by Savannah May
“Well, you’re an old fucking man. Too old to be gazing at her. So, quit looking if you want to keep your vision intact.”
I chuckle. “Last time I checked, you’re the old man around here. You’ve got about ten years on me if I remember right.”
I watch him scrub the grates. “She looks just like Franny, you know?”
John rarely brings up Fran. I can count the number of times on one hand and it usually happens after he’s had way too much to drink. His wife died of cancer when Livy was still a baby. I don’t know all the particulars except that the man is forever heartbroken. After the loss, Livy is everything to him.
“She’s beautiful, John.” It’s easy for me to say because it’s true.
He looks at me and smiles, “Do you think it would be bad if I asked her to put some clothes on?”
I shrug that one off. “I’m not going there, John. You can forget it. I know nothing about parenting. So, who’s the little blonde kid with her?”
John laughs. “That’s Reese. Get this. For three fucking years, when she talked about her roommate Reese, I thought he was a girl. Imagine my surprise when he shows up for visit three days ago. I swear I’m a terrible parent.”
“It’s probably better that you didn’t know. I don’t think you would have handled it well if you knew that he was a guy.”
“No, you’re probably right. Isn’t Reese a girl’s name? Am I crazy?”
“I’m pretty sure it goes both ways,” I say, grinning at him.
He grunts. “Doesn’t everyone these days?”
I burst out laughing. “I don’t think you have to worry that he does” I say. “He looks pretty harmless.”
John shakes his head and grins. “Yeah. I’m not too worried about Reese. He’s actually pretty fucking hilarious. You need to meet him. Would it be weird if I introduced him to Ben?”
Ben is one of the new rookies and he’s gay. I was worried that the guys would have a problem with him, but so far, it seems like they’re all pretty cool about it. I laugh at him.
“Yeah. I think that would definitely be weird. Your backyard isn’t very big. I’m pretty sure if either of them is interested, they’ll meet.”
Still laughing, I turn around to look at Livy again and I see a tall lanky guy with crazy dark hair and hipster black-framed glasses bend over to kiss her. I immediately want to punch him. I can’t figure out if I’m getting a bad feeling about the guy or it’s just because if I can’t be the one kissing her, I sure as fuck don’t want anyone else to. But either way, I want to punch him.
“Who the fuck is that guy?” I ask John, realizing I sound ridiculous.
John whips around, protective hackles firing up although not as hard as mine.
“Shit. What’s he doing here? That’s Jonathan. He and Liv have been out on a few dates. I was hoping she’d have dumped him by now.”
I watch as Jonathan takes off and runs towards the edge of the pool. He jumps in, doing a cannonball right in front of Livy and Reese, soaking them both with water. What a dickwad. What is he? Fourteen?
I look back over at John, “So, what does Jonathan do?”
He snickers. “Do? I have no fucking clue. Livy claims that he does some kind of freelance computer shit out of his home, but I’m pretty sure that’s code for ‘he plays video games and smokes pot.’ I told her she could never date a fireman, but I’m starting to rethink that. Hell, anything’s better than that wastrel.”
I shake my head and watch him as he climbs out of the pool. Then he’s standing over her, grabbing her wrist. She’s trying to pull away from him. I feel every hair rise up down my spine and I’m on my toes about to dash over there. I’d be there already if not for the fact John’s standing at my side. But if the altercation takes one more turn, fuck it, I’m going in. I’ve already got enough adrenalin pumping to knock the idiot halfway up the canyon.
Suddenly, Reese is out of his chair in Jonathan’s face. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but it doesn’t look friendly. Reese is probably six inches shorter than Jonathan. But if I were a betting man, I’d say solid little Reese could take him. With a smirk, Jonathan finally lets go of her wrist. Reese and him are still having a showdown and I still can’t tell what they're saying.
I wish I could. It’s taking everything I have not to walk over there to find out what’s going on when Jonathan grabs her wrist again. I’m one second from going over there and pounding his fucking face into the pavement when John’s voice booms across the backyard. “Livy!”
