by Sam Crescent
“This is not a date.”
“I agree. This is simply a nice lunch that we’re going to be sharing together.” He placed the bag on her desk, and she sighed, opening it up. “Are you always busy here?”
“Sometimes. It depends on if they need extra hands in the town around here. We all try to help each other out.” She took out a cheeseburger that he’d bought, and he watched her take a bite. “Thank you.”
“It was no trouble.” He sat, eating lunch with her.
When they were finished, she left and grabbed them both a cup of coffee, handing one to him.
“So, how about Friday night?”
She pushed out a breath. “Look, you seem really nice, and my dad likes you, clearly. But I’m not dating. I’m sorry. It’s not going to happen.”
“That’s okay. I can be patient.” He finished his coffee and saw he had ten minutes to make it back to work. “You’ll be in for a treat. I do like to dance.” He gave a twirl and heard her laughter.
One day, she’d be his.
****
Dwayne continued to share lunch with her every single day during the week. The weekends were her only reprieve, but she didn’t work there, and instead volunteered at the school to help raise money at different fairs they held through the summer.
Since her ass got dumped, Blair had used it as a way to distract herself. It was also fun for the kids and families just to get out and to do something together.
She twirled the stick of candies and handed one to a little girl, taking the change.
“So, tell me about him,” Linda asked.
“Tell you about who?”
“The fireman that is, like, all the rage around town.”
She chuckled. “There’s not much to tell.”
“There’s not? Then why do I have it on good authority that he comes to your work with lunch every single day for the past week?”
“You shouldn’t believe gossip.”
“This is not gossip.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, we’ve had lunch together.”
“Are you dating?”
“Nope, we’re not dating,” Dwayne said, stepping up to the booth. “She has yet to say yes to an invite to go on a date. It’s rather rude, don’t you think?”
Her entire body got warm as he stared at her. It was like she could see every single dirty thought that he had about her.
“Absolutely. How can you turn any date down, Blair? You’ve got to get out there.”
“I don’t suppose I could borrow her. Could I?” Dwayne asked.
“Certainly.”
Before she knew what was happening, Linda had pushed her in Dwayne’s direction.
“I’m working.”
“No, honey, you’re volunteering, and I’m saying you need to have some fun.” Linda winked at her. “One day you’ll thank me.”
So there, in the middle of the fair, she stood with Dwayne. “This is not a date.”
“I know it’s not. This is a fair, and we’re going together. Besides, I’m the newbie, and you’re the polite citizen helping me around.” He offered his arm, and seeing no reason to not take it, she slid her arm in his.
“You know you could have any woman you want.”
“I’m here with you, Blair. There’s no other woman.”
She had heard through gossip that a couple of women had approached him and he turned them down flat. She wasn’t going to deny, she got warm inside at the thought of being the reason. Also, she felt guilty for making this hard for him. She just didn’t want to get hurt again, and with him being new, she didn’t know him. It was getting harder to deny him.
Stop that. You don’t want to date him.
Over the past week though, she’d found it more of a struggle to say no. He was so nice, and he charmed her. She couldn’t deny that.
He made her smile and drew her in with each of his tales of work in the city, of some of the calls he’d been out on, and of course, she felt for him as several of his friends hadn’t made it when they’d been helping others. “I’m so sorry that you lost some people. That must have been really hard.”
“It was.”
She placed a hand on his shoulder, wanting to offer him some comfort. That kind of pain must be indescribable.
They stopped at one of the booths to grab some drinks, and then they walked around the fair together. “You put all of this together?”
“Not myself. I volunteer, so I help.”
“Is it because of your ex that you volunteer?”
She shook her head. “My mom and my aunt love to be involved, so I always had a part. I have done more since I became single. Do you like the fair?”
“It looks like a lot of fun.”
For the next hour, Dwayne took her to each booth, forcing her to play games. Not that it was much force. He simply handed her the bags that she had to throw at clown heads, or the gun she had to shoot water out of. Then of course, she had to go fishing, which she sucked at.
“I really need to get back,” she said as he took the large bear that he’d won.
“This is for you,” he said, handing the bear to her.
“I can’t take this.”
“Yes, you really can. I won it for you, and now you can think of me every single night when you see it.”
She shook her head and sighed. “You don’t give up, do you?” She kept asking that.
“I’m not going to give up.” He stepped close to her. “And deep down you don’t want me to give up.”
“I better go put this in my car.” She didn’t want to get too close to him, and he was right. She felt herself wanting him to kiss her.
Stepping away from him, she went back to her car, which was parked in the school parking lot with many other cars. Placing the bear inside, she closed the door and saw that Dwayne had followed her.
He stepped up close to her, cupping her cheek. “I’d never hurt you.”
“I’m not afraid.” She was wet.
His thumb brushed across her lip. “One taste.” His lips pressed against hers, and instead of pushing him away, she gripped his shoulders, holding him tight to her. His tongue traced across her mouth, and she opened up. He took advantage, plundering inside, and she closed her eyes, moaning, desperate for more.
