by Jo Willow
Mitch retrieved the bags and brought over two more horse blankets. He layered them on the floor and sat down next to her, pulling the food from the bags. He handed her a sandwich and popped the cork on a bottle of wine. Once two glasses were poured, he handed her one of those too.
“That’s a solid idea Beth. I’ve still got some of that glaze somewhere. What do you think about Grecian urns? They’d be taller than my functional urns, trickier to fire I reckon but doable.”
He took a bite of his sandwich and realized he was hungrier than he thought. She took a sip of wine and looked at the black piece again.
“Grecian urns are so cliche Mitch. Your medicine jars are the bomb. You should do something different with that design. Tweak it. See what you can do.”
He leaned over and bumped shoulders with her and she smiled at him.
“You’ll help me?”
“Pfffft, how can I help you? Hold your glaze?”
Mitch waggled his eyebrows and lowered his voice.
“You wanna hold my glaze baby?”
Beth erupted in laughter and put her glass down.
Mitch grinned and realized that moments like this defined them. No one made him laugh or relax like Beth. She let him be cheesy and played along. She ate and drank with him on horse blankets on dusty barn floors and never gave it a thought.
He leaned over and tugged at her hair. When she turned laughing eyes to his, he spoke softly, but seriously.
“She means absolutely nothing to me Beth. She kissed me and caught me off guard. That’s when you walked in. If anyone needs to worry about competing with anyone, it’s Marla that should worry about competing with you. I’m sorry. I would never hurt you intentionally. You know that, right?”
Beth bumped shoulders with him and looked down.
“I know. It just shocked me. I’m okay now Mitch, honest. Don’t worry. We’re buddies. You’ve got a right to kiss anyone you want and you don’t owe me an apology or an explanation for anything. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I had no right to do that.”
He watched her blush and when she looked up at him, judging his reaction, he couldn’t help himself. He pulled her face closer and kissed her.
It was meant to be quick and sweet, he just wanted her to know that they were back on track and okay. When he felt her hand on the side of his face, he groaned and deepened the kiss, turning it into a repeat of the kiss they’d shared in her kitchen.
Beth found herself being pulled onto his lap and she didn’t fight it. She just kept kissing him. It probably wasn’t smart and in the scheme of things, she knew they’d both regret it, but it didn’t matter. He was kissing HER. It was passionate and hot and it didn’t matter that he’d been kissing someone else not an hour before. He was kissing her now and he meant it. She could feel it.
His tongue danced with hers and everything changed. His hand pushed her t-shirt aside and he found skin that was hot and smooth. He unclasped her bra and she swallowed hard. He pushed it aside and his warm and callused hand found her breast and she pushed against him and moaned. That was all he needed.
He kept kissing her as he shifted her onto her back, his arm supporting her neck. He moved his lips to her neck and he was breathing hard. His hand had moved to the buttons on her jeans and he was fumbling his way through, pushing them down over her hips.
“Beth, stop me if you’re going to. It would probably be smarter if you did. I’m so out of practice I think I forgot how to do this.”
“You’re out of practice? No one’s touched me in over six years Mitch. Touch me before I go out of my mind here.”
He awkwardly shed his own jeans and then ran his hand up her thigh while he watched her eyes. She was soft and smooth and hot. Her skin was so hot he wanted to get next to it as quickly as possible. When his hand reached it’s goal, her eyes went pill bottle green and her pupils grew huge.
She felt him pressing against her thigh and knew he was as ready as she was. She pulled him down for another kiss and angled her body to capture his. He growled and rolled onto her. He continued kissing her while he subtly changed positions and slid inside. He felt her thighs grasp his hips and she wrapped her arms around him.
Mitch looked down at her to find her looking right back at him. He rubbed noses with her as he started to move and she kissed him softly once before she moved with him. He maintained eye contact as he picked up the pace and her breathing quickened. He shifted positions and saw her eyes glaze over. He hadn’t seen that look in years and it gave him a feeling of power and wonder that he could give her this. He felt her tighten around him and shake, and when she moaned his name, he felt he owned the world. He could do anything. He sped up and pushed hard and deep and whispered her name in return. They held each other like they were afraid to let go, neither one wanting to move.
His forehead rested against hers and he fought to control his breathing. He kissed her and smiled against her lips.
“I think this might change massage night.”
She smiled in return and playfully bit his lip.
“How do you know this wasn’t a one off?”
His eyes flew open and when he saw that she was teasing, he relaxed and moved his hips against hers. She caught her breath and tightened her grip on him. He chuckled and licked her bottom lip.
“Call it a hunch.”
“Mitch, you realize we’re naked in your barn, right?”
“We’ve still got our shirts on, so technically we’re not naked. Do you wanna get naked?”
“Here? No.”
He kissed her in a way that was meant to rekindle the inferno that claimed them a few minutes earlier. He started moving again and she writhed beneath him. He growled and nibbled her ear.
