by Jewel E. Ann
We walk. We eat. We go back to sleep. Sunday is shaping up to be a better day already. I post a note on the door to keep the pesky vet and the striptease away.
Beware!
Red Angry Bitch Inside
Evacuate the premises immediately!
Come back on Friday.
By 10:00 a.m., the doorbell rings. I peek around the corner and see Lautner walking away. I creep toward the door as he pulls out of the drive. Opening it, I spy on the ground a bouquet of colorful flowers, a pastry bag, a hot drink cup, and a bottle of Advil. I carry the goods to the kitchen and put the flowers in water next to the first bouquet that has started to wilt. There’s a card taped to the pastry bag.
SORRY
I inhale the cherry-almond galette and sit on the porch sipping my chai tea latte with a mischievous grin on my face and dirty thoughts in my head.
Going through my duties, I pick up poop, mow the lawn, and set out the trash and recycling bins before retiring by the pool for a late afternoon nap with Swarley.
*
June 8th, 2010
Better sleep. I’ve discovered Swarley will let me sleep in longer if I let him in bed with me. A fair trade.
It’s 7:30 a.m. and I choose to feed Swarley first and walk him in an hour. Once again, my strategy is to avoid Dane on his morning jog. While Swarley’s food is digesting, I call Avery.
“Jeez, Sam, do you know what time it is?” Her voice is groggy.
“Yes, it’s 8:00 a.m. on a Monday. Don’t you have a job?”
She laughs. “You’re one to talk. Miss I-Get-Paid-To-Lie-By-The-Pool. Anyway, my first client isn’t until eleven. You’re not calling to tell me not to come, are you?”
“No, of course not. I’m looking forward to seeing you. There’s an overload of testosterone around here. I need you to help even things out.”
“Oh, really? Well, if there’s one thing I like it’s a healthy dose of testosterone. You haven’t staked your claim on pseudo pool boy have you? I’ve been using his picture as a visual when I find myself under someone who is … not so visually appealing.”
“Nice, Ave. Why would you even sleep with someone you weren’t physically attracted to?”
“Boredom.” She giggles.
I roll my eyes. “You need a hobby.”
“Maybe sex is my hobby.”
“Great, write that on the Christmas card you send Dad.”
“Oh, Sam, don’t be such a prude. Maybe if you took advantage of that hot eye candy in the photo, then you wouldn’t be so judgmental.”
I’ve tried!
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. When will you be here on Friday?”
“I’m leaving in the morning, so I should be there between two and three.”
“Okay, drive safe. I love you.”
“Love you too, Sam. Bye.”
I take Swarley for his walk then we play Frisbee. I sit on the couch checking my computer for e-mail, specifically job opportunities. The doorbell rings. Once again, I see Lautner walking away. When he’s officially gone, I open the door—flowers, bakery bag, and a hot beverage.
I sit on a kitchen barstool and open the envelope taped to the bag. There are two museum tickets, one to de Young and the other to Legion of Honor, both in San Francisco. There’s also a note.
PLEASE
Please what? It doesn’t matter. Right now I’m too busy digging into another cherry-almond galette and sipping a chai tea latte. Damn, it’s good and so are the dirty thoughts I’ve attached to it.
“Sorry, Swarley, you’re on your own for a while today. I’m going to San Francisco,” I announce with a broad smile.
*
June 9th, 2010
I enjoyed both of the museums yesterday. Just being surrounded by what I love reminded me of my goals and my unwavering commitment to them. I’d happily take a curator position at either one. The upside to working in California would be the proximity to Avery. A weak voice in my head whispers Lautner’s name too, but I’m not ready to think about a relationship. I will not give up on my dreams. A part of me feels like pursuing my career with steadfast focus is a tribute to my mom who lost her chance. I have to believe she would be proud of me and equally disappointed if I gave up my future for a man.
Swarley is crowding me, which should be hard to do in a king-sized bed. The clock reads 7:45 a.m. We’re gaining on it. By this time next week, I could be sleeping in until 9:00 a.m. Elizabeth and Trevor might not appreciate Swarley’s new schedule, or his new sleeping arrangements, but I’ll deal with that later.
