by Raina Wilde
“Nice evening, ” said Graham, reminding her that she wasn't alone. When Christy opened her eyes, sheepish, she saw the rancher setting up the picnic blanket, smiling faintly down at the things he was setting up. “Good to be out here – or at least it beats sitting inside watching TV, that's for sure. ”
“Agreed, ” said Christy, coming to sit on the opposite edge of the blanket, and helping him to set up the rest of the plates and containers. “You've really outdone yourself with this picnic, huh? ”
“I wanted it to be nice, ” said Graham. Well, he'd certainly achieved that. Christy's heart ached over the mental image of this rough and ready cowboy carefully packing away these sandwiches and cookies – delicately decanting cool drinks into his flasks to keep them fresh and pleasant. Claire was right. She was really going to have to fight off her feelings if she wanted to retain any inch of her business head here.
Unlike Claire, however, she firmly believed in Graham's sincerity. No doubt about it, this wasn't an attempt to seduce Christy and get into her panties for free. He was just a very sweet man who didn't do things by halves. Frankly, that only made him harder to resist. Luckily, there were other irresistible things on the blanket to distract her.
“Holy shit. Did you bring ice-cream? Is that mint chocolate chip? ”
“Sure did, and it sure is. ”
“Good god, ” said Christy, already reaching for it. “Marry me. ”
Graham's laughter indicated that – thankfully – he understood that this was a joke, and it marked the beginning of an evening full of warm teasing and easy back-and-forth between the two. Christy would certainly like to think it took more than a bowl of ice-cream to win her heart, but… well. Graham Sullivan had always been so much more than that.
No doubt about it. If this chemistry kept up, then Christy Robinson was lost.
Chapter Eight
The evening had been an overwhelming success – and it continued to be. As Graham drove Christy back to Claire's place now, they sat in a comfortable silence, ruminating on the past few hours they had spent together. The light was really fading now, and that was more or less the only thing that had chased them away; they could have gladly spent all night in one another's company, Graham felt.
His main concern right now was not turning this into more than it was. Clearly, Christy was a very nice young woman, and they had great chemistry together, but she was going to leave Blue Mine as soon as Graham's money landed in her account. This wasn't about forming a relationship. It was about getting comfortable so that they could screw. That would be the end of that.
As they shared a shy glance in the truck now, however, it was hard to think of it that way. Graham pulled up outside Claire's house, and as he killed the engine, they both spent a few seconds listening to the overpowering buzz of the cicadas outside.
“I'll miss that, ” Christy said. “About this place. All the cicadas in summer. ”
“You're not looking forward to the beeping horns? The sirens? ”
Christy grinned at him, tilting her head back against the seat. “I am, actually. I know it's crazy, but… for now I kind of like all that noise. Whenever I'm around it, it always reminds me that I'm… well. Not here. ”
“But you'll still miss the cicadas, ” Graham said, understanding. “I guess I would, too. They're just part of the background for me now, though I'm sure I'd notice if they stopped. ”
“That's exactly it, ” she said. “It takes you a minute, but you just… you feel there's a big conspicuous absence of something. And then you work it out. Doesn't feel quite like a summer night without it, even hanging out a hotel room window in the heat. ”
That sounded like a pretty specific memory. Graham wondered which of her numerous trip out to the city Christy was imagining, and whether she was transporting herself there now. He wouldn't blame her if she was – but personally, Graham didn't think he'd transport himself anywhere at this moment. Being here with Christy was exactly what he wanted.
“I guess I-”
But he never finished his thought. In the truck's still-beaming headlights, Graham caught sight of a familiar figure emerging down the street.
“That's your father right there. ”
Christy's face dropped, and her head snapped right in the direction Graham was looking in. “Ah, shit. I don't want to talk to him, Graham. I really don't. ”
It was true enough that they were not dating, and that it was important for Graham to remember that distinction – but when Christy was this frightened in the face of her father's visit, Graham couldn't help but feel protective over her. He had no intention of making her face this confrontation alone, whatever form it took.
After all, there was no love lost between him and the pastor to begin with.
It took the pastor a minute to realize that Christy was in the car, but when he did, he made a beeline for it, tapping on the window with one long fingertip. “Roll down this window, right now. ”
“No, sir, ” said Christy, eyes fixed straight ahead and voice loud enough to be heard through the door, even as it was slightly unsteady. Graham wondered where the 'sir' came from, and whether it was just a habit. “I told you I don't want to see you around here; I suggest you go home. ”
“I'm not going anywhere until we talk about what you're doing, ” said the pastor. His eyes were angrier and more full of hate than Graham felt a God-fearing man's ever should be; he gripped the steering wheel tighter, trying to calm himself down. He couldn't tolerate Pastor Robinson speaking to Christy like this, but at the same time, he was sure Christy wouldn't thank him for taking control of the situation. “Is this the man? ”
“We're not going to talk about this, ” said Christy, trying her best to keep control of the situation – but Graham could tell she was quickly losing her grip. Why wouldn't she? Graham had lost his own father years ago, but he knew full well that he wouldn't want to confront the man like this, especially not in public. No matter how hard you tried to emancipate yourself, after all, your father was still your father. “Please just go. ”
“I should've known it'd be Graham Sullivan – should've known that's why your marriage degenerated. Well, I hope you're proud of yourself, Sullivan. $50, 000 to corrupt a child. That's the price of sin. ”
“I'm not a child, ” Christy insisted. Graham could see her hand was gripping the door so tightly that her knuckles were turning white, and her face looked just as tense. Graham could endure the pastor's taunting for hours; it wouldn't be the first time he'd come under his ranting scrutiny. Christy, on the other hand, clearly couldn't last much longer – and Graham suddenly wondered what he'd been thinking.
