting to take over, lay her backwards and bury myself so deep inside of her until all I can think about is my future instead of my past.
I run my hands up and down her back until I can’t stand it anymore and cup her ass, pulling her closer to me.
She breaks our kiss, her head falling back, and a moan escapes her. Her hips press down to mine, and I know if I don’t stop, I’m going to be coming in my jeans. I kiss her neck and nuzzle her ear. “Dance with me.”
Her eyes are glazed over. “Here?”
“Honey, if I don’t get you off my lap I can’t make any promises on what happens next.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t care. I want you. I want this.”
I groan, resting my forehead on hers. “I want you too, Honey. But not like this.”
She nods her head, but I don’t think she fully understands. Heck, I don’t either. She’s giving herself to me, and I’m turning her down. I’m either crazy or it’s something else. Something I don’t want to examine right now.
The music is low and changes to different tempos, but Honey and I just keep the same rhythm. She is in my arms, swaying back and forth. I don’t know why I thought this would be easier. Just being this close to Honey drives me wild. But I tamp it down and enjoy the feel of her body pressed to mine, dancing under the stars.
12
Honey
I still can’t believe I talked him into this.
The owner of the Pantry and David are laughing about something in the corner. I’m working with my mom and sister, sorting food into different boxes. I thought for sure when I asked him to come help today, telling him I needed help with the heavy lifting, that there was a chance he’d turn me down. But he didn’t.
He’s been here since early this morning doing any and everything asked of him. The townspeople have all warmed up to him the last couple of weeks. They sort of had to. He’s coming to be known in town as who you call when you need something done. He’s always helping out. Just last week I saw him helping Mrs. Winters get her cat out of the tree. It doesn’t seem that anyone is scared of him anymore. If anything, it’s like they are all flocking to him instead.
“Let me just say, it’s hot the way he’s always looking at you.” Ginger says.
“Ssshh,” I yell-whisper at her. “Really? Can you be any louder? I don’t think Dad heard you back at the farm.”
“Nobody has to tell him, Honey. He’s already noticed the way David looks at you. It reminds me the same way your dad looks at me,” my mom says to me as she waves over at David.
David smiles at us, and I can tell he’s wondering what we’re talking about. He says something to the man beside him and walks over to us. “So what can I do to help, ladies?”
“My sister really needs…” Ginger starts, but I stomp on her toe really hard, and she bends over in pain, hopping around on one foot.
David’s surprised and looks at me. “What do you need, Honey?”
I can feel my pussy clench. Honey may be my name, but the way he says it makes my insides turn to goo. “Uh, we can talk about it
later.”
“We’re about done here. You guys can go ahead and take off.” My mom smiles at us and then winks at me. I shake my head. I tell you, there is nothing normal about my family. First my dad pushing me to get a boyfriend, and now it seems my mom and sister are pushing me to get laid.
I grab on to David’s hand. “C’mon, they’ve got this. Let’s go.”
David tells my mom and sister bye, and I think I’m about to get out the door without any further embarrassment when my sister hollers to us, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
David’s laughing, and I swear I’m about to die right where I’m standing. “So what was going on back there, Honey?”
He brushes a piece of hair off my cheek, and just that light touch of his finger has my insides boiling. Where do I start? Ginger told me I just need to go for it. If I like him, I need to tell him what I want. We’ve had a few makeout sessions, but he keeps holding back. And I know why. Because he doesn’t want to hurt me when he leaves. I take a deep breath, knowing I don’t have the guts to tell him I want more. Not yet.
“C’mon, what is it? You’re worrying me now.”
He’s looking at me so intently I know I have to tell him something. But I can’t tell him the truth. I can’t tell him that I want him, right now, right here. So I tell him about the other thing I’m considering.
David
I rub my beard with one hand while my other hand is holding Honey’s. “I don’t know about this, Honey.”
“Please. I really want to do it,” she pleads with me. “And I want you with me.”
We’re standing outside of the Cherry Bomb Tattoo Parlor, and this is the first time that I’ve ever not wanted to go in. “It hurts,” I warn her.
Her smile doesn’t drop. “I know. But it’ll be fine. As long as you’re with me.”
She doesn’t realize how badly I want to say no. I know this is not a good idea, but I also know that if I don’t do this with her, she’ll just get her sister to bring her. This day started out innocently enough.
Honey talked me into volunteering with her at the Pantry, and while I was there I got to know her sister Ginger and their mother better. It makes a lot of sense that she’s such a strong, good woman with the foundation and good home she has with her family.
Ginger is funny and sweet, and it’s easy to see why Honey worries about her. Men definitely seem to take her friendliness to mean she is into them.
I’ve been dating Honey for a few weeks, and it’s the longest I’ve ever dated anyone without having sex. We’ve gotten hot and heavy a few times, but I didn’t want to push her past what she was comfortable with. Besides, the way I’m always moving around I don’t want her to feel used when I inevitably leave.
Then it hits me that I’ve stayed in this town longer than I’ve stayed anywhere else in over a year. That realization has me anticipating the need to get back on the road, and when it doesn’t appear, I find myself looking into the warm sunshiny smile of Honey.
I feel home when I’m with her.
Just the thought of leaving her makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t do it. I know I can’t. Now I just have to figure a way to keep her.
She’s still looking up at me, hope gleaning in her eyes. I know I can’t tell her no. “Okay, if you’re sure.”
“Yes,” she says excitedly, jumping up and down.
“But only if Ozzie’s working. I know him. I trust him,” I tell her and then silently pray that Ozzie’s not here today.
She nods her head and pulls on my hand so that we walk into the tattoo parlor.
