by Leslie North
She turned and stalked off, her arms crossed tightly and protectively around herself. She tried not to listen for the sound of his footsteps following her. When she didn’t hear them, she tried not to be disappointed that he’d done what she asked.
He worked until dark, barely noticing when his hands became raw and cracked with the constant manipulating of the still rough wood. He’d wanted to follow Virginia when she turned and walked away from the dream that was supposed to belong to her and only to her. He’d wanted to shake some sense into her, which is precisely why he’d let her go without so much as another word. It wasn’t until the sun was all the way down that he headed back to the house. By then, thankfully, his anger from his blow-up with Virginia was virtually gone.
Jonah trudged to the house, relishing as he always did the feeling of tired muscles after a day's long, earnest work. For a wonder, he almost felt good now that the adrenaline and testosterone were back down to manageable levels. If it weren't for his lingering sense of guilt over losing his temper the way he had, he might have felt better than he had in a long time. He was no martyr and certainly not willing to go so far as to say that the fight was all his fault, but he had been unfair and unkind, and for that, he felt like an asshole. He let himself into the house with that on his mind and the intent to apologize before he did another thing.
He found her in the master bedroom he had given to her when she moved in, at the tail end of what looked like a truly massive ironing endeavor. Virginia was the type of woman who cleaned when she was stressed. She didn't turn at the sound of the creak of the floorboards underneath Jonah's feet, just finished the last pair of pants she had to work on. It wasn't until she had them hung that she turned to look at him. When she did, he could see that she had been crying.
“Shit, Virginia—”
“No, please,” she interrupted, her voice so calm it was like she had never been angry at all, “will you let me say something? I’ve got something I need to say.”
“Sure, go ahead,” he answered softly, holding up both hands in a placating gesture. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her again.
“I want to apologize. I want to tell you how sorry I am for the way I behaved earlier.”
“If we’re handing out apologies, I think I’d like to make one as well. I was a jackass out there.”
“Maybe,” she conceded, her brow furrowed with worry, “but I think it was probably because of me. Because of the way I behaved. Getting this business off the ground has been much, much harder for me than I expected. It’s always been so important to me for everything to be right and that’s a thousand more times true now that it’s about something I care so much about. It feels like everything I’ve ever wanted in my life is riding on this and that terrifies me.”
“I know it must,” he nodded, his head cocked to one side as he put all his energy into listening to what she had to say.
"That being said, I treated you poorly when all you've been doing is trying to help. I'm so, so sorry."
She started to cry again, not sobs but slow, silent tears rolling down her beautiful cheeks. Crying women had always made him uncomfortable because he never knew what he was supposed to do. But seeing her now, he didn't think twice. He closed the distance between them quickly, taking her into his arms and letting her face rest against his chest. The warmth of those tears soaked into his shirt, and he pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head gently.
“Shh, don’t cry, sugar,” he crooned, “please don’t cry. It’s okay. Everything’s okay now.”
“You didn’t deserve it,” she said, her voice muffled by the fabric of his faded, sweaty work shirt. He laughed softly and removed one arm from around her waist to tip her chin so that she had no choice but to look at him.
"Hey, none of that, all right? I've done plenty of things that should've earned me more than the tongue lashing you gave me."
“Oh, boy, lashing?” she moaned. There was more color in her cheeks now, though, and he was pretty sure her eyes were shining from more than just tears.
“That’s right, little lady, a lashing, and I mean to take my solace where I can get it.”
He kissed her, amazed by the way his lips brushing against hers always felt like the first time. He waited for her to put a stop to things but instead, she surprised him by leaning in closer, pressing her body against his so that he could feel her perfect breasts against his chest. He plunged his hands into her hair, marveling at how soft it was, and he instantly grew hard.
“Hey, Virginia?” he said breathlessly, “not that I’m complaining, but you’re going to have to stop this if there’s any hope of me being able to contain myself.”
She gasped as his mouth moved to her throat, her fingers already moving to the buttons of his work shirt. “Maybe I don’t want you to stop.”
“Really?” he asked, “Are you sure about that?”
“I most certainly am,” she grinned, giving up on the buttons about halfway down and tugging at the old shirt until those pesky buttons popped right off, “as long as you’ve got protection.”
“Would you hate me if I said I always carry a condom with me in my wallet?”
“Normally, maybe. Now? Definitely not.”
Her enthusiasm for him acted like a drug, and he grabbed for her again, cupping his hands on her ass and groaning when one of her hands slipped down to the crotch of his jeans. He lifted her up into the air, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her hips already bucking against him in anticipation. It was only a few short steps to the bed, and he laid her down carefully like she was a precious prize. He wanted her, more than he had ever wanted any girl before, but he stopped to look down at her regardless, taking it all in, not allowing himself to ruin this by rushing in too fast.
"God damn, but you are beautiful," he said softly, meaning every word despite her nervous smile and the automatic roll of her eyes. Her golden hair was fanned out around her and her flimsy dress rode up on her legs so that he could see the lacy black thong peeking out from underneath.