Jonathan lets go of her wrist and the three of them look across the pool with wide eyes like deer caught in headlights. I look over at the crew gathered around the picnic table drinking beer and notice a few of them have leapt to their feet. This Jonathan guy must have some kind of fucking death wish to try to touch John Michell’s daughter without her permission right in front of him, with twenty-one of us having his back.
John steadies his voice and calls back across the pool, “Liv, can you come here a second?”
I know he doesn’t want to embarrass her, but fuck, I don’t know how he’s so calm. I still want to go over there and kill the guy.
3
Olivia
I’m so pissed. The problem is, I can’t figure out who pisses me off the most. Jonathan, for trying to pull me up out of my chair and into the pool or Reese, for getting in a giant pissing match with him about it. Or my dad, for yelling my name so loud across the backyard that the entire crew is still staring at me? The most likely answer is, I’m pissed at myself, for only caring too much about what Carter thinks about all the drama.
I quickly pull my swim coverup over my head then, with all eyes on me, I retwist my hair in a messy bun on top of my head. Before standing up, I look up at Jonathan and tell him, “You need to go.”
His brows furrow in confusion. “What the fuck, Liv?”
I sigh, “Look, Jonathan, this is a special thing my dad does for the crew every year. Reese and I shouldn’t even be here. My dad’s probably pissed because I’ve invited friends. Just go home. I’ll talk to you later.”
Jonathan shakes his head, picks up his Star Wars t-shirt and pulls it over his head, finally covering up his pasty-white chest. He throws a glare at me, “Seriously Liv? Is it such a big deal that I tried to get you to go swimming with me?”
I roll my eyes. Is he serious? He was totally out of control.
“Come on Jonathan, don’t make a big thing out of this. Just go. I said I’d talk to you later.”
I feel relieved just as soon as I see Jonathan disappearing towards the back gate. I look over at Reese, knowing good and well that he isn’t actually reading his Men’s Health Magazine. One side of his mouth is turned up. He loves this. I give him my meanest possible face and hiss; “Don’t pretend for even one second that none of this is your fault.”
He smirks at me, all innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m busy reading ’10 Easy Steps to Rock Hard Abs.’”
I get up then glance back over my shoulder as I walk towards my dad. “You’re going to pay for this, blondie”
Reese finally laughs, ‘Tell Hottie HotShot I said hello.”
“Fuck you, Reese,” I mumble as I walk on shaky legs around the pool.
I’m not sure why I’m so nervous. I shouldn’t be. My father just wants to make sure I’m okay after the big scene between Reese and Jonathan. That wouldn’t be such a big deal if Carter weren’t standing right there. I convince myself that it’s nothing. I can handle this. He’s just a man like any other. Being around Carter is something that’s happened thousands of times in the last ten years. Today is no different.
“Hey, Daddy,” I say as I round the corner of the pool. “Hey, Carter.” My heart is pounding when he looks down at me smiling.
He outstretches his arm towards me, as though to reel me in under his wing.
“Long time no see, Livy.”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into a sideways hu
g. As soon as he touches me, I feel a warm blush all over. The feel of his hard body against me, the way his strong fingers curl around my shoulder, the deep timbre of his voice—all of it probably explains how wet I am. He tipped his dark glasses down over his eyes when he saw me walking towards them but even so, I can feel his stare burning into me.
The throbbing between my legs is unbelievable. I’ve never felt like this before with a man. I hoe he doesn’t feel me tremble as I wrap my arm around his waist and stand up on my toes and kiss him on the cheek. The side of my breast grazes briefly against a swell of hard muscle and I almost let out a moan when I feel my soft lips against his stubble. I don’t know what hell’s come over me.
He looks down at me and I can’t quite read his expression since his eyes are still hidden under his aviators. “Welcome home,” he says, as he immediately releases my shoulder and takes a step back. I wish we were still touching. Is he upset that my bare breast, the side not covered my the small bikini top, accidentally brushed his smooth hot skin?
I smile at him, “Thanks.”