“Hey, David. How’s it going?” Ozzie says as we walk in.
“Hey, Ozzie. I know you’re probably busy, but uh, Honey here is wanting to get a tattoo.”
Please be booked up. Please be booked up, I repeat over and over in my head.
“Well, you’re in luck. My one o’clock just cancelled.”
Well, shit.
13
Honey
I pick out what I want, and Ozzie directs us to a private room in the back. David sits in a chair across from me, and he hasn’t taken his eyes off me. He seems nervous about all of this, but I don’t know why. He’s had several tattoos and he said he trusted Ozzie’s work.
Ozzie seems nice. He too is covered in tattoos, and I find out he’s part owner of Cherry Bomb.
“Okay, so have you thought about where you want it?” Ozzie asks as he’s pulling out equipment.
My eyes flash to David and then back to Ozzie. “Yeah, I’d like it here.” I point to my rib cage, and all of a sudden there’s a low sound from the other side of the room. Almost a growl.
Ozzie and I both stare at David. “You going to be able to handle this or you need to go out front?”
Ozzie and David seem to be speaking some kind of language that I’m not privy to. They say nothing, but it seems like they’re talking about something.
“I’m not leaving,” David grunts.
“I’m going to have to touch her,” Ozzie deadpans.
And then it hits me. Ozzie thinks David is jealous. My eyes flare to David. He stands up, his back straight, and he looks bigger the way he’s carrying himself. He walks to the table opposite Ozzie and grabs on to my hand, squeezing it.
“Get it done,” David mutters.
I look between the two men, and I can see the laughter in Ozzie’s eyes. He thinks this is funny. But the way David is standing next to me, as if he’s standing guard to protect me, makes me a little nervous.
“David, if you don’t want me to do this, I won’t.”
He shakes his head and stares into my eyes. “You want the tattoo?”
I simply nod.
“Fine, you’ll get it. But I’m not leaving.”
“I don’t want you to,” I tell him honestly.
“Okay. Raise your shirt up,” Ozzie interrupts us.
I look at David, and he nods his head, and so I lift my shirt and stop once I reach the strap of my bra.
Ozzie puts on gloves and points to my skin. “Right here?”
I look down at where he’s pointing. “Yes, please.”
He raises the tattoo gun, and just when I think he’s about to touch my skin, he pulls back.
“Hey, David the beanstalk. Can you sit down? You’re blocking my light.”
David grimaces and lets go of my hand, walking over to grab the chair and then bringing it back next to me. He sits down and latches on to my hand again.
David
She’s getting a honey bee. It should take fifteen minutes max. A small little honey bee. It’s cute. Adorable. Just like Honey. But that small little insect is going to drive me crazy. Not because of the tattoo but because my friend—well, who fuckin’ knows if we’ll be friends after this?—is touching my girl.
“Okay, you ready?” Ozzie asks her.
She nods her head, but Ozzie’s not looking at her face. “She’s ready,” I tell him.
The buzz of the machine starts, and I do my best to keep her mind off the pain that is about to come. I hold on to her hand with one hand and make feather-light strokes with my fingers up and down the inside of her arm. She’s staring at me the whole time and doesn’t even flinch when the needle penetrates her skin.
I can’t help but smile. “You’re doing great.”
She doesn’t smile. She just stares back at me. Her gaze is so intense it makes my chest ache. Seeing Ozzie’s hands on her, his head dipped looking at her soft skin is making me feel more possessive than I’ve ever felt in my life. I want to bang my hands against my chest and scream Mine! at the top of my lungs. But I don’t do any of that. I can’t. I’m going to just sit here and keep soothing Honey. Even if it kills me.
What feels like hours later, but is probably only minutes, Ozzie lifts his head, wiping blood off her skin. “It looks good,” he says.
I growl again, and Ozzie just laughs. Honey’s still staring at me, and Ozzie goes over the care instructions before covering her tattoo with sal
ve and then plastic wrap so her shirt won’t stick to it.
Ozzie looks between the two of us. “Uh, I’m going to give you two a few minutes. I’ll be out front.”
Honey mumbles a thank you to him, but she’s still looking at me.
As soon as Ozzie walks out the door and shuts it, she asks me, “David, you okay?”
I shake my head. “I should be asking you that.”
“No. You have a death grip on my hand. What’s wrong?”
I loosen my hold on her, but I can’t let her go.
I shrug my shoulders. “I didn’t like him touching you.”
She raises her hand to cup my cheek. “I’m not her, David. I can’t even imagine looking at another man.”
“I know you’re not her. But seeing his hands on you, I just—” My heart is pounding in my ears. “I need you, Honey.”
She smiles. “You have me.”
I reach down and touch my lips to hers, forcing myself to hold back. The desire to claim her is overwhelming, and I don’t trust myself right now.
I pull back. “I need you on my tongue,” I huskily tell her, reaching for the button of her shorts.
“What if he—?”
“He won’t come in. And if he does, I’ll take his eyeballs out because no one sees you like this. No one but me.”
I wait. It’s not easy, but I’m not going to do this unless she’s comfortable with it.
When she nods her head, I pull her shorts and panties down her legs. I put my hands on her thighs and push them apart, hooking them over my shoulders. Fuck, she looks good.
I bury my face between her thighs, curling my tongue and licking the seam of wet, swollen folds.
She moans, a low sound that comes from deep inside her. She grabs on to my hair and writhes underneath me. “David. Oh God, your mouth. Your beard.”
I smile against her heat, rubbing my chin against her sensitive mound. Her heels dig into my back as if she doesn’t want me to stop. What she doesn’t realize is nothing is going to stop me now. Not until I have her taste on my tongue and her scent in my beard.