Don’t Close Your Eyes

by Ali Parker

  “He went through the training center, though,” Brea pointed out. “Maybe he didn’t know I was going to be the one training her. Maybe he thought it would be Nina instead, since that’s who he talked with over the phone.”

  “My dad wouldn’t take a chance like that. He would have done his research before ever agreeing to pay you guys, and he would have known, when he booked the appointment, that you might be the one who was doing the training. If that bothered him, he would have requested that Nina be the one who worked over here. I don’t think there’s any sort of history between our families.”

  We came into a clearing, and I drew my horse to a stop. Brea’s horse naturally followed mine. “Let’s rest the horses for a bit,” I suggested, swinging down and holding out a hand for Brea, even though I knew she didn’t need any help getting down.

  Her hand was warm in mine, and I led her away from the horses to a warm patch of fading sunlight. We didn’t really need to let the horses stop; it wasn’t as though we had pushed them very hard. But this gave us a chance to really sit down and talk, where we could face one another. And I had a feeling that this conversation deserved my full attention. If this was her way of telling me that we could never date, I wanted to try to persuade her otherwise.

  I had no idea how to do that, though. Not without knowing why her father didn’t want her anywhere near me. My initial thought was to point out how unfair it was for him to tell her to stay away from me without giving a reason for it.

  I still didn’t know why I was so set on changing her mind, on convincing her that we should date. But I just kept coming back around to Sunday morning. That had been such a wonderful experience, I wanted to have mornings like that all the time. It didn’t bother me that she wasn’t perfect, that she didn’t have food in the house or anything like that. I just wanted to wake up next to her, here at our house, and bring her down to the kitchen for breakfast. She filled the space in ways that it hadn’t been filled since before everyone had left.

  She cured my loneliness. It was that simple. She cured a loneliness that I had hardly even realized, that I had been quick to push away. She made me feel like maybe it was okay for me to feel lonely. Like maybe things were going to be okay around the farm as well, despite everyone else having taken off.

  We sat down together, and I took both her hands in mine, looking earnestly into her face. “I don’t know why your father doesn’t like me,” I told her. “Or what he has against my family. But I like you, a lot. I like spending time with you.”

  “But what am I supposed to do?” Brea asked, shaking her head and pulling her hands away. “I can’t just go against my dad, all because you and I like each other. Things can’t work out between us. We need to stop seeing one another.”

  “Yet you came to see me tonight,” I said, raising an eyebrow at her. “You know you feel it too. This attraction between us. I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t keep away from you. And I know you feel the same way.”

  “Luke,” Brea sighed, a warning in her eyes.

  “There has to be some way we can solve this,” I said firmly.

  “We don’t even know what the problem is!” Brea pointed out.

  “Then we need to figure it out,” I said. “I’ll try and talk to my parents, although I don’t know when they’ll be back in contact. They’re doing some sort of retreat in New Mexico at the moment. Yoga or meditation or something,” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. But at soon as they’re back on the grid, I’ll talk to them.”

  I hated the idea of having to wait until then to kiss Brea again, to hold her, to touch her. But if that was what it took, then I would.

  “You’re not afraid of what we’ll find out?” Brea asked.

  “Of course not,” I said. “I think we’d know if there was some big problem between our families, wouldn’t we? It’s not like it’s a big town; people would be talking. Especially after seeing us out together on Saturday night.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Brea said, but she didn’t sound convinced.

  “What about your dad?” I asked. “Why don’t you just ask him what his problem with me is?”

  “I tried,” Brea said. “But he didn’t want to talk about it. He was just adamant that I have nothing to do with you from now on. That I don’t get too close.” She paused, though, and I could see something in her eyes.

  “What did he say?” I asked.

  “He said that you expect too much from people,” she said. “That was something he’d heard from the hands who used to work here.”

  “Maybe that’s all this is, then,” I said, shrugging. “Maybe he’s just worried that I’m not going to take good care of you.”

  “Maybe,” Brea agreed.

  “So I’ll just have to prove to him that I can,” I said firmly.

  “He doesn’t want me near you,” Brea reminded me. “That means that we can’t date until all of this is straightened out.” She grimaced, “That is, if you wanted to date. I don’t know. I know this was just supposed to be about sex, to start with.”

  I shook my head, cupping her cheek lightly against my palm. “This has gone beyond that, and we both know it,” I said. “I like you, and you like me. We’re definitely not just sleeping together.” I paused. “Unless that’s all that you want? You’re giving me kind of mixed signals.”

  Brea sighed and looked away. “I’m sorry about that,” she said. “I really do like you. I’m just trying not to get in over my head. I didn’t know what you wanted.”

  “You,” I said simply, knowing that it sounded cheesy, but also not able to hold back. It brought a smile to Brea’s face anyway. “How about this? Your dad doesn’t want me anywhere near you, but he doesn’t even know me yet. So I’ll introduce myself to him. Let him know that I’m a good, hardworking guy and that he can trust me with you. We’ll go from there.”

  “You’d really do that?” Brea asked in surprise. “Meet my dad?”

  “Sure,” I said. “If that’s what it takes.”