“You taste so good,” he said, holding her tightly. “One time is never going to be enough.”
“We shouldn’t be kissing.”
“We should be doing a lot more.” He pulled away though. “Until you’re ready, I can wait. I’m a very patient man.”
She stared at him, and she wanted more. Her body was on fire, but she didn’t give in. She refused to. “Thank you so much for the bear.”
“You’re welcome.”
Reluctantly, she pulled away from him and headed back to one of the booths. Not with Linda—she’d give her the third degree—but one where she was able to get stuck in and avoid any more thoughts of Dwayne and his wicked lips.
Chapter Three
“This is where you need to be on a Friday night,” Ben said. “Out with the boys, enjoying a drink, dancing, and meeting a few of the women.”
Dwayne took a sip of his beer and glanced around the bar. It was the town bar, and there was a local band playing. It had been another week, which meant five days of lunches, and now he worked like crazy on his home, mainly because he rarely saw Blair throughout the week.
No matter what anyone said it wasn’t a lost cause. He’d felt the response in her kiss at the fair. She’d wanted him. She just kept on denying them both, but he could live with that. There were moments when he saw she was tempted by him, and she was merely fighting herself. He’d known from hearing the gossip around town that she was a sweetheart, and they were shocked she was making him wait so long. He caught signs of this personality when she dropped her guard. She’d been hurt in the past, and he understood that. He didn’t mind waiting to claim her.
He watched the couples dancing, wanting nothing more than to have B
lair in his arms. As if his thoughts alone conjured her, she came in with a group of women and headed straight to the bar. He recognized Linda from the booth, and he knew without a doubt she wouldn’t be a problem.
Casey, the local hairdresser, he’d turned down flat. He only had eyes on one woman.
“You’re not going to give up,” Ben asked.
“I want what I want,” he said, not even trying to hide the woman he was looking at.
“Well, if anyone can get her, it’ll be you.”
While the men continued to talk, he listened with only half an ear as he watched Blair. She stood on the edge of the group, often smiling and talking every now and again. She looked happy, and for now he didn’t want to bug her.
The moment she spotted him, he knew. Her cheeks went a bright red, and she licked her lips. It was becoming a tell from her when she licked her lips, as it was a signal that she was thinking some dirty things, especially as her chest got all flushed, and he’d see her nipples poking against her shirt. He knew when a woman was aroused, and Blair could be standoffish, cold at times, but there was no way she could hide her attraction to him. It was one of the reasons he hadn’t given up—and also, he liked her. He liked that she wasn’t giving in too easily, or giggling over every single word he said.
He was getting to know her, and he liked that.
Blair would be his soon enough, and he knew this interest wasn’t about the chase; far from it.
When he felt enough time had passed, he got to his feet and made his way over to her. All conversation stopped, but he wasn’t about to step away. “Would you like to dance?”
She nodded, finishing off her drink and taking his hand.
Leading her onto the dance floor, he placed his hands on her hips, pulling her close. “We’ll be the talk of the town. The chief’s daughter and the new fireman getting it on, dancing closely together.” He winked, to which she giggled.
“You’re a very patient man, I will grant you that.”
“That date?”
“Why are you so determined to have a date?”
“Because it’s the nice and polite thing to do.”
She licked her lips. “I … can’t we just hang out? Have some fun. Does it have to be a date?”
“It can be whatever we like. I even consider a trip to the zoo a date.”
“I don’t like zoos.”
“How can you not like zoos?”
“Because I don’t. I always think the animals look so sad. It’s no big deal.”
“I hate reptiles. I always skip it when I visit the zoo.”
“Do you go there often?”
“Not really. I guess not ever now. They were something cool as a kid,” he said.
“You’re easy to talk to.”
“Be careful. That’s a full compliment.”
“I can give them.”
“I’ll let them go to my head.”
“I’ve missed this.”
“What?” he asked, curious.
“Having fun with someone, dancing, relaxing. It’s nice. Thank you, Dwayne.”
“You’re welcome.”
She leaned forward resting her head on his chest, and he closed his eyes, loving her closeness. The scent of lemon was a comfort to him.
“He hurt me,” she said.
He didn’t say a word as she told him what was bugging her.
“I thought he was going to ask me to marry him when he told me he couldn’t do it anymore. That he couldn’t stand to be in a small, stupid town with stupid people. That he was a big fish like a shark, and he had to go and find other pretty fish.”
Dwayne struggled not to laugh. “If it makes you feel any better, he’s entered the ocean of great white sharks. He’s going to get eaten up and tossed to the bottom of the ocean for scraps.”
She lifted her head. “I thought I loved him. I don’t want to lose a part of myself again. He made me doubt who I was. I didn’t even see that he was unhappy and that he’d been trying to leave for some time by pushing me away.”
“That’s because he’s an asshole, and no one in their right mind should ever want to push you away.”
