“Do you really want him throwing away our hard-earned savings on some hare-brained scheme cooked up one night over some beers with an ex frat-buddy?” said Daisy shrilly.
Jared sighed against Pris' hair. “Dais...”
“I come to you this one time for support...” she started angrily.
“Oh really? One time?” he echoed sarcastically.
“Thanks a lot Jared! Well, don't come looking to me when you face Aunt 'Tunia with this little bombshell!” she said sweetly, pointing a finger at Pris.
Jared's arm tightened around her waist. “I wouldn't dream of it,” he gritted out.
“Can't believe you've bought her to Cranston Falls, Jared,” his sister huffed. “So not smart!”
“Okay, that's enough, you can leave now,” he answered tightly.
Daisy flickered one last look of contempt over Pris and then swiveled on her heel and stomped out of the trailer.
“I won't forget this Jared!” she yelled angrily. “Blood's thicker than water!” The trailer door slammed so hard they felt it vibrate through the floor.
“That poor bastard,” murmured Jared.
“What scheme is Lloyd cooking up with Mitch?” asked Pris with interest.
He shrugged. “I have no fucking idea.”
“How do you know it's not hare-brained then?” she twisted at the waist to look up at him.
“I don't,” he answered after a small pause. “But that still doesn't make it my business, Pris.”
She mulled this over a moment. “Have I got any siblings?” she asked.
He rubbed his eyes. “Nope,” he answered. “You want coffee?”
“Please.”
He released her and took three steps to reach the kettle and flip it on, then reached into one of the wall cupboards to fetch down two mugs. The kitchen was tiny but neat with pine wooden cabinets and a decidedly retro feel. Cozy, she thought with surprise. It was a shame there was no color scheme. Maybe duck egg blue and red? In a sort of tasteful shabby-chic style. And again, there really ought to be curtains in the window. With a little frilly pelmet, maybe in gingham. Was she nesting? She cast a sideways look at Jared as he spooned instant coffee into the mugs and then poured the hot water.
“No milk?” she asked as he passed it her.
“You take it black,” he said with a quirk of his lips. Then he added three spoonfuls of brown sugar to his mug.
“Sweet tooth?” she asked, raising a brow at him.
“Your memory coming back?” he asked in a teasing voice.
She smiled at him and took a sip of her coffee. It was bitter. She frowned. It needed cream. She shot a look at Jared as he gestured her to sit down to the little table.
“How long has it been since we spent time together?” she asked.
He took a swig of coffee and sat down opposite her in only his boxer shorts. He dwarfed the little dining area with his massive frame. “Why'd you ask?”
“Well, your sister gave the distinct impression my presence is overdue,” she said thoughtfully, trying not to let her eyes roam too openly over his near-naked form.
“We been together two – nearly three years,” he amended swiftly. “This is your first visit,” he lolled in his seat after imparting that bombshell.
It occurred to her that her - what - boyfriend? Partner? Was a man of few words. “Three years? So... you normally come to visit me in Royston?” He nodded, his gaze guarded. “But now I've decided to move in with you here?” she said in a puzzled voice.
“Yep.”
“What's changed?”
“Come again?” He leaned forward in his chair.
“What's changed Jared? What made me move here?” she asked patiently.
He seemed to consider this a moment. “I put a ring on it,” he said finally with a sigh and scratched the back of his neck.
“We're engaged?” she blurted in astonishment. So he was her fiancée? She glanced down at her left hand but it was bare. He saw the direction of her gaze.
“You pawned the ring to get your bus ticket,”" he said with a shrug.
“I pawned it?” she spluttered. “I pawned my engagement ring?” Her mug thudded down on the table mat as she stared at him.
“Yup.”
“W-why would I do that?” she asked shrilly. Oh my god!
“It's fine. I'll redeem it.”
“My engagement ring?” she repeated incredulously. What kind of a monster was she?
“You needed ready cash,” he said without even blinking. “You knew I wouldn't care.” He wouldn't care? “It's just a ring Pris.”