“Stay with me Beth. Spend the night with me. I wanna do things to you and I want you to do things to me. Stay.”
She arched her back and pushed hard against him, driving him on. He hooked an arm under her knee and tilted her pelvis. He pushed with his knees, causing her to hold onto the blanket.
“Am I hurting you?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“If you do, I swear I’ll hurt you worse.”
He chuckled and pushed even harder and faster. This time when she found her release, she yelled his name, losing control. It pushed him over the edge and he clutched her hips, pulling them tightly against his own.
“Stay with me. Please Beth.”
“Oh god I want to. You don’t know how badly I need to Mitch, but I can’t. If something goes wrong with one of the kids, they have to be able to reach me. I have to go home.”
“Can I come home with you?”
“You’d do that? You’d spend the night at my place?”
“Are you kidding? Can we go now?”
They dressed quickly and gathered the food and the unopened bottle of wine. When everything was once again in bags, Mitch stood and held out his hand. He helped her up and into his arms, kissing her breathless again. When he felt her start to melt, he turned off the light and led her out of the barn, closing the door after them. He put his arm around her and started through the pasture and into her backyard.
Mitch put the bags in the fridge and faced her.
“Are you thirsty?”
“No.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Just for you. Are you gonna stand there asking questions all night?”
Mitch closed the distance and lifted her in his arms. He carried her into her room, kicking the door closed behind them. When he put her down, she started undressing him, kissing her way across his chest. When she reached for the top button on his jeans, she started kissing his abdomen.
“Beth, if you’re gonna do what I think you’re gonna do, let’s get in the shower first. I need to calm down a little and I wanna see you naked in a bad way.”
He followed her into the bathroom and she turned on the dim light above the shower, the rest of the room stayed dark. She turned on the
water, adjusting the temperature, then turned back to him. Watching him carefully, she took off her clothing, leaving it where it fell.
When she was completely naked, she stood self-consciously staring at him, waiting for a reaction. What she got, floored and thrilled her. He started scrambling with his own clothes and they quickly pooled on the floor not far from hers.
“My stars Beth. I had a feeling, but I was nowhere close. Come here where I can touch you.”
She walked into his arms and for the first time, they were all skin, tongues and hands. His big hands slid to her bottom and he hauled her up against himself, lifting her to position her where he needed her. With her arms around his shoulders and her head thrown back, he stepped into the shower.
Beth woke up early like she did every morning. It made no difference that it was Saturday, she’d always had children to worry about so the habit was ingrained and not easily broken. She reckoned she’d only slept a few hours.
She was naked and draped across Mitch, and he had one arm around her shoulder, his hand resting gently on the back of her head. When she remembered the things they’d done to and with each other all night, she blushed. She was warm, sore and relaxed. He was still sound asleep.
Her friend was now her lover and it worried her. Beth knew all about being his friend, this new addition to their relationship made her nervous. It might’ve been a fluke; something that had just happened because emotions ran high and they’d grown closer. She wondered if she could go back to the way things were if he’d had enough of her. She hoped so and began to line her thoughts out accordingly.
Beth didn’t realize she’d begun to squirm. Mitch felt it and loosened his grip. He slowly opened his eyes and found her looking at him. He smiled and sighed.
“Good morning.”
“Hi. Are you okay?”
He chuckled and rolled to his side, facing her.
“I think I’m better than okay. You?”
“I’m a little sore, but it’s a good kind of sore. You want breakfast?”
“Not yet. How sore are you?”
“That depends. What do you have in mind?”
“The only thing I’m gonna have on my mind for the foreseeable future I’m afraid.”
His hand had started massaging her breast and he knew her well enough now that when her skin grew hot, he smiled.
“Beth, I think you want me again.”
“Yes please. Do you want me?”
Mitch pushed against her and she groaned. She rolled onto her back pulling him with her.
This time it was slow and sweet. They’d worked through the demand and need the night before. The night before was sex and lust and sensation. Now they made love and they both realized it. They held one another and kissed while they rocked against each other, instinctively knowing what the other one needed.
“Mitch, I...”
“I know Beth.”
“It’s okay?”
“We’ll make it okay.”
They gave themselves to one another, the pleasure unbearably sweet. She kissed his shoulder while he buried his face in her neck, his ragged breathing giving her hope. She had no way of knowing that they were talking about two entirely different things.
Chapter Three
When they were both showered and dressed, they sat across from one another at the table, eating breakfast. Their conversation was comfortable and light, it was almost as if nothing had happened. Every now and then she’d catch him staring at her mouth and it would all come flooding back to her. She decided to broach the subject herself and be done with it.
“Mitch, are we okay after last night? I mean we’re not going to be awkward with one another now, are we?”
