Permanent Lines

by Ashley Wilcox

  “Can I get you two a drink?” the bartender asked, placing two white, square napkins in front of us.

  I looked at Nova for her to order first.

  “Uh, I’ll have a Long Island Iced Tea.” She smiled as she ordered and I nodded my head slightly, impressed with her drink choice. I took her to be a wine-o like Kayla, being one of the higher-ups in society, but she mixed it up with a hard-liquor. Nice.

  “Whatever dark beer you have on tap,” I said. I was a typical guy, after all—hand me a draft beer and I’m good.

  “Were you guys interested in looking at a menu?”

  I nodded my head, glancing over at her as I did. She looked to be in agreement. “Yeah, we’ll take a couple menus,” I answered.

  He smiled. “I’ll bring them back with your drinks.”

  “Thank you,” Nova replied, her sweet smile visible again, making a spark ignite inside. “What?” She looked at me in question, a flirtatious tone in her voice. She caught me staring again, but I didn’t really care. She was easy on the eyes.

  I shook my head with a pleased grin. “Nothing,” I responded slyly. “You’re cute.”

  Her eyes sparkled, flattered, as her cheeks turned the shade of pink that I was getting used to. “Thanks.”

  “Long Island for you, ma’am, and a Guinness for you, sir,” the bartender interrupted, placing our drinks on the napkins and then the two menus down next to them.

  “Thanks.”

  “Just let me know when you’re ready.” He grinned politely before walking away.

  Nova already was skimming inside the menu when I looked back over to her. She was very engaged in choosing her meal, and I opened my menu to do the same. We sat in a silence a few minutes while we perused the menus.

  “I’m just going to stick with a burger,” she said seconds later, closing her menu and placing it on top of the wooden bar.

  “Yeah, I don’t think I can come here and not get one.”

  “I don’t think I ever have,” she agreed. “They’re too good to pass up.”

  I was thoroughly impressed once again. She wasn’t what I was expecting. Not at all. She liked big juicy burgers—something you don’t find on many of those types of girls’ menus. I fully expected her to get a salad.

  “So what’s the day to day life of Nova?” I asked before taking a sip of my beer.

  She snickered, placing her drink down as well. “It’s quite fabulous,” she smirked, “I answer phones at my father’s office and run errands for him when he needs something.”

  I gave her an amused grin with my eyebrows raised for extra emphasis. “Sounds like a good time.”

  “Incredibly,” she drawled. Her voice couldn’t get any more sarcastic. “But whatever, it’s a job.” She shrugged her shoulders with a genuine grin. “I guess I can’t really complain.”

  I nodded, impressed yet again. She had a less than stellar job but was content with it. Interesting.

  The bartender returned, interrupting our conversation and taking our menus. He nodded and gave me a wink when we both ordered burgers, me a smokehouse burger with New York cheddar, bacon, and a kick-ass BBQ sauce and Nova a triple prime cheddar burger that was smothered in New York’s best aged cheddar cheese, too—a fucking delicacy, I tell ya! He obviously hadn’t pegged her as a burger girl, either.

  “So what’s the day to day life of Merrick like?”

  I bit my lip and squinted my eyes like I was really thinking about it, but my life wasn’t anything spectacular, so there wasn’t much to ponder. “It’s quite exciting, actually,” I said in a hushed voice, holding out my hands like she should prepare herself. “I’m not sure you’re going to be able to handle it.”

  Her cheeks blushed as a sweet giggle escaped her lips. I smiled back, loving the way she looked—cute as hell.

  “I’m a bartender,” I told her like I was giving in, not revealing anything fancy or out of the ordinary.

  “But it’s your own bar, though, right?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Already did your research on me, Ms. Detective?”

  She shrugged her shoulders with a devilish grin. “Maybe.”

  I was intrigued. “Oh yeah? So what else do you know?”

  She sat confidently, shoulders back and straight, and looked at me with a knowing smile. Even though it bothered me slightly that sitting down she almost matched my height, it was almost a turn on too, like she was challenging me. It wasn’t something I was used to, but something I just might like.

  “You own McShane’s. You’re a dirt bike racer, and Kayla is like your sister, so I better not fuck with you or she may kick my ass.”