And then I look over to dad knowing I need to get control of myself, “Did you need me, Daddy?”
He clears his throat then says; “Yeah, uh, can you take Carter down to the basement and show him where the cooler is? We need to ice down some of this beer before it gets cold. Also, the burgers will be ready soon if you want to start pulling out the rest of the food.”
I squint my eyes at him. My father is acting weird and I can’t figure out why. Besides that, being this close to Carter is making me come undone. “Sure,” I squeak, “anything else?”
He shakes his head, telling me no. Carter grins at me and holds out his hand. “Lead the way.”
A shiver runs down my legs as I take his pouts retched hand and feel his large palm enwrap mine. Did I imagine that extra little squeeze, like a secret hug as he leads me toward the house before allowing me to move in front.
Carter follows me back around the pool and I know he’s checking out my ass. I hope it’s not jiggling too much, barely covered my the bikini bottoms. My steps hasten as we pass by Reese, hoping that he won’t notice us.
Clearly, that’s wishful thinking on my part because as soon as we’re close he looks up and calls out, “Hey Liv, are you going to introduce me to Hottie HotShot, or were you planning to keep him all to yourself?”
I feel the heat rush into my cheeks immediately. Damn Reese! I hear a roar of laughter coming from Carter behind me and turn around to see that he’s stopped by Reese’s chair.
I roll my eyes, “Feel free to ignore him. He has a terrible habit of saying the first thing that pops into his very tiny brain, no matter how inappropriate.”
Reese smiles up at us, “Olivia Mitchell, that wasn’t very nice.” He looks at Carter and winks. “I can assure you, my brain is not very tiny and neither are any other of my crucial organs.”
Carter guffaws and shakes his head, “Good to know.” He holds out his hand to Reese, “I’m Carter Tyson, Livy’s…well, I work with Livy’s dad.”
Reese smiles at Carter. “So, I’ve heard. Reese Overbay, nice to meet you.” He looks back and forth between Carter and me from his lounge chair. “Where are you two love birds off to?”
I know I’m blushing and all I want to do is kick the shit out of Reese. He knows exactly what he’s doing. “We’re heading into the house to start bringing the food out, I don’t suppose you’d like to help?”
Reese starts laughing. “That’s funny Liv. No, I think I’ll just stay here and enjoy the view and let you two have some alone time.”
Carter shakes his head and laughs. “I have to say, John and Livy’s backyard has about one of the best views of Laurel Mountain of anywhere in town.” I watch as Carter looks out over the horizon.
My cheeks pinker even darker as I know what he’s referring to, but I calm myself to say; “I agree. I’ll never get tired of it. But I’m pretty sure Reese isn’t talking about the mountain view.”
I nod my head towards the twenty hot, shirtless firemen across the backyard gathered around the massive wooden picnic table that my father built years ago.
When I grab Carter’s arm and pull him towards the house, Reese calls after us. “You know me so well, darling.”
Carter is still laughing when we stumble inside. The door falls back without effort so that I almost fall into his arms. For an instant our eyes meet and a flare darts between us, lighting up my insides so I have to stifle a gasp. He releases my hand and finds something to diffuse the moment, saying; “Reese is a trip. Your dad said you guys were roommates in college?”
He asked about me?
“Yep, three years. I’m gonna miss the hell out of him. I know he’s a lot to handle, but he really is a great friend and he has a giant heart.”
We’re standing in the basement now and I steel myself to look up at Carter. Again I find he’s staring at me, with a strange smile across his lips. As soon as our eyes meet I feel myself blush. Fuck. The way he’s looking at me is different. He’s never looked at me this way before. My heart is pounding and I can’t even remember what we were talking about or what we’re supposed to do.
“You look good Livy,” he rasps. “You’re all grown up.”
I glance down at the floor. It’s too much. The intensity of his eyes, the heat I feel pouring off his skin. Is he coming on to me? God, I hope so. I lift my eyes back up to him. “Thanks. Now to get on with real grown up life.”
Shit. shit. Did that sound like a come on?