She nodded. “I will go on a date with you.”
“Sorry, not going to happen. We’re going to hang out. You’re going to get to know me, and when you’re ready, we’ll see about going on that date.”
He was a patient man, and he wasn’t willing to force her into something she wouldn’t want.
“Getting to know each other is going to be on a date,” she said.
“You can label it what you want, but that’s not how I’m going to see it.” He gave her a big smile, which she couldn’t help but respond to.
“You’re really something else.”
“You better believe it. Now, I’m going to let you enjoy your evening with your friends. I will be asking you to dance, often. See you soon.” He took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles, giving her every part the gentleman.
The ladies she was with gave him a giggle.
Nodding at them, he made his way toward his own group.
Ben was laughing. “Wow, you really know how to make them swoon. We don’t do the knuckle kissing thing here.”
“Maybe you should.” He’d never kissed a woman’s knuckles before. He’d never wanted to, but with Blair, he wanted to treat her with respect, and to show her that not all men were bastards. “The guy before, who was he?”
“Oh, you’re on about her ex. He worked at the bank. He never really fit in, and it showed. He had an attitude. Chief never liked him, so he was relieved when he finally dumped her. Blair was heartbroken for a long time. A lot of people hope you don’t do the same.”
“I won’t.”
No, he saw a treasure when he looked at her, and he intended to rock her world.
****
“You like to go strawberry picking?” Blair asked, reaching down to grab some of the juiciest strawberries she’d ever seen.
She was in an ice cream making mood, and with strawberries being at the height of season and irresistible, she didn’t see a reason not to do it. Dwayne had also found out where she lived, and asked her out. She’d already been on her way out, and he’d offered to come and help.
“Why not? I’ve never done it before, and it’s always a chance to learn a new skill.”
“You do surprise me.” She couldn’t resist strawberries. They were her favorite, and the local grower knew how to make them just perfect. He always opened up his fields for people and families to come and pick. This was just one of the many reasons why the city never appealed to her.
The cars, the large buildings, rarely any fields or greenery for miles—she didn’t see what could hold people, unless it was the prospect of making money.
Humming to herself, she kept on picking.
“So, what are we doing with these berries?” he asked.
“I’ve got ice cream and jam. I also like to freeze some, so that I can have them on hand.”
“I’ve never made jam or ice cream before.”
This made her pause. “Do you want to see?”
“I’m not going to eat all of these before they rot. I can’t think of anything better than learning how to make both. I will get to try some, I take it.”
She laughed. “Yes, you will.”
Loaded up with several cartons of strawberries, she paid the bill for their weight, and Dwayne drove them back to her home.
There, she got them in the sink, washing them and removing the stems. Dwayne then took them out, chopped them up, and placed them in the many different-sized jugs she had available. The ones she wanted for the freezer she put in one jug, whole, without the stems. She dried them and placed them in a bag, labeling them before putting them away.
“Right, what are we going to make first?”
“I’d say the ice cream. We need a custard base first.”
Together, they whisked egg yolks and sugar, and she got the cream and milk simmering on the st
ove.
They were laughing as they tried not to split the custard, and she used his muscles to whisk like crazy when it nearly caught.
Straining it through the sieve, she pressed some plastic wrap on the surface and ran a hand over her forehead. That was a close one.
“Wow, that was intense. I thought going into a burning building was tough.”
“Don’t be silly. What you do is the tough part.” She was very aware of the danger that came with being a fireman. There had been a couple of occasions she’d nearly lost her dad because of it. She recalled being at the hospital waiting for news on his condition. Her father’s left leg was covered in burn scars from being trapped. For a short time, they’d thought he’d lose his leg, but he’d gotten through the surgery and grafts.
They made the strawberry compote that she was going to mix with the ice cream, before moving onto the jam.
Dwayne was a keen learner, and he listened to all of her instructions. By seven o’clock, they were sitting out in her yard after enjoying some grilled steak, eating some of their homemade ice cream.
She had a churner, which made it so soft, and stopped any of those horrid ice crystals from forming.
“I really enjoyed today,” he said.
“Me too. I didn’t expect you to be so into making ice cream.”
“With how this tastes, I expect you to bring me many different flavors. I take it you do them?”
“I do. Apart from when I’m heartbroken. There’s never enough ice cream for me to enjoy.” She licked her spoon clean, and when she glanced over at him, she saw that his gaze was on her lips.
“When you do stuff like that, it’s hard for me to remain a gentleman.”
She didn’t say anything. Her pussy was already growing slick at the promise in his eyes. She knew exactly what he saw when she licked the spoon, and her own gaze landed on his body. There had been a few times today she’d been distracted by his body near hers.
It had been a long time since she had sex. She didn’t even know if she was any good at it.
Sex had always been something she thought would be amazing, earth-shattering, but often, it had been boring and lackluster.
“Tell me what you’re thinking about?”
“Lackluster sex.”