  Brea frowned, looking away from me. “But why?” she finally asked. “You don’t have to put up with this. I know it’s not fair to you. You could have anyone else in town instead.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “Brea, come on,” I said. “I like you. That’s not going to change just because your dad has something against me or my family. We’ll figure out a way to make this work.”

  That drew another smile from Brea, and I couldn’t hold back any longer. I leaned in, closing the distance between us, and kissed her. For a moment, it felt like she was going to pull away, and I knew I should let her go. That she wasn’t ready for this right now.

  But then she leaned into me, her lips burning against mine as she fervently kissed me. When we pulled apart, it was because we were both breathless. For a long, quiet moment, we stared at one another. We couldn’t stay apart for long, though. I leaned back into her, covering her body with mine as she lay back against the grass.

  24

  Brea

  I hadn’t expected my conversation with Luke to turn out this way. Of course, I hadn’t really known what I was going to say to him. I hadn’t originally planned on asking him to go for a ride with me, even though that was how all of my most serious conversations always seemed to happen with Dad.

  There was something sexy about watching him with the horses. I could see his muscles bunching beneath his light t-shirt as he hefted saddles onto each of their backs and adjusted the straps. I was so lost in thought, watching him, that I didn’t even ask to help. I only realized as he was handing me the reigns that that had been pretty rude of me. But he didn’t comment on it.

  He gave me plenty of time to gather my thoughts, and the more patient he was with me, the worse I felt about all of this. He shouldn’t have to deal with this. He should be with someone who really wanted to be with him. Someone who would do whatever it took to stay together with him. I didn’t deserve someone like him.

  He didn’t seem to think that, t
hough. Instead, he accepted my worries and told me that he liked me and that he wanted to meet Dad to straighten things out. I was surprised by that.

  I didn’t know if it was such a good idea. If Luke wanted to see Dad out of the blue, Dad would know that I’d had this conversation with him. That even after he had warned me to stay away from Luke, I had come over here, gone for a ride with the man, and told him about Dad’s worries.

  Yet, I couldn’t stay away from Luke, though either. I just couldn’t. And with his lips pressed against mine, knowing that he wanted to make things work between the two of us, no matter what that took, I couldn’t stop myself from leaning into him.

  I let him guide me back onto the grass, let him cover my body with his. I let him keep kissing me, let him slip his hand up beneath my shirt. I didn’t stop him. I never wanted him to stop.

  I shivered as his fingers trailed along the sensitive skin of my sides. He touched my breasts lightly through my thin bra. One of his legs found its way between mine, his thigh pressing into that point between my own legs. I sighed, already melting against him. It was easy enough to let him have his way with me.

  It wasn’t like I didn’t want this. That was why it was so hard.

  “Are you okay?” Luke asked softly, suddenly pulling back, his hand cupping my cheek again.

  I nodded, wondering what I must look like to him. My eyes too wide, my lips too red, my face flushed. I could feel my need growing, knew that I needed him to keep going. All my mental uncertainty aside, my body was reacting to the proximity of his. I wanted this. Even though I knew I was getting in over my head.

  Maybe it was time to let go. Just a little.

  He continued to kiss me for what felt like ages. Until I was wanton in my need, my body reacting to every soft touch that he granted me. Still none of this was enough. My fingers found their way to the hem of his shirt, and I pulled it up and over his head, dropping it off to the side in the grass.

  I suddenly became aware of just where we were. We had crossed off his family’s fields when we went through the gate, just before we entered the trees. Who knew where we were now or who might find us. But the thought vanished as he nipped at the sensitive skin of my neck. I couldn’t bring myself to stop him. And besides, why would I want to?

  We were going to work things out between us. We were going to make things work. He would meet Dad, who would see that he had nothing to worry about, and things would be okay. Things would work out in the end.

  I looped a hand behind his neck and pulled him into another kiss, letting my fingers roam along his muscular skin. He pulled my shirt off as well, but he returned to the kiss immediately afterward, even as he undid my bra and pulled that off too.

  I giggled as he nipped at my neck, unable to help myself.

  “What?” he asked.

  “What if someone sees?” I asked, covering my breasts with my own hands.

  He laughed and pulled my hands away, holding them out to either side. “You’re beautiful,” he said. “You have nothing to worry about.”

  I grinned shyly up at him and let him keep going, dragging off my jeans. I watched as he peeled off his own jeans and boxers. He was so hard already, his cock practically dripping precum. I immediately caught his hips, pulling him toward me, so that he was straddling my torso rather than my hips. I leaned my head up and drew his tip into my mouth, sucking at those smears of need.

  Luke groaned, planting his hands on the ground at either side of my head. I pulled his hips closer, letting him set the rhythm, letting him fuck my mouth. He was gentle with me, never giving me more than I could handle, letting me focus on sucking at him, on licking my tongue across his slit.

  Finally, he pulled away, giving me a regretful look. “You keep doing that, I’m going to come,” he said, his voice gravelly with lust.

  I grinned cheekily at him, but that expression faded fast as he shoved his fingers up inside of me. I gasped, my back arching, my whole body going taut. He stroked his fingers through my wet folds, using his thumb to press at my clit, and I felt like I could come just from that. But he didn’t spend long on that; he was mostly making sure I was ready for him.

