Tails of Ugly Creek

by Cheryel Hutton

  “What did Ace tell you about me?” Hunter asked.

  “Not a lot. Just that you worked together in South America.”

  “That was a really amazing trip. Ace and I had a lot of fun.”

  I giggled. I couldn’t help it. The picture in my head was just too funny

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “The thought of the two of you together. There isn’t video, is there? I would pay good money to see that.”

  Hunter narrowed his eyes. “What else did he tell you?”

  “He said he hid your fez.” The idea of Hunter wearing a fez was so cute and silly at the same time that I started laughing again.

  “So he admitted to that, did he?” I nodded, and Hunter shook his head. “That guy is a something else.”

  “He’s a lot of fun.”

  “You like him, huh?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  Hunter’s eyes went dark. “Should I be jealous?”

  “No,” I whispered.

  He leaned in and captured my mouth. Without a second thought I reached around his neck and pulled him closer. He teased my lips, and my mouth relaxed to let him in. His tongue caressed mine, and my heart skipped a beat, then another. I moaned and tightened my arms around him.

  He slid his hands up and down my back as if he were trying to touch my soul with his fingertips. Then one hand cupped my butt and pulled me closer. The other hand slipped under my shirt and up to caress my breast.

  I sighed and he buried his face in my neck, trailing kisses up and down from my jaw to my collarbone.

  “I want you so much it hurts,” he whispered.

  All ten of my fingers grabbed hold of his shirt fabric and hung on. “Hunter.”

  He snuggled me even closer. “Ah, Terri. You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever met.”

  I wanted to laugh. Or cry. Not sure which. What I did was force my fingers loose of his shirt. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

  “We’ll get to know each other slowly. There’s no need to rush anything, including this.” He gave me a wobbly smile.

  I blinked back tears as I flattened my palms against his chest and gave him a pathetic shove. “There’s something you need to know.” I met his gaze with my own. “Something I need you to know.”

  “What is it, sweetheart?”

  I was pretty sure I was going to choke on my own tears. “I haven’t had a lot of experience.”

  “Sexual experience?”

  I nodded. “I stayed to myself most of the time. I don’t have many friends, and I don’t get out much.”

  “We writers are not known for being social.”

  “Well, I may hold the record when it comes to relationships.” My face went hot, and I lowered my head to hide it.

  Hunter ran a gentle fingertip down my cheek. “Terri, are you saying you’re a virgin?”

  I was surprised I didn’t literally die of humiliation, but I managed to nod.

  Chapter Twelve

  “You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “Right.” I shoved myself to my feet and went over to the window so I could breathe. Across the way, I could see Miz C. in her flower garden. “I’m a perfectly normal woman who’s a year and two weeks away from being the embodiment of the ‘thirty year-old virgin’ joke.”

  “Your birthday’s in two weeks?”

  “Yeah. My twenty-ninth.” I sighed.

  “So, are you planning on having friends come up from Florida or maybe going to Jacksonville for a couple of days, or—”

  “I really hadn’t thought about it.”

  “Hadn’t thought about it? And it’s your twenty-ninth too! What do you normally do on your birthday?”

  I shrugged. “Mom and I go out for dinner and she gets a cake from the bakery. Diara and I try to go shopping or something.”

  “Diara?”

  “My best friend.” I swallowed back the pain that abruptly filled my chest. I hadn’t realized how much I missed her until now.

  “Maybe she can come up for the big event. I’m sure Shay, and Ace, will want to do something for you. How big a celebration would you prefer?”

  I was staring at him. Hard stare. But he didn’t seem to realize how freaked out I was. “Hunter?”

  He looked at me, and was on his feet in seconds, hurrying over to me. “Did I do something wrong, honey?”

  I looked down. “It’s odd having somebody excited about my birthday.”

  “I can’t believe you don’t enjoy your birthdays more.”

  “I didn’t say I don’t enjoy my birthdays. I just don’t do big parties or stuff.”