“Let’s get you fed, you big beast.”
While Swarley eats I step out onto the mammoth deck. It’s cloudy again today. I hope we can get his walk in before it rains, otherwise I’m going to be stuck in the house all day with a dog who has more energy than I can handle.
We manage to get back from our walk just as a few drops start to fall. We’re walking up the drive and I see something by the front door. I can’t make out what it is yet, but I grin with giddy enthusiasm because I already know. A bouquet of flowers, a bakery sack, and a hot drink cup.
Today the note reads:
FORGIVE
Then there is a piece of paper titled Rainy Day Entertainment with a long list of website links. I bring my laptop to the kitchen and type in the links while I eat my cherry-almond galette and drink my chai tea latte … and of course, think dirty thoughts.
“Oh, jeez!” I say aloud, shaking my head. The links are to YouTube how-to surfing videos. There must be fifty links listed. Lautner makes me smile even without his presence. The thought is equally endearing and terrifying.
By the end of the day, I’ve watched them all. It did rain most of the day, but tomorrow it’s supposed to be sunny and warm. I’ll get to meet the real pool guy as well. He was scheduled to come today, but the rain changed those plans. Elizabeth’s description of him leads me to believe there will be no gawking or sneaking photos to send to Avery. Just as well, I have my hands pretty full as is.
*
June 10th, 2010
8:07 a.m. “Yes! Good boy, Swarley.” I rub his tummy. “See, sleeping in rocks.” I’m feeling energized this morning. My sister is coming tomorrow, and awesome weather is predicted for the day.
Swarley eats, then a little after 9:00 we go for a jog. Yes, a jog. I need an outlet for my new found energy, and Swarley has an unlimited supply so we make the morning count. As predicted, but nonetheless a phenomenally sweet gesture, there are flowers at the front door with a bakery bag, hot drink cup, and … oh … my … God … condoms.
The note on the bag reads:
ME
SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME
There’s another note taped to the box of condoms.
Not being presumptuous or pushy, just prepared.
The condoms on the counter make it extra hard, no pun intended, to keep my head out of the gutter as I drink my chai tea latte and eat my cherry-almond galette. I decide to take the Red Angry Bitch sign down before Aaron, the pool guy, shows up. After four days of Lautner special deliveries, the bitch is gone, the anger has dissolved, and the only red left is the flush that comes over my skin when I drink my chai tea latte and think of gratitude blow jobs.
Aaron is right on time. He’s also a large man with a severe case of plumber’s crack. I make myself a sandwich in the kitchen while he gets the supplies from the pool house.
Oh, no, please don’t. No, no, no! Ugh!
Aaron didn’t get the memo. It takes awhile to get results from gastric bypass surgery. I don’t think this is his summer to go without his shirt. He thinks it is. I look at my sandwich with disgust. My appetite is gone, maybe for the rest of the day.
“Swarley!” I call as I set the plate on the floor.
Another broken rule Elizabeth and Trevor would not be too happy about. No table food. Technically, the sandwich never made it to the table.
Twenty minutes later Aaron comes to the back door and slides it open. “Sydney, would it be too much
to ask for some ice water?”
I set down my book and get a glass down. “No problem. Is it getting pretty hot outside?” I hand him the glass.
My bikini is easily visible through my sheer, white cover-up. He drags his eyes over my body with blatant shamelessness. I wonder if he sees my skin crawling. Yuck!
“Yeah, it’s real hot,” he says in a creepy voice as sweat races down his large torso.
His gaze keeps moving to the kitchen island behind me then back to me with a suggestive grin. I glance back.
Oh, fuck!
There are two things on the island. My laptop and the box of condoms.
My eyes bug out as I suck in a breath. “Okay, well I have to run an errand. Let yourself out when you’re done.”
He nods. “Maybe I’ll catch you later.”
Dear God, I hope not!
I force a tight smile as he goes back to the pool. Snatching the condoms, I sprint upstairs to change into shorts and a T-shirt. I was going to wait until later to run to the grocery store, but now is definitely the best time to go.