He put his truck into reverse, eyes fixed on the mirror, and started moving. “Belt up, ” he told Christy, voice stern with efficiency, and ignored Pastor Robinson's shouts as he looked over his shoulder, checking to be safe. As soon as he knew it was definitely clear, he put his foot down, and the truck worked her magic. She was old, but she still had a lot of belt in her – and that was useful for roaring away from the ranting pastor now, quickly switching back to drive before shooting off down the road away from Claire Piscatella's house.
Christy, for now, was deadly silent.
Graham waited until they were a good distance away, too far for the pastor to follow on foot, and pulled over. He figured it was better to give Christy the privacy of not looking at her, but he at least cleared his throat and offered the obvious question. “You okay? ”
“I'm fine, ” Christy said, but her voice was quiet and unconvincing. “But if I know my father, he'll sit there all night. ”
“To mine, then, ” said Graham. Normally he'd phrase that as a question, but Christy seemed like she needed a little more structure than that right now. “I keep a guest room set up just in case. I can drive you back as early as need be. ”
“You're sure? ”
Graham nodded, finally risking a glance sideways to be sure of the girl's reaction. Her eyes were so wide and hopefu
l. God. Pastor Robinson had been exaggerating for sure, and Christy was certainly not a child – but she was still very young. He felt a twist of guilt in his stomach for the attraction he felt for her, and turned back to look out of the windscreen.
“Not a problem at all, ” he confirmed. “You're more than welcome. And that guest room's got its own bathroom, even. You don't need to see head nor hide of me. ”
“Thank you, Graham. ”
After all – it had been a wonderful evening, but everybody needed time to rest. He didn't doubt that Christy had been looking forward to winding down and not having to be switched on for another person she was getting to know. Graham had, too. It was difficult to be tense for hours at a time, so determined to be impressive that you strained yourself. It wouldn't stop him from offering her a safe place, though.
Everybody deserved that.
“You want to go ahead and call Ms. Piscatella? ” Graham suggested. “Unless you'd rather wait until you're alone. I just figure she'll be confused as all hell about what just happened outside her house. ”
“Oh, ” said Christy, shaking her head briefly as Graham set off again. “No, you're right. I'll call her. ”
The light had finally almost completely faded out when they reached Graham's ranch. It wasn't a long drive, but it felt like they'd left the town very far behind. That was one of the things Graham liked about his place. It was convenient enough to get out into town, but it felt secluded and sheltered enough from the constant comings-and-goings of town and the watchful eyes of its people.
He hoped that would be of some comfort to Christy tonight, too.
As he undid his seatbelt, however, he felt some tension to his right. Christy wasn't getting out of the car – and when he turned to look and see if she was okay, Graham saw that she was leaning closer across the truck.
“I'm grateful, ” she said, voice soft. “For the way you're treating me now. For the way you have been treating me. ”
Almost before Graham could register what was happening, Christy leaned closer still and pressed her lips softly against Graham's.
The mood seemed to change quickly from there. Graham's first instinct was to pull away, but Christy was persistent; her kiss was eager and firm, and it didn't take long for Graham to be won over and kiss her back. Christy's lips were soft, and when Graham reached to pull her closer, the curve of her hip beneath her thin slip of a dress felt so warm. Christy didn't need much invitation, though. The way they were leaning across the truck was too awkward, and she quickly moved to slide onto Graham's lap.
Graham's arms wrapped around her waist. She was a perfect fit – and with Christy's hands holding his face, they kissed in the darkness of the car, every shift Christy made in his lap setting Graham more on fire. She was beautiful, and Graham could sense that even with his eyes closed. He could imagine what Christy looked like right now, all ruffled and arched.
It took everything Graham had not to press her back against the steering wheel and kiss the length of her body – but they had all the time in the world. It was that thought that sobered him somewhat, and he sighed, pulling away from their kiss with one last peck for good measure.
“Not here, ” he said.
“Anywhere, ” Christy answered, breath heavy. “Bed, then. Anywhere – Graham. . . ”
He accepted Christy's eager kiss, but he couldn't get carried away again. He knew what Christy wanted right now, and that things would run away with both of them if he allowed that to happen. Equally, he knew that they both might regret that. Tonight, in these circumstances, was not the right time.
Christy was running on the adrenalin of her father showing up at the house. No need to waste her first time on that.