  “Any particular reason?” He planted a quick kiss on the tip of my nose. “You don’t seem shy.”

  I half-watched Miz C as she tried to pretend she wasn’t spying when it was obvious she was. “Mom and I live on an old farm in the boonies. Living there is awesome, but being so far out makes it hard to socialize.”

  “You don’t like that part.”

  Damn the man. “It’s okay. I tend to keep to myself most of the time anyway.”

  He cupped my chin and tipped it up. “When you’re ready to talk about the rest of the story, I’ll be there to listen.”

  Tears stung my eyes. “Thank you, Hunter.”

  He smiled as he leaned down to touch his lips to mine. The kiss sent heat blazing through me, into the most vulnerable, intimate pats of my body. His hand slid down to cup my rear and tug me closer. I felt him then, the hard expression of his desire for me. My body moved against him, craving what only he could give.

  He groaned against my hair. “You make me crazy, Terri Quinn.”

  “I want you,” I whispered.

  He looked at me, studying my face. “Honey, please be sure. If you need me to stop I will, but I think it might kill me.”

  “I’m sure.”

  He looked at me for a moment, then grinned and literally swept me off my feet. He took me into my bedroom and sat me back on my feet near the bed. Seconds later my T-shirt was flying in the general direction of a chair near the corner of the room.

  With shaking hands, I pulled the bottom of Hunter’s shirt out of his pants and he helped me get it off of him. The sight of his chest had my breath catching in my throat. Dark hair covered a wall of muscle. I pressed my palms against him. Warm and firm. Amazing.

  I felt him touch my back just before my bra popped loose. He moved my hands from his chest one at a time so he could slide off my bra. Then he just looked at me for a moment.

  “Something wrong?”

  “Not a damn thing.” He put his hand on one breast and leaned in to take the other nipple into his mouth.

  I moaned so hard it was almost a scream, and I think I’d have collapsed if he hadn’t put an arm around me and held me up. After a time he switched and took the other nipple in his mouth.

  “Sweet,” he whispered.

  I realized my jeans were unfastened when I felt them being tugged down my legs. “Hunter!” It was half-word half-gasp.

  He lowered me to the bed, divested himself of the rest of his clothes, and then he very slowly slipped my panties down my legs. I watched his face as he looked at me, and I felt little dances inside me just from his expression. Then he edged my legs apart and slid one hand up my thigh to gently brush my most intimate area. I gasped as my back arched.

  He kissed me long and thoroughly, while his fingers continued to explore. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hug on. His touch had me all but crazy when he slipped a finger inside me. I felt his long, warm body press against my side. It was an amazing feeling that made me want to run my hands all over him. I couldn’t though, both from shyness and from the intensity of the feelings he was evoking inside me.

  He ran a line of kisses down to my breasts where he proceeded to spark some even more amazing sensations. Meanwhile he inserted more fingers inside. Preparing me, I supposed. I really couldn’t think very well.

  He moved away, and I grabbed at him. “Just a sec
ond, honey. I promise.”

  He tore open a small package and rolled a condom onto a part of him that suddenly looked huge. He looked at me and grinned. “Are you impressed or terrified?”

  “Both,” I managed.

  “I won’t hurt you.” He kissed me gently while his hand went back to doing wonderful things to first my breasts and then down and between my legs again. He edged my legs wide and knelt between them. “Relax,” he whispered. “Look at me, sweetheart.”

  I looked into his eyes, and I felt him at my entrance. “It’s going to be all right,” he said. He lowered his head and nipped my earlobe.

  The nip startled me, but it didn’t really hurt. It did distract me for a moment, easing the shock of his body moving into mine. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. “Sorry, honey,” he whispered.

  The pain quickly subsided, and something else took its place. My hips moved, and I wanted him to touch me again.