“Um, no Jared. It's not just a ring. It's a symbol,” she said forcefully. “Of our commitment and the promise we have made each other.” She sat back against the back of her seat feeling winded. God, no wonder his sister thought his aunt would have reservations about meeting her!
He had a closed look on his face as he watched her. “It wasn't expensive,” he said. “You're over-reacting.”
“No, I'm not, Jared.” She took a few rapid breaths. “How can I meet your family without it? Do they know we're engaged?”
He paused in the act of raising his mug to his mouth. “No, baby. They don't know yet.”
There was an odd inflection to his voice, but she decided to ignore it. “Can we please not tell them? Not until I have my ring back. I don't want them to know I'm the kind of woman that would pawn the engagement ring my own fiancée gave me!”
He choked on his mouthful of coffee and started coughing until she jumped up and thumped him forcefully on the back.
“You okay?” she asked as he pushed his mug away and hunched over the table wheezing.
“Yeah, fine,” he said, his eyes watering. He twisted in his seat, his hand shooting out to catch her just above the elbow and pull her onto his lap.
She went without hesitation and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him hold her as he nuzzled her hair. “I'm sorry I pawned your ring, Jared,” she whispered.
He drew in a sharp breath at that. “Goddamn it, baby, I told you it's no big deal,” he said, his voice warm and low.
She just shook her head at that and placed her palm flat down on his chest. Under the warm, tanned skin she could feel his heartbeat and the steady rise and fall. She squeezed her eyes shut as one of his large hands ran up the back of her neck and into her hair where he grabbed a handful and tipped her head back.
"Open your eyes, Pris," he said, his tone insistent.
She caught her bottom lip under her teeth and shook her head.
“Look at me,” he growled in warning.
Her eyes blinked open.
“It's no big deal,” he repeated. “Got it?”
She swallowed. “I guess,” she said her gaze skittering away from his. No matter what he said, she didn't like the thought that she'd acted that way. What kind of woman was she? He made another noise low in his throat and her eyes darted back to his. His gaze was intense. Needy.
“Go. Get. Dressed,” he enunciated. She noticed he didn't relinquish his hold on her one bit. Then suddenly he did. Pris stood reluctantly. For a moment, she thought he'd kiss her and now she felt a bit forlorn.
“Um,” she said. “My stuff?”
That brought him up short. He picked up the mugs and then took them to the sink. “There's a cardboard box in the bedroom. In the bedside cabinet on your side.”
“Is that all I bought with me?” she asked. “One box?”
“Yeah,” he said shortly and turned his back on her to rinse the cups. “Get dressed. We'll go into town and get breakfast. And Pris?”
She looked back over her shoulder.
“Don't take all day about it.”
She huffed out a breath and then marched through to the bedroom. As if! Or maybe she was one of those women who took a long time to get ready? What did she know! Sure enough when she peered into the bedside cabinet there was a small cardboard box filled with a few female looking items. Decidedly skimpy female looking i
tems. She frowned and rooted through it a moment, but none of it looked even remotely familiar. At least it was freshly laundered although the detergent brand didn't smell right. She lifted out a pair of tiny jean shorts with rhinestones on the back pockets and turned them around and blinked at the high cut of the leg. They wouldn't leave much to the imagination, she thought with vague horror. Did she actually leave the house wearing shorts that cut across her butt cheeks? She bit her bottom lip. Maybe she just wore them for Jared in the trailer she thought hopefully as she picked up a bright yellow halter-neck top with the words 'Super freak' written across the front in bubble writing. Her heart sinking she drew out another pair of even tinier pink denim jean shorts this time with fraying around the legs. Discarding these with a slight shake of her head she held up a pair of pink velour hot-pants with 'Juicy' written right across the seat. Oh. My. God. It was actually getting worse, she thought, as she retrieved first a striped bikini top and then a bright green bandeau top, two cropped vests and a black silk bustier. Just when she thought she was beyond being shocked, she discovered a pair of towering stripper heels in lurid electric blue with gemstones studded on the heels. She'd be about six feet tall in these, she thought incredulously as she held them aloft! Could she even walk in shoes like these?