“Not tonight, ” Graham said, breaking off the kiss gently and with another few pressed across her cheek. She smelled so fresh and pretty. He wondered what perfume she wore. “We've had a good night. Let's just end it like this. Your first time – I want that to be special. I'm going to make that special for you. ”
Christy sighed, slumping forward onto Graham's shoulder. Graham could feel the rabbit-fast beat of her heart against his own chest, sliding a hand up her back to try and calm her down. “You're right, ” she said, muffled against the fabric of Graham's shirt. “Sorry. ”
“Don't be sorry, ” Graham insisted. “I want you – I mean. . . ” he cleared his throat, pleased that Christy's face was buried in his chest to prevent her from seeing Graham blush. “I do. But I don't want you to rush. If your father hadn't been there tonight, then it wouldn't have been tonight. You know…? So let's just… keep pace. ”
However, as they sat together in the truck, calming down in the darkness and the quiet, it got harder and harder to think of this as just a business transaction. Christy felt so alive and vulnerable under Graham's hands, and he felt so drawn to her; he was forced to ask himself whether he'd really, truly be able to walk away from this once their contract was fulfilled.
Frankly, he really didn't know.
Chapter Nine
After almost jumping the gun and sleeping with Graham in his car, Christy couldn't help but be a little embarrassed. This was exactly what Claire had tried to warn her about – to make sure she didn't start seeing this as anything more than a business transaction. Last night, she could have given away her virginity without so much as seeing the check, and then where would she be? She'd have to take up space in Claire's house for even longer, and pick up a second job somehow to start saving.
She and Graham had arranged to meet again tonight – and by the sounds of things, this would be the night. Christy had gone through a variety of preparations, including watching some clips on the internet that made her toes curl. Even so, she doubted she would feel prepared when it actually happened.
After all, it was a completely new experience.
Even so, she couldn't help but feel a little bubble of excitement as she and Graham left the restaurant they had been eating at, smiling at one another as they were finally alone in each other's company. It was pleasant after all the attention they'd been pulling inside the building.
“Still pretty nice out, ” said Graham. “Thought maybe you might want to go for a walk before we head back? ”
“Sure. ”
Surely Graham didn't intend to sleep with her out here in public? If not, then this walk was just for the pleasure of her company – and that in itself made Christy blush. For as gruff and serious as she had always assumed Graham Sullivan was, the man was actually very gentlemanly and sweet. However convinced Pastor Robinson was that he was a sinner – well. Christy thought the opposite.
The weather was warm but not overbearing, and as Graham led the way out to the outskirts of time, Christy could only wish for the gentle river breeze they'd enjoyed the other night. Otherwise, everything felt close to perfect.
As soon as they were alone, Graham seemed to relax a little more, turning towards Christy with a slight smile. “I have the check ready for you, if you want to see it. ”
“Oh, ” she said, feeling her face flood with color. “Sure, if you don't mind. ” Part of her wanted to refuse, insisting that she believed that Graham had the money, but Claire was in the back of her head forcing him to be a businessman – and was pleased to have the check in her hand, and then her purse.
Of course, there was no way of confirming that the check wouldn't bounce out here, but surely Graham wouldn't write it if that was the case? Then, the whole town would know that not only had he wanted to sleep with the pastor's daughter, but he was also a liar. In any case, Graham just didn't seem like the type. Christy had misread him before, sure enough, but she didn't think she was misreading him now.
He was a good man – good like Claire was, and her father wasn't. You could just feel that spirit radiating out of people sometimes, and perhaps that was why Christy felt so comfortable around him now.
“I guess you'll be preparing to leave already? ” Graham asked, hands in his pockets as they walked down the
warm, sunny way. “You must be excited. ”
“I am, ” Christy confirmed. She couldn't exactly admit that she'd been thinking sorrowfully about everything she'd leave behind when she had cashed that check, or that Graham was now one of those things she'd miss. She didn't want to seem indecisive or immature; she wanted Graham to think of her as cool and self-assured, moving forward and progressing towards her goals in life rather than constantly reassessing them. But wasn't the fact that she really wanted to impress Graham simply more evidence that she wanted to remain behind? It was messing with her head. “I guess there's a lot to work out before I go. ”
“Not for a while yet, then? ”
“Maybe not. ”
That was about as specific as she could be – but her stomach flipped as she saw Graham's small smile grow.
It wasn't love. Love was bigger than this, she knew; it took a while to grow into every corner of your being, and it simply hadn't had the time to take root in her yet. Chemistry and electric sparks, though?
Sure. She certainly felt that. It seemed like Graham did, too.
“You'll have to come visit me, ” she suggested, “out in the city. Whichever one I choose. . . ”
“Early invitation, huh? ”
“Any time, ” Christy assured him. “I owe you for your guest room. ”
Graham laughed, shaking his head. “Either that or I can send you a bill, huh? Is that how it works? ” His smile was so warm. Christy would never have expected that from all this time she'd been delivering his groceries. It made her want to encourage Graham to do it more – to smile immediately at everyone he met. Then again, maybe not. She liked the idea of keeping it just for herself. “And up until you leave? You're just going to stay with Ms. Piscatella? ”