  I laughed at the last part. She probably wasn’t lying, though Kayla was a twig—maybe a hundred pounds dripping wet—but she had a bite to her attitude, which alone should be enough warning not to fuck with her, even though, when it came down to it, Kayla wouldn’t hurt a fly. I was touched by the sentiment regardless. It was nice to know there was someone in my corner.

  “Yeah,” I apologized sincerely, “I didn’t tell you that she’s my bodyguard. Don’t underestimate her fury, either. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”

  She threw her hands up innocently. “No way. She’s one that I don’t intend to piss off.”

  I agreed. “Not to mention Miles would sic his little minions on you too.”

  She spit out her drink. “His minions?!” Nova wiped the residual liquid from her lips and cracked up.

  I gave her a serious stare. “You don’t know about them?” I said with all solemnity, but completely sarcastic. “Scary little fucks that I don’t recommend getting involved with.”

  Her tone of laughter increased, making me lose my serious look and bust out into my own laugh. “Oh my God, that’s hilarious,” she said, holding her stomach and trying to regain her composure. “Funny thing is, I wouldn’t doubt it.”

  “Right?” I agreed enthusiastically. “The guy may not be GI Joe strong, but he has an army of a hundred to do his dirty work.”

  Though I said it sarcastically, it wasn’t too far-fetched. I had no beef with Miles, we hashed out our differences a while back and actually get a long for the most part. He takes good care of Kayla and she’s happy, which is all I really care about it, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that the dude was one of the wealthiest men in Manhattan. He had power … control. If he had dirty work that needed taken care of, it wouldn’t take much to get it done.

  The conversation for the rest of the meal continued as smoothly and effortlessly as it began. I was beginning to like Nova more and more as the afternoon went on. With more than a few beers in my system and a few Long Island Iced Teas in hers, the buzz was coming alive. I wasn’t sure how in the bag Nova was, but by the permanent flush she was wearing and the giggle that came after every sentence I said, I’d say she was sitting just as pretty as I was.

  I couldn’t believe it when I looked at my watch and saw that it was already six o’clock. Mentally, I cursed that I had just a couple of hours to sober up before I opened the bar. Not that I never worked the bar with a buzz, it actually happened just about every weekend, but because some chick or group of them would always ask me to do a shot with them and I didn’t want to work the whole night completely plastered. And how in the hell does a testosterone driven male turn down a shot with a pretty girl? We don’t. But I had my limits. I wasn’t stupid. I owned the bar and had a good rep for it; I wasn’t going to ruin it getting drunk on the job. Once I thought I had enough, I would make sure I had a beer bottle next to me, and instead of chasing the shot with beer like it appeared, I spit the shot into the beer bottle instead. It was perfect—no one could tell and I didn’t get shitfaced.

  But back to Nova, though … for the first time in a long while, I didn’t want the day to end. I didn’t want to work. I wanted to spend more time with her. She was a cool chick, one that I liked hanging with and wouldn’t mind getting to know a little better. Though I wasn’t head over heals for her, we definitely had some c
hemistry. Even before we knew we were meeting each other, there was an attraction across that café.

  “Time to go be Mr. Bartender?” Nova asked, noticing my glance down to my watch.

  I tried to look nonchalant. I didn’t want her to think that I was watching the time, because it wasn’t that at all, but I looked at her with an unfortunate frown. “Just about,” I told her after emptying the last of my beer from the glass.

  She did the same to hers, lifting it up and pouring the half full glass down her throat. Nova was no softie with drinking. The more she had, the bigger the gulps were. She was a champ, if I were to be frank, and it turned out she wasn’t a rich bitchy snob at all. Two in the win column.

  “Well,” she stood from her stool, doing a little sway once she was up, “this was fun, Merrick.”

  I laughed at the obvious—she was more than half in the bag, and it was damn cute. I held onto her elbow to help her stand up straight. Our bodies were close—real close—closer than they’d been all day. I could feel her sweet breath on my face, a heady mix of mint gum and alcohol and woman. Both of our mouths grew into smiles as our bodies felt the obvious attraction. It was undeniable. I wanted to lean in and kiss her but didn’t wanted to be too forward. Last time I tried something with a girl, I ended up sending her home, but this was different, right? This was a sanctioned date, and dates end in kisses.