“Babe?” There was a faint rap on the door. “You nearly done?”
Nearly done? She cleared her throat. “Still finding something to wear,” she called out.
“We'll get you some new clothes now,” he said with a frown in his voice. “Just throw something on. Anything.”
Pris upended the box and picked through the shorty shorts until she found a faded denim pair that didn't seem to have any strategic rips in embarrassing places. She pulled these on up over her legs and fastened them. They were a tight fit, but the denim had a lot of give so they were snug rather than cutting off her circulation. She turned around to peer over her shoulder at her butt in mirror and winced. Yep, you could clearly see the outline of her too-round derriere. Her legs looked really long and tanned though. Finding a top was another matter. There were several tight short spandex halter-necks and floaty little see-through gypsy tops that seemed way too big in the bust department. Maybe she had lost some weight? Either that or had a bust reduction. She couldn't find any bras though. Damn it. In the end she pulled on a white halter-neck that only extended as far down as her belly button, clearly showing a strip of flesh beneath it. Unfortunately, her tan was not all over. For decency's sake she pulled one of the flirty little transparent tops on over the top of it. It was white with little embroidered white flowers and kept slipping down off one shoulder, but she hoped it helped conceal her nipples and partially bare stomach. Fastening the little floral buttons that ran down the front, she decided to hope for the best. The bottom of the box had a bunch of cheap looking silver bangles and long mismatched dangly earrings. Ignoring the earrings she pulled on some bangles and then looked round for any lip gloss or mascara, but in vain. She didn't seem to have any cosmetics or perfume in the bedroom. Instead she reached for a comb and set about the tangles in her long honey blonde hair. It looked like she'd blow-dried it out with a nice full bodied wave. She wondered how, looking around for a hairdryer or a round brush. Shrugging, she wound the ends around her fingers and smoothed it out instead leaving it loose. Then she rooted around in the pile of shorts and halter tops for a pair of silver wedge-heeled sandals she'd seen. They were high, but not as perilous as the heels. They seemed a little on the snug side, but as they were toeless and strappy that didn't matter as much as it would with closed-toe pumps. Strapping them on, she straightened up and stared at her reflection. She didn't recognize herself. Not one bit. But she could tell she was hot. For some reason that surprised her. She'd just have to brazen it out until her memory returned, she thought with a sigh, and pushing the door open she sailed out. “Ready. Do I have a purse? Only I couldn't see one.”
Jared started to say something, then his gaze snapped to her and the words he was forming froze on his lips. He huffed out a breath and closed his eyes briefly. “Turn around Pristine,” he said in a strangely quiet tone.
“What?”
He did a little circling motion with a finger and catching his meaning she shuffled round on the spot. Luckily the narrowness of the trailer kept her from pitching forward when she faltered, realizing he was getting a good look at her sticky-out butt in those tight shorts.
“You're not wearing that into town, Pris.” His tone was short, raspy even.
“What?” But it was the most conservative thing in there! She looked up at his blazing eyes.
“Go change it.”
She realized with a sinking heart the outfit wasn't sexy enough to be on his arm. Jared must be one of those guys who liked his women to dress super-slutty. “What if I just take off the blouse?” she suggested slightly hysterically.
“Take off the blouse?” he repeated softly, cocking his head as if he could hardly believe what she was saying.
Pris grabbed the hem and yanked the filmy material over her head so she was just stood in the white stretchy halter-neck. “See?” she said desperately. When his eyes narrowed, she blurted out. “I don't think I can walk down the street with 'Juicy' written across my butt, Jared. Maybe when I know more people...”
“Juicy?” he repeated hoarsely.
“To be honest, I don't think I can go out in just this,” she gulped, looking down at her humble cleavage. Sure enough, her nipples were clearly visible through the material. “I guess I don't have much up top and don't normally wear a bra but...”
A soft growl alerted her to the fact he was stood right up in front of her. She drew in a breath as his hands curved round her hips and then slid around to cup her buttocks and drag her up against him.
“Don't talk for a minute,” he said in a strangled tone as his thumbs stroked over her butt cheeks. “Holy shit, Pristine,” he breathed out. “You trynna give me a heart attack?”