He laughs. “Your dad tells me you got a job as a photographer for the city paper?”
I clear my throat, trying to clear out the lump. “Yeah. I’m pretty excited about it. I’ll be doing a little writing too. But I don’t start for another few weeks.”
He nods his head. “Well, I’m glad you’re back home.” It feels like he’s staring a hole right through me. I just stand there. Frozen. Staring at his lips. Wondering what they would feel like on mine. His in control voice brings me back to reality. “So, where’s this cooler?”
God, I’m so embarrassed. I know I’m acting like a lovesick schoolgirl with a crush, but I can’t even stop myself.
“It’s over on the shelf, I’ll grab it if you want to get the ice out of the freezer. There should be a couple of bags in there.”
And at the same time just douse me in a bath of it because my body is hot enough to detonate.
4
Carter
I need to get a grip. With this firmly in mind I shove both of my hands in the pockets of my shorts. One, because I’m half hard from just standing in the same space with her, breathing her air. And two, I’m afraid if I take them out, I won’t be able to keep them off her and will fill them with her soft flesh. I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt so drawn to a woman. I try to think back and realize, maybe never. I thought she was beautiful from across the pool, but coming closer, she takes my breath away.
When she looked up at me with those big cobalt blue eyes and batted her long dark lashes, I felt like my heart was going to come thrusting out of my chest. When she wrapped her little arm around my waist and pressed her perfect soft pink lips against my cheek and let them linger there for a second longer than necessary, I thought I was going to come unglued. That was bad enough but when she, inadvertently I assume, pressed the side of her naked tit against my bicep, my wood hardened fit to erect a battleship.
Now I’m watching her from behind as she stands on her toes reaching for the cooler and all I want to do is go over and press my lips against the back of her neck. I can see the outline of her ass perfectly through her white lace swim coverup and I want to slide my hand up under it and cup that perfect globe. She’s the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen. If she were any woman other than Livy Mitchell, I’d have her in my arms by now. But she’s not. She’s John’s daughter and I need to stop this trail of fantasy- now.
She’s still struggling to reach the cooler. I have no choice but to go over
and deal with it. I should probably tell her to step aside but I don’t. I can’t resist a tiny touch so I walk up behind her and reach up above her to grab the edge of the cooler. She’s caged by me reaching, my body is pressed against hers.
A little further and I can feel my cock spring to life. Jesus. I hope she can’t tell how turned on I am. As soon as she feels my presence, she startles and turns around. In the close quarters, there’s no way her body doesn’t rub across mine and in that moment I know I’m doomed.
She looks up at me her eyes doe-wide, her lips part slightly as her breath picks up. Our faces are inches apart. I want to lean down and kiss her. I want it more than I’ve wanted anything in my whole life. The way she is looking at me right now tells me she wants it too. Her cheeks are pink but her eyes have not shifted one iota away from mine. We’re both breathing heavy now. This is insane.
I can’t help but reach up and brush away a small lock of her hair that has fallen in front of her face. “You’re beautiful Livy.” The words escape my lips before I can even think about it.
I know I need to take a step back and I’m about to, but, damn, I can’t stand the thought of it. It’s like we’re glued chest to chest and my arms are pinned high supporting the cooler. She doesn’t make it any easier when she reaches her small hands up and grabs the back of my head. I feel her fingers thread through my hair, pulling my head down towards her.
A moment later her sweet, soft lips press against mine. I drop my hand from the cooler and move it to small of her back pulling her closer to me as she parts her lips further. A soft, sexy moan escapes her mouth. And I lose it. I thrust my tongue deeper into her cavern and explore every last corner of her.
Fuck, I want to be inside every part of Livy’s body. Claiming her, taking her is the best thing I’ve ever felt in my life. I swear, as long as I live, I could never get tired of kissing her.
“Liv, you down there?” John yells down from upstairs and we both lurch a step back. We’re out of breath staring at each other. Her face and chest are flushed. Those perfect breasts heave up and down in a delectable rhythm. Yeah - I’m doomed.