  “Ready when you are.” Her voice was almost a whisper as her eyes dipped from my lips back up to my eyes.

  Fuck it! My face inched forward, slowly, making sure she had ample time to refuse or back away from what she knew was coming, but she didn’t; in fact, she broke the distance, leaning forward and pressing her lips against mine. They were soft and almost had an innocence to them. I could tell a lot about someone just from how their lips felt against mine—if they were aggressive or tainted or anxious or naive—I could tell a lot. Nova’s showed innocence—no hidden secrets, no dark pasts—she was simple, honest, and pure.

  My right hand moved from her elbow to her lower back, bracing her body close to mine. I didn’t want to press my luck or take things any further than they had already gone. I knew Nova wasn’t a whore or someone looking for a quick lay; not that I would ever treat her like one, but I couldn’t help but notice how she responded, pushing in just as intensely, her hand sliding from my chest to the back of my head, holding me in place just as much as I was with her. The whole thing felt natural and not new … it felt good, both of us smiling before parting our lips.

  Her body felt so soft and warm, like it was an extension of mine. She lay next to me like we did this every night, like we’d known each other for forever. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, watching a smile spread across her face as something funny happened on the television. I didn’t even know what we were watching, some kind of romantic comedy probably, I don’t even know. I was glued to her and only her.

  “Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked, barely dragging her eyes away from the movie.

  Her smile was contagious, making my grin grow even more. There was something about Amelia I couldn’t explain, a connection between us that I had never felt with anyone else.

  I reached for her right hand that rested on her stomach, picking it up and intertwining our fingers together, watching them intently as I did. She did the same, watching, grinning at how amazing just the small gesture was—our hands fused together.

  She had a simple silver band wrapped around her middle finger that I quietly played with, spinning it around and around. For a moment I thought about how amazing life would be if I could just stay like this day in and day out, sitting beside Amelia—no worries, just enjoying her presence. She wasn’t like any girl that I had ever met. I’d never felt so much by just sitting next to a girl. It was like my future was snapping into place right before my eyes. I could see so much with Amelia, things that I never thought I could ever link with a girl, with my life. Amelia brought out so many emotions that I never knew existed.

  “Like what?” I finally answered, looking up at her with what I’m sure was the biggest pussy grin ever, my thumb now grazing the top of her hand. We’d come up to my apartment after everyone downstairs at the party left and went immediately to my room. Nothing hot and heavy, seriously; we just cuddled in each other’s arms, watching a movie, but my mind was all about her. My cock was hard as granite being that close to her. It was like having a girl over when your parents weren’t home in middle school. My insides were going crazy and I had hardly any control over my body. As much as I loved lying here, doing nothing, enjoying the simple pleasures in life, I couldn’t deny the wheels that were turning, visualizing myself deep within her, watching her eyes as I pleasured every inch of her body, how her moans would sound as I caressed her beautiful tits with my mouth. Every emotion … Amelia brought out every single one.

  She looked at me with a mischievous grin, studying my face. I didn’t shy away, matching her gaze. My lips were going dry and I could have sworn that my breathing had paused. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. Her bright green eyes were lit up even in the dark room and her jet black hair cascaded over her shoulders like a midnight waterfall. I couldn’t look away, she was too captivating … someone I couldn’t get enough of.

  I didn’t speak, but I caved first, leaning forward and placing my lips on hers. She held no resistance, falling into the cushion of my body. With no hesitation or control, I pressed my weight against hers, slowly pushing her back even further into the pillows of my bed. Her arms draped around my neck, lightly running the tips of her fingers up into my hairline as my hands pressed into the mattress on either side of her head. In a moment, my body was squarely on top of hers. Exactly where it was meant to be. Our lips moved methodically, my tongue slipping in to dance with hers, taking and tasting, learning more about each other than we could with words. She moaned and I was a goner. I loved everything about her body beneath mine; the taste of her sweet mouth, the way her hips rocked up against my cock. She felt fucking amazing below me, like that’s where she was supposed to be, and she was, and I never wanted it to change.