  He kissed me, then licked my nipples while he reached between us and touched me. It still hurt a little when he started moving, but I was so caught up in the moment I barely noticed. Hunter went still and I knew he was there. I knew enough to know that was likely the end of the experience. But he surprised me by taking a nipple in his mouth just as he used his fingers to gently touch me in my most sensitive spot. Heat gathered inside me so fast I grabbed his shoulders to steady myself.

  “Hunter,” I gasped.

  “Your turn,” he said, then looked me straight in the eye as he sucked at first one nipple, then another. Slowly he increased the intensity of his stroking, and it didn’t take much more for me to have an orgasm so intense I wasn’t sure it would ever stop. Then he collapsed beside me.

  A few minutes later, he moved away and cleaned himself up while I went to the bathroom and did the same. Back in the bedroom, we lay together on the bed and simply held on to each other.

  I know a lot of people think the first time isn’t a big deal. For me it was huge. For better or worse, I knew my world would never be the same again.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The brightness of the rising sun’s rays pulled me from sleep. It was an odd sensation, since I was always up long before sunrise. I rolled to my side, and immediately realized three things: one, I was naked; two, I was alone in bed except for a cat; three, Scrappy was staring at me with her big green eyes.

  “Are you telling me I should get up and feed you?”

  She meowed softly, and I gave her head a scratch. “Give me a minute, furry butt, let me get dressed.”

  Scrappy didn’t seem especially happy with that, but I think she realized there wasn’t much she could do about it. I slid out of bed and grabbed fresh clothes. Smells of cooking bacon and eggs came from the kitchen and got me moving. There was also the smell of coffee, but I could ignore that. Did I mention bacon and eggs?

  It only took me about five minutes for me to shower, brush my teeth, and prepare my outward self to see Hunter. My inner self was cringing in a corner and saying it was never going to be ready to face the man. What did I know about mornings after? Nothing, that’s what.

  I cleaned up the bathroom, swallowed my trepidation, and headed toward the kitchen. Hunter looked at me and smiled. “Hope you like a big breakfast.

  “I do, and that smells wonderful.” I fed Scrappy, got a mug and my tea bags out, and put the kettle on to heat.

  “I didn’t think you liked coffee, but I wasn’t sure if you drank tea for breakfast, or how you fix it.”

  “No problem.” I sighed. “I can’t believe I slept so late. I’m usually up writing way before daylight.”

  He moved so he was standing right beside me. “I wore you out.”

  My face went hot, and I poked at a tiny spot on the counter. “True.”

  His hand caressed my back. “Are you okay, sweetheart? I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  “You didn’t.” I shrugged. “Well, you did, but not much. Besides, everything else felt so good I barely noticed.”

  “Next time, after you heal, it’ll be better.”

  I smiled into his gorgeous eyes. “I’m not sure I could handle better.”

  His big, bright smile warmed my heart. This was a special man, and I knew enough to understand how lucky I was. I got my tea, and carefully sat at the kitchen table. Odd I never realized how hard those chairs were. “This looks delicious. Thank you for cooking.”

  “I enjoy cooking. I’m not great at it, but I enjoy it.”

  We ate quietly, and cleaned the kitchen together. Then Hunter faced me and put his hands on my shoulders. “I know you write in the morning, and I have a lot to do also. I’m going back to the B&B for a while.”

  “Okay,” I whispered, not wanting to be obvious that I wanted him to stay.

  He kissed my forehead. “If I stick around too much longer, I’m going to forget my vow to give you time to heal, and do something that I won’t be happy with myself for doing. How about after we get our work done, I gather my notes and we can discuss your bestseller problem.”

  My stomach curled up in a ball and hid behind my liver. “It really isn’t horrible, right?”

  “Not even a little bit.” He gave me a soft kiss and headed out. I watched until his car went around the corner and then I went in the kitchen, stripped, shifted, and headed outside.

  I ran harder than I had in years. Dogs are more instinctual and less tied to thinking than humans, and I hoped to use that difference to help me get some perspective. I guess it helped, some. But later, as I sat at my laptop trying to figure out if the scene I was writing was pretty good, or the worst piece of literary cow chips ever, I wondered if it was even possible to get perspective on the consequences of the night before. I had serious doubts. My life had changed in a big way.

