“Then unsign it!” Henry snapped without thought.
“Holy shit.” Tal’s fingers dug into his thick hair as he turned to our father, “can you believe this? You really can’t believe any longer that he would have been able to run the Taphouse. He would have-”
“I could do just fine!”
“You don’t even know how paperwork works, asshole!”
Tal stepped forward, and within a second the two were staring each other down so tirelessly I felt out of place with all of the testosterone in the air.
“Guys!” I pleaded desperately as my father seemed still unable to come to terms with what the hell was going on, “calm down, please!”
It seemed neither one heard me, and Tal stole the last half an inch that stood between the tips of their boots. His voice lowered to a deadly growl and a steady cadence that scared me.
“You deserve whatever hell you take out on that damn golf course. How many times did you turn this down, huh? How many times did my dad offer you that damn business and how many times did you say no? It’s over, jackass, it’s too late and it’s not going to happen!”
I edged closer and gently tried to take hold of Henry’s arm to tug him away, but he shrugged me off while the muscles in his jaw twitched.
“You’ve always been a piece of shit, you know that?” Henry snapped back in the worst move he could have possibly made.
“Not so much as you,” Tal spat, “boning my sister while doing whatever the hell else you-”
Henry swung, his waylaid fist sailing past Tal’s head as he lunged out of the way. Behind him my father nearly tumbled over backward, and grabbed at the nearest chair for stability. A screaming plea fell from my lips but I already knew it was too late; There would be no stopping any of them.
I knew Tal’s recoiled fist was going to hit the moment it flew forward, but I hadn’t expected the thunderous crack in which it collided with Henry’s face. Backwards he stumbled, his boot caught on the edge of the area rug in a perfect stormed downfall.
To the floor he tumbled while my father yanked Tal back from another full-on attack.
“Tal! Stop!”
I lunged down beside Henry and pulled back his hand that crowded over the side of his face. The skin across his cheek had cracked a little, and blood had seeped out onto his palm.
“Really, Tal?” Now it was my turn to scream in anger. “That wasn’t necessary!”
“It wasn’t necessary for him to waltz in here like some hero to save the day after everything’s already been cleaned up!”
My teeth grit so tight in anger my head began to pound. “You’re an asshole Tal, and thanks dad, for breaking this up before it got out of hand.”
My dad looked a little sheepish as Tal yanked himself free of his restraint.
“Maybe,” my dad began, “you should go, Henry.”
“Yeah, no shit.” Wincing to himself he seemed to refuse to let out a single sound of agony and pushed himself to his feet, without taking my aid. “Thanks Tal, you’re a real gentleman.”
Tal looked ready to rail on him again. “Get the hell out of here.”
“Come on Henry,” I grabbed his arm and shoved him toward the front door, “let’s go.”
“Marissa!” My dad called out, and garnering a sudden flash of confidence I swung my sharpened gaze back at him.
“I’m going dad. I’m a grown adult, and I can go where I please.”
It was maybe a bit harsh, but it flooded the house with silence as we escaped out the front door.
Henry made a beeline for the driver’s side of his truck, but I wasn’t having any of it. I didn’t even know if his eye was suddenly going to swell up on the drive, and I really preferred whomever was behind the wheel to have decent depth perception.
“Passenger side, now,” I told him.
His brows pinched sharply. “What?”
“I’m driving,” I said so seriously, he listened and let me take the keys. I wasted no time starting the truck up and though I hadn’t meant to, I left a little rubber in the driveway on our way out.
Neither one of us said a word for at least the first half of the drive. The tension in the air between us could have been cut with a knife.
Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer. “What were you thinking?”
“Well I didn’t think it would turn into that! Your brother’s a real asshole.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Hell, I’d had to live with him for years and couldn’t have been happier when he moved out. That isn’t to say I didn’t love my brother, but his attitude was pretty awful sometimes.
Silence again pervaded the rest of our ride, and I jumped out of Henry’s truck with thunderous steps that got me up to his front door before even he did. With his keys in my hand though, I was free to unlock the door and rush inside.
I rummaged through his freezer, and with a sharp glare got him to sit down on the couch without challenge. Marching over to him, I had a gentler touch as I pressed the frozen bag of peas I’d pilfered to his bright red cheek.
At least the bleeding had already stopped.
“I hate peas,” Henry grumbled, causing me to heave out a lengthy sigh.
“They were in your freezer.”
“My mom brought them over, I think they’ve been in there since I bought the house.”
The image of his mom coming over with a brown paper bag filled with groceries nearly made me smile. Nearly, but not quite.
“Should be using a steak or something,” he grumbled, causing me to pull the bag away. Apparently the sudden flush of warmth against his cheek stung as he audibly winced. “Come on, give that back.”
“Then stop being a jerk.”
“Fine, the peas are fine.”
Reluctantly I returned the icy food to his face and sighed. “It’s probably better off this way, you know.”
His jaw twitched in response and his eyes remained turned off into the distance. It seemed he didn’t really want to say much to that.
“Now,” I said, “you can keep doing what you love.”