“Are you just going to stand there looking at me all night?” she asked, propping herself up on her elbows and giving him a challenging look. He grinned and fished the wallet out of his back pocket, grabbing the condom he always kept there and stepping out of his jeans as fast as he was able. He slid the condom on, shivering a little, and then knelt on the bed before her, positioning himself between her knees.
“Tell me that you want this,” he growled, his pulse beating like a drum in his ears.
“Too much,” she gasped, her head flopping back on the bed. He reached for her, pulling her thong aside and sliding his finger inside. She gasped and arched her back, her hips driving up and towards his hand. Her knees clamped down on his sides, her hands groping for him, doing her best to pull him closer.
“Please,” she moaned, “please, Jonah, don’t tease me. I want you. I want you so badly.”
Two pleases was a hell of a lot more than he needed to hear. He positioned himself over her, sliding inside of her and hissing with pleasure. She looked up into his eyes and their two bodies began to move. Every time he thrust his hips, hers drove up to meet him, angling so that his cock moved deeper each time. She arched her back again, and the feel of her breasts against his bare chest was almost enough to drive him over the edge.
He'd be damned if he was going to finish without making her come. He reared back, lifting her hips so that her body made a bridge, one of his hands snaking around the front of her and finding her clit. Almost the moment his fingers found their mark, she cried out. It was a different sound than the ones she'd been making, a cry that built and built until it was one step below a scream. Her entire body started shaking and then went rigid. Then she flopped back down onto the bed, gasping and shaking her head from side to side.
“I can’t hold it,” he grunted, breaking his rhythm and welcoming the tingle moving up the length of his body, “baby, I can’t!”
She wrapped her arms tig
hter around him. “I know, it’s okay,” she said. “Come for me.” And he did.
After he collapsed onto the bed beside her, pulling her warm, supple body in close, they didn't speak for what felt like a long, long time. Usually, this was where his awkwardness kicked in. But with Virginia, this felt normal, like something he could get used to.
“We work pretty well together, don’t we?” she asked, sighing contentedly.
“I think I can agree to that,” he answered, unable to hide his widening grin.
“And I was thinking, I’m really good at business planning, all evidence to the contrary.”
“Hey, sugar, I never said you weren’t doing a good job.”
“I know you didn’t,” she laughed, “probably because you’re too much of a gentleman. Still, I would like to help you, since you’re spending so much of your time helping me. If you’ll let me look over your side of the books, I think I might be able to help out.”
“You know what? I think I might just let you.”
Jonah was still grinning when he got out of bed and padded to his bedroom. One glance at Virginia was enough to tell him that she was dozing off, so he didn’t bother to turn on the lights. He never noticed that the condom, the condom they had been so careful and responsible to use, was broken.
10
Jonah had been happy with his life before Virginia came to stay with him. It had been simple enough, if not always easy, and it had been predictable, too. He'd had no interest in changing anything, and he could still remember how much he had worried at the thought of Virginia shaking his life up.
He could remember it, but it was like looking at something through a fog. Because he'd liked his life before, but he would be lying to himself if he said that things weren't better with her around.
It was little things, like the stupid fall scented candles she insisted on setting out everywhere now that they were approaching November or the way she liked to make chocolate chip pancakes every Sunday morning. It was the way she plunged all in helping him with his business, too, and she was right; she was a whizz with the numbers and organized his finances so skillfully that she found a dozen ways to save him money in no time at all.
Still, he wasn't exactly feeling no pain. Far from it, truth be told. The pressure of giving Virginia the help she needed with the wedding barn and taking his business to the next level was getting to him. He was stretched about as thin as a man could get. If he was going to have the money to keep things headed in the right direction with his business, though, having Virginia's wedding barn succeed could only work in his favor. The more attention drawn to their little plot of land, the better. That was what he was reminding himself of while he set to the task of putting a sealing coat on the barn's walls when Virginia walked in.
“Hello, sir! I bring good tidings!” she said happily, brushing a wayward strand of hair out of her face.
“Hello yourself,” he said with a smile, looking her up and down questioningly.
“What?” she asked quickly, “What’s that face? Is there something wrong with my outfit?”
“No, nothing wrong. It’s just, you know, you’re wearing overalls.”
“So? Overalls are excellent painting duds, I’ll have you know. This and the bandana mean I’m totally ready.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. Ready for what?”
“To help, of course! I’m here to help you with the paint thing. The clear paint.”
"It's not paint," he laughed, shaking his head. "It’s sealant. Think of it as a raincoat."
“A raincoat? A raincoat for a barn?” she asked, her face a perfect mixture of doubt and delighted surprise.
“It keeps the barn’s wood protected from the elements. It’ll help save this beautiful patina, which is a big part of the charm. It makes it look antique but not old, you know?”
“I do know,” she smiled, “and I love it. So let me help!”