  Our lips parted as my face skimmed the smoothness of her cheek, moving to the side, breathing heavily into her ear. A sexy as hell sigh escaped her mouth as my mouth skated the perimeter of her ear, my tongue sliding against the lobe. Her skin was a delicacy, a dessert waiting to be indulged in. I couldn’t get enough; I wanted to taste every inch of it.

  My hands moved with a mind of their own, the right one slipping up underneath her shirt as the left continued down the length of her body, stopping at and cupping her hip. The more skin my hand and mouth touched, the sexier and louder her moans became. I was beginning to lose control; I wasn’t going to be able to keep my leisurely pace for much longer. I needed more. I needed to feel her body naked below mine. I needed to see how her face looked as I pleasured her body. I needed it all … I needed Amelia in every way, shape, and form.

  “Oh, God!” she cried out as my mouth glided against her stomach and my hands slowly pushed her shirt over her head, stopping at her perky tits, nipping at the peak that was protruding visibly through her black lace bra.

  My cock grew impossibly harder by just those two words. Every movement, every moan, every cry that escaped Amelia’s mouth pushed me closer to the brink, and I wasn’t completely convinced I was going to make it inside of her before losing my shit.

  “God, baby, you taste so damn good,” I whispered into her ear as the last of her shirt swept over her hands and puddled onto the floor.

  Time sped up and our bodies moved with a synchronous urgency, our moans and sighs growing to a fever pitch. Amelia’s determined little hands were at the hem of my shirt as my fingers plucked her bra open, revealing her full breasts. Within seconds of my shirt being swept over my head, my mouth was latched around her nipple, licking, sucking, and clenching it softly between my teeth.

  Her body moved vigorously below me, her hips pressing up, up into me as her hand
s immediately found my belt buckle, loosening it with ease before undoing the button to my jeans. I couldn’t wait a second longer, sliding my mouth down the rest of her body, stopping at the top of her jeans. By the way she cried out when I dipped a finger into the waistband, I didn’t bother asking for permission as I practically yanked them from her body.

  It was then that I took a step back, taking in the canvas in front of me. Amelia Driscoll was a sight to see. Head to toe, her body defined perfection. She was watching me with a sweet little grin as my eyes carried over every inch, starting at her face, taking in the way her eyes stood out against her olive skin, her dark hair that looked perfectly swept over her left shoulder, the way her tits looked beautifully rounded and proportioned to her body. Her stomach … God, it was perfect- so fucking smooth and had just enough to it to hold and grip with my hands. There was a dark tattoo sitting on the top of her pelvic bone that caught my eye, but it was too dark to make out what it was; my eyes stayed on it no more than a second before they fixed hungrily on the sheerness of her panties. My body was heavy, full of every emotion imaginable. I was excited, I was scared … I was beyond turned on, my cock visibly at large below my pants, my heart jumping a mile a minute, pounding with lust, passion, and need. I was feeling feelings that I couldn’t make out, but was so engulfed that I didn’t care. I had Amelia practically naked, beautifully ready and willing, and that’s all I cared about.

  We finished removing any article of clothing covering our bodies before her grin grew and she curled a finger, inviting me to climb back over her. Hell, yeah. As hungry as we were, time went slowly. I grazed my nose against her jawline while my hands slowly slid up the length of her body until I was cradling her head. Our faces were so close that there was barely room between them. I wanted to stay like this forever.

  I kissed her nose before her lips. When our faces were aligned again, her eyes drifted shut. I closed my own, taking the moment in, thanking God or whoever for sending me this magnificent creature, willing myself not to lose it too fast. I wanted to freeze time, savor this time together for as long as I could. It was the first time that I felt so much, thought so much, hovering naked above a woman. I wasn’t a “Wham! Bam! Thank you, ma’am” sort of guy, but I’d never really had conscious intimate thoughts like this before. It should’ve scared the shit out of me, but everything felt perfectly right. Though my heart was back to pumping at a normal pace, it was full … so full of emotion. Everything felt so new and so different. It was a feeling that I couldn’t really describe, but I knew it was something I had never felt before.