“Yeah, sure.” His voice was fainter than usual, and it left me wondering what was going on in that head of his. I knew better than to push though, that would just make him close off to me even more.
Eventually, long after the peas had started to thaw and turned a bit warm I returned the bag to the fridge and started gathering up my things.
“You don’t have to go,” Henry said.
“Yes, I do.” Really, I just didn’t want to have to try to resist him again. Sure, he’d been an idiot, but there was something terribly sexy about the roughed up look he was sporting. “I’ve got work in the morning.”
Henry sighed, but didn’t try to convince me otherwise and followed me on out to my car with his hands tucked deep into the pockets of his jeans.
I tossed my purse in the car and decided with a start maybe I should follow through on a promise to Elizabeth. “Hey.” I shut the car door and leaned against it. “So that memorial thing…”
“What about it?” He looked a little bit too wary for my tastes.
“You should really go.”
For several seconds he paused. “I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Come on, it’s not going to be anything real huge. Just some people getting together, there’ll be some food, too.” As much as I knew I didn’t need to give myself any temptation, I grabbed at the front of Henry’s shirt and pulled him closer. “Please?”
The heaviest of sighs fell from his lips. “Fine, I’ll go. But I’m not promising I’ll stay for the whole thing.”
“No no, that’s totally fine.” I was just shell shocked he agreed so easily. Maybe though it had something to do with the way his arms had snaked around me and rested atop the roof of my car. I was penned between them with no escape and had to lift my chin quite far to look Henry in the eye.
Closer he crept until the length of my body was pinned against him.
“I’ve got another
idea for right now,” he purred huskily against my ear, and that was all it took for my strength to crack. Into his hair my fingers plunged, pulling his lips crashing over mine with a fury that could never be faked.
Behind my knees his hands slipped, and without warning he lifted me from the ground. Around his waist my legs latched, and down on the hood of my old car we both fell with the weight of him on top of me.
Every damp mark on my skin left by the drift of his lips tingled with an exhilarated need that had me feeling just as needy and desperate as that night on the trampoline. Patience was a word that no longer had room in my vocabulary, and as he tugged at the hem of my shirt I shoved him forcefully off, much to his shocked dismay.
“What was-”
A single one of my fingers slammed over his lips, forcing him to remain silent as I pulled hastily at the button on his jeans. I wanted them off of him, and I wanted them off of him now.
The moment they finally slipped free I jumped up to my feet, pulled his lips back over mine and wrapped my fingers firmly around his already growing erection.
Apparently he wanted me as much as I wanted him.
I wasn’t aiming for teasing or drawing things out, so the rhythmic pull of my hand over him sped up, drawing his breath ragged against my open lips. It wasn’t long before I felt his roaming hands tugging at the waistband of my shorts, and the moment he got them free I shoved them and my panties free.
There we stood, naked from the waist down in his driveway, bare to the world. I didn’t care though, the only thing I could think about was having his hands on me and feeling him inside of me.
My breath was already heavy when I gave him no warning and pulled away so I could bend myself over the hood of my car. I craned my neck to the side so I could look back at him, and I saw the same burning fire in his eyes that I felt in mine.
Across the smooth of my rear his hands slid as if he was memorizing the feel of me standing there so bare and open to him. Then, I felt the press of his head against my slit and I cried out in exquisite pleasure.
I felt every inch of him press into me, and with a solid grasp against my hips he soon found a rhythm to beat when my hand had taken hold of his member. My palms splayed flat against the car’s hood, straining for support. I stood solid, taking every thrusting hit until he bent atop me and dropped his grazing teeth to the back of my neck.
Every fiber in my body sizzled in anticipation of the release I knew was to come. I’d already felt it building, and with Henry’s hips rocking against me and the control completely taken from me, I was nearly there.
Everything around me, save for Henry, ceased to exist and all I cared about was him pounding me harder until-
His teeth bit sharply upon the flesh at my shoulder blade, muffling a grunting cry that rumbled in the base of his throat. I knew that sound, and the idea of him being so turned on was enough to tip me over the edge.
It was a good thing I had the car to support me as my legs shook from the unbridled tightening of my pelvic muscles that left me screaming his name in rapacious need. He didn’t stop, and only pushed harder, bringing our skin together in loud cracks.
Up around my shoulders his hands snaked, giving him just the amount of leverage he needed before his haltingly quick thrusts matched the ragged moans that left his lips.
He’d come, once more, and I felt his warmth deep inside of me.
Short of breath we both took our time getting back to our feet, and even longer shuffling our clothes back on. It surprised me somehow, when I felt Henry’s arms snake around me in a tight hug that had his lips pressing softly to the crown of my head.
I don’t really know what I’d expected though, and it was all I could do to keep from smiling as I slipped behind the wheel of my car.
“See you at the party, Henry.”
He grinned mischievously as he swung my door shut, “see you later, Gator Girl.”
11
Work proved to be increasingly more difficult to focus at. It wasn’t that anything had changed really, it was just that I couldn’t stop thinking about the nights I’d spent with Henry, and the my time atop the hood of my car.
Everytime I tried to go somewhere, it was all I could think about while I cruised down the road. I couldn’t imagine it was all that safe.