  I finally decided that the only way to manage any kind of perspective would be from somebody outside the situation, so I grabbed my cell phone.

  “Well, hello Terri,” my best friend Diara said. “I haven’t heard from you in a while. Did the Bigfoot tribe bring you back? I knew they wouldn’t keep you.”

  I laughed. “I think I scared the poor things. How’s it going down in Jacksonville?”

  “Going fairly well except for the wedding thing.”

  “I thought you said Finley had everything under control.”

  Diara groaned. “Logistics aren’t the problem. The problem is that the groom is not exactly who she thinks he is.”

  “As in, he’s not really a lawyer from Mississippi?”

  “He is that. It’s his morals that I’m questioning. I’ve…um…I’ve seen visions of him in bed with a woman who definitely isn’t my sister.”

  My breath sucked in hard. “That’s not good. Any chance it could be somebody he used to know, who’s out of his life now?”

  “No way. Whatever is going on with him and her, it’s happening now.”

  “Wow. Have you talked to Finley?”

  “I tried. She is totally convinced Scott is the best thing since bagged chips.”

  I knew what the answer would be, but I asked anyway. “Even though you had a vision?”

  “She still thinks psychic phenomenon are bull-crap, and I’m loco for even believing in an ability. No way does she think I could be able to do something so wild and crazy.”

  “After all these years.” I sighed and leaned back against my desk chair. “Good grief.”

  “What can I say, my sister is stubborn, and Mom’s attitude doesn’t help any. I’m going to have to figure out how hard to push, I don’t want my sister to get hurt, but I don’t want to alienate her either.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Thanks. So, what’s going on with you? And don’t tell me nothing is wrong, because I know there is.”

  I groaned. “This is what happens when your best friend is a psychic.”

  “Actually it’s your voice that gave you away. If I’d had a vision I would have known already. “Spill it, Quinn. Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I wouldn’t say wro
ng exactly, just weird.”

  “What’s the guy’s name?”

  “I didn’t say it was a guy.”

  “I’ve got news for you. When a woman has issues, especially weird ones, it usually involves a man.”

  I sighed and gave her points for saying what she thought straight out. “You’re right about that, and you’re right about me too. He’s a writer who’s doing a book about Ugly Creek history.”

  “He’s a writer, then you two should understand each other.”

  “Not so much,” I wandered over to the kitchen window and looked out at trees marking the end of Aunt Ruth’s property on the cul-de-sac side. “He’s a professor type who doesn’t think much of books by and for woman.”

  “Insulting you and Shay in one dislike. But there must be something about the guy you like, or you wouldn’t be stressing over him.”

  There was a girl halfway behind one tree, I couldn’t see much of her, but I did see enough to make me wonder.

  “Terri?”

  I shook away the curiosity. The girl was probably a neighbor kid. “He apologized for the remark. Then he was really nice to me when my dad showed up out of the blue.”

  “Your dad is there?”

  “Somewhere, I guess. He called, which was weird enough, then he just flipping showed up at my door. Said he and Mom have been in touch all this time. She’s in a jungle somewhere, so I can’t talk to her for a few more days.”

  “And this guy was there for you?”

  “Yeah. He was really sweet. But then, last night things got a little out of hand.”

  “What are you saying, out of hand?”

  “Okay not out of hand exactly. More like…well…intimate.”

  “Terry Quinn, are you trying to tell me that you and this dude did something that I’ll want to hear all the minute details about?”

  “Yes. And no, you don’t get the details.”

  “Ah Terri, come on. I have to live vicariously through somebody and it sure as hell is not my sister.”

  “Sorry about that, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be me.”

  “Oh, come on! Give me something. Who is this guy who’s got you all riled up?”

  “His name is Hunter and ‘riled up’ is about the size of it.”