by K. C. Crowne
After throwing on some winter-appropriate running clothes, I headed out for a quick few-mile jog around my property. The air, the chill, the rushing of my blood – it did the job. Now and then I’d consider the idea of moving to Denver, getting a penthouse downtown. But whenever I gave myself the chance to go out onto the property and take in the gorgeous vista around me, I remembered why I’d made the decision I had.
When I was done, I showered and changed, still feeling a little keyed-up when I was done getting ready. I decided to head into town, to grab some coffee and do my work there.
After a quick drive into town, I pulled into a spot near Apres Ski Roasters, my usual spot, not to mention the place where I’d met Annie before. April, the barista who always seemed to be working when I showed up, greeted me with a smile and my usual Americano.
“I should be mad at you, you know,” she said with a sly grin.
“Is that right?”
She nodded. “That guy you sent packing the other day – he hasn’t come back since.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why, you miss him?”
She laughed. “Not him, really. I do miss the tips he’d give me. But I don’t miss how he’d ask me for my number every damn shift.”
“Sounds like I did you a favor.”
“Maybe you’re right.” She winked and headed back to making her drinks.
I stuffed a twenty in her tip jar, picked my usual table, and once seated, pulled out my laptop and went to work. But I could barely concentrate. The spreadsheets and emails and all the rest blurred in front of my face.
All I could think about was her.
I’d put my fingers on the keys, ready to send an email. But before I could type even a single letter, images from last night flooded my mind. I’d imagine her underneath me, her legs spread wide open as I drove into her, my cock vanishing inside her sweet, wet passage. I’d remember the way her perfect breasts bounced back and forth with each thrust. I’d think about the way her face looked when I’d brought her to orgasm, that expression of beautiful agony.
It was enough to make me hard right there in the busy coffee shop.
Still, I couldn’t afford to get distracted. Sure, I was into Annie, and sure, I wanted to make her mine. But I couldn’t allow myself to forget that I was on the cusp of what might very well be the most important year of my career in the medical industry.
Thinking with my dick wasn’t in the cards.
I put her out of my mind as best I could, returning my attention to my MacBook screen. I straightened my back, squared my shoulders, and prepared to focus. And that’s when she strolled into the place. At first, I was certain she was some kind of hallucination, me simply putting her face on someone else’s. But when she locked eyes with me and waved, a broad smile on her face, there was no doubt it was really her.
My cock had been half-stiff at the thought of her; now that she was there in the flesh, it became as big and hard as the mountains that loomed over my mansion.
“Hey!” she said with another friendly wave. “Fancy seeing you here!”
I rose, smoothly shifting my pants so my erection wasn’t pointing straight ahead. “Good to see you, too.”
We hugged, and I was forced to do an awkward shift of my hips so as not to poke her with my cock. We ended the hug and she looked me up and down.
“So, what’s up?” she asked. “Looks like we both had the same idea about getting out of the house for some work.”
“Looks like you’re right.” It took all the restraint I had not to eye fuck her where she stood. But as she slipped out of her black coat and revealed her gorgeous body packed into a tight blouse and even tighter jeans, restraint was proving harder and harder.
“You’re right about that. Got a few things in the works, and sometimes the coffee shop ambience is the perfect background noise for focusing.”
She smiled. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“You’ve got a busy day ahead?” Part of me hoped she’d say no, that she’d tell me she was wide open. I could invite her back to my place for a little coffee…maybe more…
Remember why you came here in the first place? I reminded myself. It wasn’t to try to get laid.
“I wish.”
“You wish?”
“I mean, it’d be nice to have a busy day ahead. Unfortunately, right now I’m the still in the looking for work part of the process.”
“That’s right,” I said. “And how’s that going?”
She sighed. “The less said, the better. Living in a small town has its definite perks, but one of the drawbacks is teaching jobs aren’t easy to come by. People find them and they don’t leave.”
“Hmm,” I said, rubbing my chin. “Have you considered something other than teaching?”
She raised an eyebrow as an expression of curiosity flashed on her face. “Other than teaching? Well, shoot. I mean, no – I hadn’t considered it. Why do you ask?”
“I know plenty of people in town who work remotely. They have jobs they can do with their computers, which allows them to live in a place like this but work somewhere else. Might be something to consider.”
“That sounds interesting,” she mused, her curiosity still piqued.
“Like journalism.”
“Journalism?”
“Sure. You’re smart, you’re sharp, and I’m willing to bet you’ve got a way with words. Might be perfect for you.”
“Hmm…that I don’t know. I’ve always imagined myself as a teacher, never anything else.”
“You can keep your ear to the ground for teaching jobs if they come up and get some good experience in the meantime. Just something to consider, is all.”
I kept looking at her body, kept finding myself thinking about all the things I wanted to do to her. No doubt in my mind the longer the conversation went on, the more likely it’d be that I all but swept her off her feet and carried her to my place over my shoulder like a damn caveman. I needed to get out of there, and fast.
“Anyway,” I announced. “I’ve got a few errands to run before I get to work. But I’d like to know when I can see you again.”