My mental list consists of all the essentials: snacks, beverages, alcohol, and an assortment of things to throw on the grill. I make a second run through the store to make sure I didn’t forget anything … and to make sure I give Aaron plenty of time to finish up and get the hell out of there.
CHAPTER SIX
June 11th, 2010
TGIF … well, for people with real jobs anyway. I wake up early, even before Swarley. Call it karma, but I drag his butt out of bed, feed him, walk him, and smile as he’s once again crashed on the lounge chair by the pool. And it’s only 9:00 a.m. I take a shower and shave all the hair on or near my lower extremities. Why? My subconscious sneaks around behind my conscious thoughts and prepares for the “what if.”
I forego drying my hair since I’ll be jumping in the pool anyway. When the doorbell rings my heart slam dunks into my chest and my stomach does a front aerial flip with a half twist. I open the front door with an embarrassingly large grin. At my feet on the porch is a bouquet of flowers, a bakery sack, and a hot beverage. No vehicle in the drive, no Lautner. My smile fades and a pang of disappointment seizes my heart. I pick everything up and turn to go inside.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
I turn around. Blue irises.
“It is now.” My enthusiasm recovers in a blink. Narrowing my eyes, I tilt my head to the side. “Were you hiding?”
He grins and nods once, moving up the porch one slow step at a time, holding a tall cup of coffee.
“Why?” I purse my lips to hide my excitement.
“I wanted to see your face when you opened the door, so I could gauge my chances of getting invited in today.” He moves to the threshold.
I bring the flowers to my nose and inhale the sweet smell of fresh lavender. “And?”
He pulls a pink daisy from the bouquet and tucks it behind my ear then runs his finger down my neck. “I think my chances are pretty good.”
“Where’s your vehicle”
“Parked on the street.”
I turn and walk toward the kitchen. When I look back Lautner is still standing at the door. Motioning toward the kitchen with my head, I smile. He takes an exaggerated cautious first step inside. I shake my head and keep walking. The kitchen counter near the windows is filled with glasses and vases of flowers.
“Someone must think you’re pretty special.”
“Just some guy I met last week. All these flowers are obnoxiously over the top.” I add the new bouquet to water. “Then there’s all the pastries and sweet creamy tea. I think I’ve gained five pounds.”
I still, sensing his nearness behind me. He pulls my hair back over my shoulder and brushes his lips along my neck.
“Sydney,” he whispers and I close my eyes. “I’m sorry about the other day. You are special and being with you would never be random.”
Sirens should be screeching in my head. Danger! Hot guy is trying to derail your future!
I turn. I’m not thinking about the next twenty-one days, or a future driven by a stolen past. Lautner, standing before me, owns my every thought. Resting my palms on his chest with splayed fingers, I breathe in his unique scent. It’s become familiar; it’s just him, sometimes mixed with sun, ocean and sand, or earthy grass and rain. I curl my fingers into his shirt and pull him closer. Our eyes meet.
Letting my analytical brain steal this moment would be like flying to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. I have to experience this moment, it’s not a choice … it’s instinct.
Pushing up onto my toes, I stretch my neck and brush my lips against his. He grins so I bite his bottom lip, dragging it through my teeth.
“Don’t tease me today.” I tug harder on his shirt.
Strong hands wrap around my waist and lift me to the counter. He pulls his shirt off. My hands grip the edge of the counter at my sides.
Blue irises.
Deft fingers work the small buttons down the front of my pale yellow sundress.
Blue irises … they’re all I see.
Nerves are soothed. Fear vanishes.
In this moment there is nowhere I’d rather be and no one I’d rather be with.
When the last button is pulled through, Lautner spreads open the front of my dress. I’m wearing a simple white lace bra and matching thong. He sucks in a slow, deep breath. My flesh warms under his lustful gaze. I love watching him look at me. No man has ever looked at me this way, and it’s gut-wrenching to know that our timing is all wrong because I’m certain no other man will make me feel the way I do right now … with just … one … look.
“Sydney, you’re breathtaking.” Patient hands cradle my face. Sliding them back and weaving his fingers through my hair with a soft pull, he brings our lips together.