  He lined himself up against my entrance and then pushed inside.

  I moaned, long and low, as he moved his hips from side to side, making sure I felt just how well he completed me, how well he filled me. He pulled out nearly all the way and then slammed back into me, and I moaned again, feeling molten heat flare in my belly.

  Grasping at his hips, I used them as leverage to work my body with his. Every time he slammed into me, he seemed to slip deeper inside, until he was stimulating points that I never even knew existed. I didn’t know if it was the sex itself or the fact that we had both agreed that we liked one another, but this felt even more amazing than the other times we’d had together.

  As his hands slid along my sides, the nails lightly dragging across my skin, it felt like he knew exactly how to work me over and how to keep me there, on the brink, until he’d finally let me come.

  I was nearly there already, my brain barely forming thoughts anymore. I was making soft noises of pleasure nearly every time he thrust into me, and even though I was distantly aware that each successive noise was louder than the one before it, even though I knew it could result in us getting discovered, here in this clearing where we currently lay, I couldn’t find it in myself to care.

  I wanted him. I couldn’t help it.

  My pleasure spiked higher and higher, until at last, we came in unison. I clung to him as my whole body convulsed. He wrapped his body around mine, his arms shaking with the strength of his release. I felt as though my entire being was coming unraveled, and then slowly coming back together, the pieces somehow different, and my feelings for him at the forefront.

  I had come here expecting it might end with an agreement that we would never see each other again. But that’s not how things had gone at all.

  Dragging in a breath, I let it out slowly, sinking back as his body pressed against mine. He rolled away from me, off into the grass. I looked over at him and grinned, unable to keep my delight from my face. I turned into his body, and he wrapped an arm around me. I nuzzled his chest, my eyes slipping closed. Luke stroked my hair and neck, and when I finally looked up at him, he was staring thoughtfully up at the sky.

  I giggled, unable to help it. We were both still naked.

  Luke grinned down at me, kissing me one more time, soft and gentle, before releasing me. We both got up and started pulling on our clothes. I was mostly dressed, just missing my shirt, when suddenly, I couldn’t take the distance between us anymore. I turned back into him, putting my arms around him and nuzzling against his own t-shirt.

  Luke just held me there for a long moment, his fingers playing through my hair again. “You okay?” he finally asked.

  I nodded into his chest and then finally dragged myself away from him, smiling as I put on my shirt. “How does this weekend work for you?” I asked.

  Still, I felt a little guilty for doing this again. For being unable to keep myself away from Luke. But I had to trust his judgment. Maybe he was right, and maybe if Dad could just meet him, Dad would see how good he was for me. Maybe Dad wouldn’t object to us dating. That was all I wanted.

  Well, maybe not all I wanted. There was so much that I wanted at this point. I didn’t know how we had gotten here, but I didn’t just want to go on dates with Luke, I wanted to wake up next to him in the mornings, and explore these feelings for him.

  I was starting to understand why he had originally told me this was just about sex. I think we were both starting to get in over our heads already. There was something about this insane attraction between us that had me falling for him faster than I ever would have thought possible.

  He wasn’t perfect, but he was right for me. He was a good guy. I could tell how important things like hard work and family were to him, and I liked that.

  “Are you asking me on a date?” Luke asked teasingly, raisi
ng an eyebrow at me.

  I laughed and shook my head. “Not exactly,” I admitted. “I just thought maybe you and I and Dad could have dinner together.”

  “The weekend is a long way off,” Luke said. Then, he looked embarrassed to have blurted that out. “I’m not saying that I want to meet him tonight, but the sooner I meet him, the sooner you and I can continue this for real, right?”

  “I think the weekend is the best choice,” I said, shaking my head. “It gives me time to get him on board with the idea.” It also gave me time to get up the guts to even approach the idea with Dad. To figure out a way to bring it up.

  I was afraid that as soon as I said anything, Dad would tell me he would never meet Luke. What would I do then? I couldn’t stop having feelings for the man; it wasn’t just a switch I could turn off.

  Not only that, but Luke would be the first guy I had ever brought home to meet my dad. That was a pretty big deal. I was nervous about it, just like I was nervous about so many things where Luke was concerned. I really cared about him in ways I never expected to.

  I didn’t even know him well enough to have this depth of feeling for him. That was what my mind kept trying to tell me. But no matter how many times I heard my inner voice insisting, I couldn’t believe it. I really liked Luke. If I couldn’t get Dad on board with this, it would be devastating.

  Luke brushed back a lock of my hair, smiling at me. “All right,” he said. “This weekend, then. But do I get to see you again before that?”

  25

  Luke

  It was good for things to return to almost normal around the farm that week. To be able to glance over from my work to see Brea working with Duck. She and I hadn’t spoken a lot since our ride together on Monday evening, but we were friendly at least. I could tell that she was nervous, and I was as well.

  I was trying to keep my mind on my work and not on the impending dinner on Saturday night. I didn’t always manage it, but I think because we’d had the talk about our relationship, because we had both acknowledged our feelings, it was at least a little easier to focus. There was less to worry about. Less for my imagination to run wild with.