She smiled, her cheeks tinging red. “When we can see each other again. You seem to be pretty confident that’s going to happen.”
I gave her a sly grin in response. “You don’t get far without a little confidence you’re going to get what you want.”
Annie chuckled. “Fair enough. And…yes, I want to see you again too. I’m going to be in Denver for most of this weekend.”
“Is that right?”
She nodded. “My sister’s coming to town to stay with my parents for the holidays, and I wanted to drop by for a day or two before all the Christmas craziness starts.”
“That sounds nice,” I said. “Then maybe later in the week?”
“Sunday should work.”
“Sunday’s perfect,” I said. “How about we plan on that evening?”
“Sounds great,” she said with a broad smile.
“Anyway, I should get moving. Have fun with your family, and I’ll be in touch on Sunday.”
“Can’t wait.”
I dropped a quick kiss on her cheek, and we broke apart, Annie heading to her table near the window as I gathered my things. After getting my coffee to go, I headed out.
“Holy shit,” I mumbled under my breath.
Just seeing her had an effect on me I couldn’t wrap my head around. But however much I wanted her before, now the feeling was even more intense.
She would be mine. No matter what.
Annie
Duncan was in my head during the entire drive to Denver. And I was totally conflicted about it. Part of me liked to think about him, about the still-fresh memories of our night together played out over and over, a smile spreading on my face and warmth between my legs as I did.
I’d never been fucked like that before – not even close. Sure, I’d heard again and again that the key to great sex was building a connection over tim
e, having open communication with your partner and getting to know what you both liked.
But with Duncan, it hadn’t been anything like that. There’d been a connection alright, and we’d both gotten what we’d wanted. Barely a word had to be said, however. What had happened between us had been instantaneous, the kind of connection I’d always fantasized about but worried might never happen for me.
And it went beyond sex. We’d connected emotionally too. I’d only known the guy for a short time, but already I felt like he’d been a part of my life for years.
My mind went back and forth, playing it all out in my head as I drove closer and closer to Denver. Mom and Dad’s house –the house I grew up in— was just outside of town in a suburb called Cherry Creek. I couldn’t wait to get there. I’d been alone so much since I’d moved that a little family time sounded like total heaven.
After what felt like a long drive, I arrived. The little ranch home where I’d spent my childhood was decorated with all sorts of Christmas stuff that my parents had accumulated over the years. Mom was huge on Christmas, which was always a humorous point of contention between her and my dad.
I parked and got out, the sky darkening, a light haze of orange above from the setting sun. The two bristlecone pine trees in front that had been there since I was a kid were festooned with colorful lights, and a dark green wreath was on the front door.
As I opened my car door and took out my bag, a voice called out to me. “Don’t you even think about picking that up,” a familiar man’s voice spoke.
Mom let out a happy squeal as she hurried to me, throwing her arms around me and hugging me tight. Few hugged like Mom, and as per usual, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head from the enthusiasm.
“Good to see you too, Mom,” I said, hugging her back.
She let go right as Dad reached us. “Hey, Princess,” he said, giving me a much more restrained greeting of a hug and a kiss on the cheek before smoothly taking the bag from my hand.
Between my two parents, I definitely took after my Mom more – at least when it came to looks. She was medium height with soft curves and a bright, pretty face with shoulder-length blonde hair neatly framing her sharp features. Dad was tall and broad-shouldered, with handsome, ruddy features. He managed a sporting goods store called The Great Outdoors in Denver, and with his big hands and strong build and outfit of jeans and flannel, he sure looked the part. He wasn’t as outwardly sunny as Mom, but he possessed a more low-key warmth that was always appreciated.
“Come on,” Dad said, bag in hand as he started back to the house. “No sense in freezing our butts off when we’ve got a perfectly good fire inside.”
Mom squealed again and gave me another hug before we headed down the winding sidewalk that led to the house. Dad opened the front door, and the wave of nostalgia hit me hard as soon as I stepped over the threshold.
The living room, as it’d always been, was snug and cozy. Wall-to-wall carpeting was on the floor, a healthy fire roared in the brick fireplace, and pictures of Mom and Dad and my sister, Bethany, and me were packed onto the mantle. And, of course, a giant Christmas tree, covered in decorations, was on the side of the room, the point scraping against the ceiling.
“It’s so freaking good to be home!” I exclaimed, strolling in, kicking off my boots, and plopping down on the overstuffed leather couch where I’d spent many an afternoon reading books when I was a kid.
“And it’s so freaking good to have you here,” Mom said as she sat down next to me and squeezed my foot. “I keep telling you, baby, if you want to move back here, just say the word…”
Dad set the bag on the floor before slipping out of his shearling coat and hanging it up, then coming over and taking our coats. “Laura,” he said, that Dad-knows-best tone in his voice. “She’s a grown adult. I think she’s got bigger things on her mind than moving back home with Mom and Dad.”