He thought about her question and he remembered what Marla had said the night before. Now that they’d crossed the line, he seriously wondered if they could go back to being friends if it came to that. He started talking out loud without thinking about it, in a habit he’d formed over a lifetime. Whenever he had something serious to work out, he found that giving voice to it often made it easier. He was so comfortable around Beth, he didn’t think about what he was saying or how he was saying it.
“Marla said that if we became lovers, it would be difficult for us to just be friends. She said that you weren’t that type of girl. I tend to disagree. I think you can handle it just fine. We’ve been friends a long time you and me, and if we want to be good friends that sleep together, I think we could manage it.”
“You mean a friends-with-benefits kind of thing. That’s what you’re talking about?”
He didn’t realize her voice had grown softer and her words had come slower. He didn’t realize she was crushed. She’d grown good at hiding it, and she hid it now.
Mitch looked up and smiled because she understood, just like he knew she would.
“Exactly. Friends-with-benefits. That’s perfect.”
She continued eating, working out her new predicament. She’d almost told him that she loved him. He’d told her he knew, even though she never said the words. She assumed he understood what she was about to say and felt the same way. When he’d told her that they’d make it okay, she thought they were talking about love. He was talking about some sort of arrangement.
Beth felt broken and embarrassed. She knew she was out of practice but even taking that into consideration, it didn’t excuse her from being stupid. She suddenly felt the need to be alone.
“I think I’ll order the new sign for the gallery today, then work in the barn for awhile. There’s still several pieces I need to finish before we open. I’ll throw another pot like the black one and do the pearl glaze we talked about. I think you’re onto something there. Wanna come and hang out?”
Beth cleared her throat and put her fork down. She’d lost her appetite and she felt cold and disjointed.
“You know, I don’t think so. With the kids gone it’s a great opportunity to clean out their closets and see what they’re going to need for summer. It’s rare that they’re not underfoot and I should probably take advantage of it. Maybe later though.”
“Definitely later. Call your folks and check on them, then plan on staying at my place tonight. Okay?”
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand and she gave him a half-hearted smile. He noticed her hand was cold and then he really looked at her.
“Beth, okay?”
“We’ll see. You get to work and I will too and we’ll see how much progress we make.”
“Something’s wrong. You were fine and then you changed. Talk to me.”
Beth stood up and took her plate into the kitchen. She raked the half-eaten breakfast into the trash and started loading the dishwasher. She did not want to have this conversation until she’d had a chance to make it okay in her own mind. He was fine with it, she just had to decide if it could work for her. She wasn’t sure if she could explain that to him without upsetting him.
“Mitch, I didn’t change. I’m still fine. I just need to think and make some decisions. No matter what though, we’ll always be friends. Trust me. I’d never give that up.”
Mitch was tuned in now in a way he hadn’t been earlier. She had his undivided attention and he knew she was referring to their new arrangement. She was trying to tell him that she was thinking about giving that up. His mind raced with the implication. Why would she want to give that up? They were perfect together. They enjoyed one another. Why would she walk away from that?
He stood and took his plate into the kitchen. He put it down next to her and placed his hands on either side of her hips, trapping her against the counter. He looked down at her forcing her to lean back to do the same.
“Don’t back down now Beth. We’ve always been straight up with one another. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I don’t know if I can be your booty-call Mitch. I never pictured myself like that in anyone’s life. I need to think about it.”
“Did you not enjoy our night together? You can tell me if you d
idn’t and I’ll understand. I know I’m rusty and I might’ve gotten a little rough with you. I’m sorry if that’s the case and I promise...”
She put her hands on his chest and he locked his hands around her waist.
“Stop. Last night was perfect. From the barn to the bedroom, it was perfect and I’ll never forget it. Please don’t cheapen it by apologizing for it.”
He began to run his hands back and forth across her behind, pausing occasionally to squeeze and pull her against himself.
“If it was perfect, then what is this about? What...”
It hit him hard and it blindsided him. He remembered that she’d started to say something while they were making love and he’d cut her off. He knew what that something was now and it terrified him. Marla was right. Marla had nailed it and he was kicking himself for not taking her advice. There was too much going on in his life and he was not ready for this, not by any stretch of the imagination.
Beth saw the dawn of realization in his eyes. She purposely let it play out without correcting or interrupting him. If her calculations were correct, the situation would correct itself without any explanation or intervention on her part. She could tell by looking at him that he didn’t feel the same way about her. When he took a step back and released her, her thoughts were confirmed.
“Beth, I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. I told you, I’m fine. No matter what, we’re friends. Okay?”
“Okay. I don’t want to lose you Beth. You’re important to me.”
“You’re important to me too. We just know each other a little better now and that’s how we’ll treat this. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
He stepped away from her and the moment was broken, flooding them both with relief.
“I should go and get started on those pots.”
“I understand. Have fun and we’ll talk soon. Don’t be a stranger.”