She listened to his ragged breathing against her forehead. “Umm, no? There's not a whole bunch of choice in there,” she said sounding aggrieved even to her own ears. Oh my god, his body was big, hard and hot. She could feel the heat he was throwing off right down to her bones.
“That a fact?” he sounded distracted, his fingers tracing her buttocks. He didn't sound mad anymore she realized. Just turned on. Her own breathing grew shallow.
“W-where's the rest of my stuff?” she asked trying to distract herself from the jeans-clad erection she could feel pressing insistently against her. Something was telling her she and Jared had a very physical relationship. She clearly liked to flaunt her body for him. And he obviously couldn't get enough of it. She licked her lips, trying to ignore her whole body shiver.
“You got evicted,” he said thickly. “Landlord changed the locks. Couldn't get to your shit.”
“He what?” Christine pulled back her face to look at him. “Why did he do that?”
He shrugged “You were in arrears baby.”
“I was? Why?”" she persisted, trying to ignore the lust-darkened look in his eye.
He sighed. “That's the shit you always pull. You never pay your last three months rent when you bail on somewhere.”
“What?” Her lips tightened. “Why would I live my life like that?”
He snorted and brought his hand down in a short, ringing slap on her right butt cheek.
“Ow!”
“Go and get changed, honey.” He released her, letting her slide down his hard body until her sandaled feet hit the linoleum.
“For goodness sake!” she rubbed her buttock, trying to hide the tremor in her voice. She had terrible taste in men. She dressed like a five-dollar whore and was shacked up with a neanderthal. And she was practically panting with excitement. Great choices Priscilla!
“You trynna get me riled up, Pristine?”" His nostrils flared. “Cos you know there's one place I'd like to blow off steam with you,” his eyes flickered to the bedroom and her mouth went dry.<
br />
“I'm not trying to get you riled up Jared,” she insisted. Was she? Oh god. She wasn't sure! She couldn't be, could she? Taking a deep breath she cocked a hip and plunked a hand on it. “I honestly don't know how I'm supposed to throw an outfit together from that box of clothes!” she huffed.
“Try harder,” he growled, his eyes sweeping up and down the length of her legs. His gaze lingered at her thighs.
“Oh for heaven's sake!” she said throwing up her hands and flouncing back into the bedroom. Flinging the flimsy door shut she leant back against it with her shoulders while she got her breathing under control. God, she felt about ready to melt into a puddle at that man's feet. And she didn't even remember the substance of their relationship! She stared at the small pile of clothes for a moment. Could that really be the sum total of her personal possessions? She needed to get her life together! Unstrapping her sandals, she made her way over to the bed again and swiftly organized her stuff into piles of shorts and tops. There was no underwear whatsoever. Did she not wear panties? Maybe Jared didn't let her. At least the ones she had on were pretty. She'd have to persuade him to let her have some more. She gulped and picked up the pink velour shorts with 'Juicy' written across the butt in silver lettering. Really? Would he prefer these? Shucking off the jean shorts, she dragged them on. Big surprise they were a close fit and the soft material molded to her ass like a second skin. At least they covered her butt cheeks this time, just about. She gulped, cringing at her reflection in the tiny mirror. Stripping off the white halter-neck she picked up a baby pink vest instead. It was possibly marginally better than the halter-neck, she thought, although it was still figure-hugging and the nipple problem remained. The only other footwear was a pair of pink flip-flops still with the tags on. They were a size too small, but slipping her feet into them she decided they would just about do and complimented the pretty pearly nail polish on her toes. Maybe she’d bought them because they were on sale? She stood a moment catching her breath. She had no idea if this would be better or worse in his eyes than the last outfit! It might be slightly too young for her, although she actually had no idea about her age. She guessed around late twenties? It seemed she was an inappropriate dresser. As an afterthought she drew her hair into a ponytail and secured it with a band she found in the detritus at the bottom of the box along with two bobby pins and a false eyelash. Her packing skills sucked. Had she really travelled seventy miles across country with this tatty old cardboard box?
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