“I know, I know,” Mom said. “But you have to admit it’d be nice to have her back. Especially with everything that happened with—”
I waved my hands through the air. “Okay, Okay,” I said loudly, closing my eyes and shaking my head. “One rule before we get started – no mentioning you-know-who.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Mom said. “I know you don’t want to talk about him.”
“And I’m happy to keep his name out of here,” Dad agreed, a mild sharpness to his words. “Any dumbass who breaks my daughter’s heart doesn’t deserve to have his name mentioned.”
“Then let’s leave it at that,” I said. “I’m here to relax and see my family, not to think about all that…other stuff.” I plopped down on the couch.
Mom smiled, giving my leg a pat as she got up. “We just put on some coffee. You still like yours with lots of cream, right?”
“Coffee sounds amazing,” I said. “And yeah – lots of cream, please.”
Mom hopped up and headed into the kitchen, Dad sitting down in his wing-back chair, the spot where I’d seen him a million times growing up, reading his paper and sipping his coffee.
“And how’s the job hunt going?” he asked. “Sorry – I know you want to relax, but it’s kind of my dad job to know about this stuff.”
I nodded, conceding the point. “It’s going. Not many teacher gigs in White Pines, so I’m starting to think about other options.”
“Really?” he asked, intrigued. “What kinds of other options?”
“Do you think I’d be good at journalism?”
Dad looked away, cocking his head to the side as he considered the idea. “Well, when you were a kid you were always asking questions,” he said. “I know it’s a kid thing to ask why all the time, but you took it to another level. And you were such a little sponge for information.”
Mom came in with three big mugs of coffee, passing them out before taking a seat.
“Did you say you were thinking of getting into journalism?” she asked, her eyebrows raised in interest. She turned to Dad. “Did you tell her about how when she was a kid we couldn’t tell her anything about people we knew because she’d always ask them about it?” She laughed prettily. “Remember that time when I mentioned the Wilsons were having some difficulties with their marriage, and the very next time we were out in public and ran into some friends our little reporter here asked the Richardsons for some additional information?”
Dad let out his usual big belly laugh, and I felt my cheeks reddened. “Oh yeah!” he said. “Well, it worked out for the best. Once the Wilsons got word their marriage was the talk of the town, they sorted themselves out nice and quick.”
“I wasn’t like that,” I said, sticking up for myself. “You’re making me sound like a gossip.”
“You’re just inquisitive is all,” Mom said, placing her hand on my leg. “And I think that means you’d be a great journalist.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be that sort of stuff, exactly,” I said.
“Whatever it is,” Dad assured. “I’m sure you’ll be great at it.”
“But did you really need to go all the way to White Pines?” Mom asked, concern in her voice.
“Mom, I really don’t want to have this conversation again.”
“I know, I know,” she said. “But sweetheart, you had everything you needed here. You had a job, a home, friends and family…and then you gave it all up.”
“Laura,” Dad lightly chided. “Remember what we said about her being a grown adult?”
“And she is a grown adult – but not that grown. Maybe it was a bit of a rash decision to leave your life behind because of a relationship that went bad?”
“It wasn’t rash, Mom,” I said. “It was the push I needed to start fresh. And I’m only forty-five minutes away – not like I moved to New York or something.”
Mom let out a noise of relief. “And thank God for that. Did you hear that the Welsh’s girl, Cecily, went to New York? Get this – she has a job where she doesn’t even get paid, and a single room in an apartment she shares with four other people is a thousand do
llars. Insane!”
I chuckled, lifting my coffee to my lips. If there was one thing that got Mom going, it was the idea of someone leaving their hometown. In her mind, once roots were down there was no reason to sever them. Sometimes I wondered if she was right. Everything had happened so quickly after Andrew that at times I felt like I’d gotten caught up in things more than made my own decision.
But no sense in thinking about that.
“Where’s Bethany?” I asked. “She’s still planning on coming, right?”
Bethany was my sister, younger than me and still living in Denver with her two-year-old son Parker and her husband Dean.
Dad checked his phone. “She sent a text an hour ago saying she was on her way. But you how much of a handful Parker can be.”
“And Dean’s out on the road again for work,” Mom said. “In LA, believe it or not.”
Before the conversation could go any further, the sound of tires on the snow came from outside. I knew right away it was Bethany.
“That has to be her,” Mom said. “Come on!”
We all went to the door and opened it, my parents planning to greet Bethany the same way they’d given to me. The car outside was the dark blue Rav 4 Bethany drove. Parker was at the back window, an eager expression on his adorable face.
While I took after Mom, Bethany looked more like Dad. She was tall and lean with long limbs, short dark hair, and a pretty but serious face. Parker was as cute as they came, dressed in a big puffy coat, his eyes the same blue as mine and Mom’s. Everyone gave everyone hugs before we headed into the living room.
When we were seated again, I, as I often did, thought about Bethany, how she’d been so sick when she was younger. I was lucky – we all were— that she was in such good health. And those memories always reminded me to never, ever take family for granted.
“Come here, kiddo,” I said to Parker. “Say hi to your Aunt Annie.” He adorably toddled over to me and climbed up on my lap.