Eventually though, it was time to stop thinking about myself as the night of the memorial party arrived. I’d gotten off work early, so I decided to head out to the lake house before the party was slated to start, just to make sure there wasn’t something Elizabeth needed any help on.
I also strangely hadn’t seen her for a few days, as our work schedules seemed to just keep her apart. Part of me missed our mornings together.
Half of me expected to see Tal’s angry face when I opened the front door and stepped inside, but of course he wasn’t there, and my dad had apparently availed himself of the backyard, leaving Elizabeth all alone.
“Elizabeth?”
I could hear some rustling in the kitchen, but no one answered. I found her there, setting mini cupcakes onto tiers of a stunning teal that had always been Olivia’s favorite color. Elizabeth’s back was to me, and she made no effort to look my way.
“Do you need some help?” I asked.
“No. I’ve got it, this is it.”
Something in the tone of her voice worried me, but I figured maybe it was just because of the night, because it was the anniversary of Olivia’s death and she was stressed out over making sure everything was pulled off well. It seemed her usual thing, so I shrugged and wandered off, wondering what else she’d done with the place.
Out on the back patio I nearly choked up at the sight of the backyard. It had always been a beautiful spot with an expansive pool that that I’d spent most of my younger years in, and giant weeping willows that swayed in the evening breeze. Beyond all of that sat Lake Carson whose waters were sparkling still in what little dusky sunlight we had left.
All across the meticulously cut grass though, Elizabeth had spread the smallest of twinkling lights, making it look like the yard was flooded with fireflies. Out in the center, a single lantern floated, and even from afar I could see the name Olivia was scrawled in beautiful calligraphy across it.
My heart ached to see her again, and the sight wouldn’t allow me to push away the memories of her chasing fireflies across the yard with squeals of laughter following her wherever she went. I wondered what life would have been like, had she lived.
I didn’t even realize how long I’d stood there, captured in the trap of my own thoughts until I heard voices drifting out from the house. In a hurry I raced back in and found a few people already milling in and out of the dining room, which had been cleared out of furniture.
I wondered briefly where the table had gone before my thoughts were waylaid by the sight of three large canvases perched atop flimsy easels. Each one held a photo of Olivia, blown up to lifelike size with her green eyes that looked so alike Henry’s staring out into the gathering crowd.
“Elizabeth!” I couldn’t believe she did this, not after she’d promised she wouldn’t put photos of Olivia up. I swore she heard my voice, but I saw her drifting away from the crowd and back into the kitchen, where no one else was. The food was all gone too, apparently she’d moved it out to the front of the house.
“Elizabeth,” I was nearly out of breath, but not from physical labor but upset anguish. “You promised you wouldn’t put pictures of Olivia up!”
“Oh?” There was so much sass behind that one word I couldn’t even begin to guess what I’d done.
“Why would you do that? You know it’s going to hurt Henry.”
“Well I don’t care anymore.” She grabbed up a couple of dirtied dishes from the counter and slammed them hard into the sink.
“You don’t… Elizabeth, what the hell is going on?”
Around she spun, her usually soft eyes boring down on me with the intensity of fire. “I saw you fucking Henry in his driveway. I’m done talking w
ith you.”
Off she stormed, her feet stomping so loudly I was amazed no one came around the corner to see what was the ruckus. When no one did, I ran for the fridge and hurriedly chugged an entire bottle of beer.
It was apparently going to be a very long night.
The moment I finished off the beer and dropped the empty on the counter, I realized with a start I needed to do something. I needed to stop Henry from showing up. I frantically dialed his number and my heart plummeted when he didn’t answer. I followed up with a text and tapped anxiously at my phone but to no avail: he wasn’t responding.
The moment I heard a loud engine outside, I knew he’d arrived.
I raced out to meet him, and with a smart grin on my face I pushed him back against the side of his truck the moment he got out.
“Well, hey there,” he murmured quite happily as I slipped my lips against his with a soft intensity aimed to keep him rooted right where he was.
“Hey. How are you?”
“Well, I’m pretty darn good right now.” He smiled again, and the sight of it made my heart soar. I just wanted to make sure that stayed, rather than being replaced with terrible upset.
I trailed a single one of my fingers down the side of his neck and let it drift at the collar of his shirt. “You know, we could just stay out here, or go somewhere else…”
I half expected him to jump at the chance, but had never expected the quirk of his brow he offered instead. “You wanted me to come to this thing.”
“Sure, but…”
“Come on.” He took hold of my arm and pulled me toward the house, “you’ve been drinking. I can smell it, and taste it on your lips. It’ll be fine, I swear.”
I really hoped he was right, but I wasn’t about to count on it.
I stepped back into the house, just in front of Henry to where several people were now mingling in a mix of attire. Some, like Mrs. Dalton were dressed as they usually were, and in her case that meant bright shirts with some sort of pin that designated her as a lover of math and learning. On the other side of the spectrum were people like Mr. and Mrs. Williams whom had arrived in all black like they were attending a funeral.
Hard Wired: A First Love Second Chance Romance Page 7