Jonah stood and put his hands on the small of his back, wincing and then sighing with relief when his spine cracked back into place. He regarded Virginia closely, weighing his options. He wasn't the kind of man who enjoyed being offered a helping hand, and he enjoyed taking one even less. Honestly, though, he needed it if he was going to get this done in time to take care of his horses for the day, and there was nobody he'd rather spend the time with than Virginia. He nodded at her and tossed her a brush, which she barely caught before joining him by his wall.
The two of them worked side by side in silence for a while, and Jonah realized that he'd been a fool to even consider turning her offer down. She was as easy to work with in this as she was with pretty much everything else. She followed his lead, and she picked up on things quickly, cutting the work time in half. The only issue, as he saw it, was the weird sideways glances she kept shooting him.
“Hey, sugar?” he said casually, still working the wood with his brush.
“Hey what?” she responded before going back to humming a happy little tune he couldn’t quite place.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”
“You caught that, huh?”
He laughed, finally putting his brush down and facing her. “I did, a little bit. I’m very perceptive, you know.”
She giggled, setting down her own brush and leaning against a part of the barn that hadn’t yet been coated.
“I was just thinking how nice it is to be working out here with you," she answered. Her voice faltered some when she spoke, and he frowned, starting to wish he hadn't opened up the conversation.
“What is it, Virginia? I can hear something off.”
“It’s just...okay, don’t get mad for me asking this.”
“No promises,” he said wryly.
"I'm just wondering why you haven't ever made the move to expand before. I used to hear things about that, and there was a time when it kind of sounded like you had plans to, but then nothing ever happened."
"Yeah," he sighed heavily. He gave up all pretense of work and motioned for her to follow him over to a set of lawn chairs they had for breaks. He sat down heavily, and she sat right beside him, her eyes never leaving his face.
“You really don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to. The last thing in the world I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable or force you into talking about things you would rather keep private. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, it’s okay, really. I don’t mind talking about it. I did have plans for expansion, once upon a time.”
“Really?” she asked, leaning into him with her whole body while he spoke in a way that told him there was nothing else she would rather be listening to.
“Really. And, now don’t be jealous, but I had a partner, too.”
“Ugh,” she poked her lip out comically, “fine. I guess I’ll let it slide.”
“Don’t worry, sugar, there’s no kind of competition there. He turned out to be a bad, bad dude. Definitely not the kind of guy you want to partner up with.”
“What do you mean? How so?”
“He was completely dishonest, for starters. He was a thief, too, which follows, right?”
“What did he steal?” she asked timidly, almost like she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
"Shit, what didn't he steal? He was into all kinds of shady things, but his big one was tax fraud. I was an idiot kid—I had no idea what he was up to. None at all. He was smart enough to do it in the business' name, though, so he had that going for him. It let him cover his tracks for a while."
“What happened to him? The only way I’m going to like this story is if it ends with that moron rotting away in jail.”
"Nope, no such luck. He eventually split, just not before he managed to ruin both our business' credit and our professional reputation completely. As for me, I was left standing there like a jackass to pick up all the pieces as best I could. What you see here is what I managed to salvage to start over."
“Oh my gosh, I had no idea! Jonah, I’m so sorry! What an
idiot I’ve been.”
“An idiot?” he asked, surprised, “You? But why?”
"Because here I am pushing you into the weirdest business partnership ever with no idea what kind of history you have with partnerships. I can't believe I was so selfish!”
“Whoa, hey,” he said, taking her hand in both of his, “I don’t like it when people talk about the ones I care about like that. You didn’t do anything wrong. I was gun shy after what happened, that’s true, but I’m glad you came to me with your crazy offer. I didn’t think I could ever trust a partner again, but I’m glad you proved me wrong.”
"I wanted to build my business on my own too, you know. After my ex, I wasn't so keen on the idea of trusting anyone. But I'm glad I did. I like working with you. I think we fit together really well if you know what I mean." She looked down at his fingers twisted through hers, blushing profusely. All it took was that flush for him to feel himself getting riled up, and he brought her hand up to his lips, kissing her palm and then each one of her fingertips.
“Jonah,” she sighed, “you’d better watch yourself. If you aren’t careful, I won’t be able to think about work anymore.”
“Good,” he growled, “that’s kind of the idea.”
He pulled her gently out of her chair and onto his lap, pulling her hair out from beneath her bandana and letting it fall around his face. It smelled like honey, and when he kissed her again, she tasted just as sweet. He unsnapped one of the buckles of her overalls.
“Really?” she asked, arching one eyebrow artfully, “Here? Next to the barn?”
“Hell, yes, next to the barn. Here and everywhere else.”
He stood up and peeled her clothes off, then stood stock still while she did the same to him. When both of them were as naked as the day they were born and he had slipped on the condom left in his wallet, he laid her down on the grass and entered her, their two bodies moving together like they were made to fit with nobody else.