I move my hands to his biceps. They flex under my touch as he pulls me closer, deepening our kiss. My legs wrap around his waist, and I slide my hands around his neck. My skin prickles with a tingly excitement under his touch. The pull of his strong arms lifting my body from the counter elicits a soft moan from me. He releases my lips and turns, carrying me away from the kitchen to the stairs.
With effortless strength, he carries me to the bedroom. Our eyes feel connected like our bodies, and we stare at each other in silence. Near the foot of the bed, he eases me to my feet. I shiver in breathless anticipation. He feathers his hands down my neck to my shoulders then slides my open dress back until it falls to the floor. Every move he makes is slow and measured. It’s seductive and sensual. I’m a cool drink in the sun melting in surrender to his touch. The familiar fullness returns to my breasts as he unhooks my bra letting it drift to join the pooled sundress at my feet. My nipples firm under the veil of my dark hair covering my breasts.
Lautner kneels before me, ghosting his hands down both sides of my torso. He leans in, touching his lips to my stomach. My breath catches as his tongue dips into my navel. Fingers curling under the waist of my thong, my knees feel weak as he pulls the lacy material down my legs. I take a deep swallow when blue irises gaze up at me. They’re tender and patient. My whole body is vibrating. I wonder if he notices the soft shivers of nervous arousal that flow through me in small waves. He stands. I’m held hostage in his invisible hold. Sculpted abs merge to a point where his shorts hang low.
The pull of a button. The inching descent of a zipper.
As his shorts and briefs slide down his firm legs, I hold my breath. I’ve seen him before, but with the anticipation of his naked body against mine, it’s like seeing him for the first time.
He’s … stunning. Taut, bronzed skin covering every inch of his strong muscular form. Large defined quads and calves. Ripped chest and abs. Brawny arms angled from broad shoulders. The low line along his waist, where tanned flesh fades to a paler shade, awakens me, an erotic reminder that I’m looking at part of Lautner that is not seen by everyone else.
It’s not about belonging to someone. I belong to no one. It’s surrenderi
ng to a physical need that outweighs all reason. The rapturous flood of sensation that comes from being taken, controlled by another for pleasure. I want Lautner to take me, control me, drown my senses in a sea of physical euphoria.
Lost in a slow blink. The distance between us vanishes. His hands tangle in my hair. Our tongues claim each other. I wrap my arms around his back and slide my hands to his glutes, curling my fingers into firm muscles that flex as his pelvis tilts forward. His erection presses into my stomach, and my sensitive nipples brush against the soft hairs on his chest. My head falls back and I close my eyes as his lips and tongue caress the thin flesh of my neck.
“God …” I moan in breathless pleasure, “Lautner …”
“Sydney …” he whispers below my ear.
He drags the duvet off the bed and lowers us to the cool sheets. On our sides, our legs entwine. The warm friction of his hard body moving against mine is intensely erotic … surreal. He inches his head down my neck to my chest and captures my breast in his mouth.
“Ahh …” I cry, arching my back and rocking my pelvis so my sex brushes against his leg that’s scissored between both of mine.
He rolls us so I’m on my back and hovers over me on his hands and knees. His mouth is back on my breasts and the sensual assault is sending a crescendo of fireworks straight to my core. I fist his hair and pull his mouth to mine. His tongue makes deep, slow thrusts into my mouth. I keep one hand fisted in his hair and slide my other down his chest. He moans into my mouth as I wrap my hand around him and squeeze his hard length with upward strokes.
“Syd—Sydney … oh God … stop!” He sits back on his knees between my legs. Eyes fixed to mine, lips parted, quick ragged breaths flow from him. “Condom?”
Wetting my lips, I grin. There’s an unrestrained satisfaction that comes from making him want me. I look to my right and his gaze follows to the nightstand where I’ve set the box. He leans forward and grabs it. I’m mesmerized by him rolling the condom onto his huge erection. My teeth nervously work the corner of my bottom lip. I think it’s too big. Is that possible? Surely not. After all, women push babies out of the same opening. I look at Lautner and his heated expression now has a hint of a smile. I’m sure he notices my wide eyes staring at his … sizable contribution to my pleasure.