Strong Enough

by Teresa Hill

Yep that did it, heat rushes to my cheeks and I feel the walls moving around me as I hear the “awww’s and come on’s” from the audience in response to Jon saying I wouldn’t sing. Nope, not going to work.

  “Come on now everyone, she’s a little gun shy tonight but I bet she will be up here singing soon enough so you will have to come back to see if she does.” He snickers out as he begins to play.

  Reaching out to adjust the microphone stand again and looking at me with determination. “This is one of my favorite Zac Brown Band songs. It reminds me of what I want in the future. Hope you guys enjoy it.”

  He begins to pick at the strings and a beautiful melody begins. I find myself tapping my foot to his playing as the lyrics start.

  So we live out of our old van

  Travel all across this land

  Me and you

  We’ll end up hand and hand

  Somewhere down on the sand

  Me and you

  Just as free,

  Free as we’ll ever be

  Just as free

  Free as we will ever be

  Drive until the city lights

  Dissolve into a country sky

  Me and you

  Lay underneath the Harvest moon

  Do all the things that lovers do

  Just me and you

  I have never heard this song but listening to him I pick up on the melody quickly. The tempo even and soothing as he continues with the song and I see the rest of the crowd bopping their heads to the music as he plays and sings. The crowd goes wild with applause as Jon comes to a close on the song and I can see many of the audience are looking in my direction.

  Not realizing it, but I am smiling pretty big seeing the reaction Jon is getting from the crowd. I feel pride for him and I’ve only known the guy for what five hours? It’s a weird connection. One I’m not sure what to do with.

  Suddenly the effects of the liquids I have consumed hit me and I let Brent know I am going to the ladies room. As Jon plays another song, I make my way through the crowd and the cramped tables to the other side of the bar and down the long hallway to the bathrooms in the back.

  Walking out of the bathroom trying to shake off the excess water from my hands due to there not being any paper towels in the bathroom, I am startled when someone grabs my elbow and pulls backwards. My immediate response is to jerk my elbow away turning to see who is trying to manhandle me, but I am pulled into another room, and the door closes behind me as I try and assess the situation and attempt to prepare myself for defense.

  “What the hell,” I yell spinning around and yanking my arm free to face the door and attempt to leave. Standing against the door is Jon with a very mischievous smile on his face as he crosses his arms in front of his broad chest, stretching the material of his shirt across his arms and revealing his muscles. He’s not built like Zane by any means, but there is strength in his arms that I can see is protective.

  Pushing off the door in a seductive relaxed manner, he takes a few stalking steps toward me with his arms still crossed and still smiling. “There is something about you, something that makes me want to know more. What is it? What is it that I want to know more about?” He questions, coming to a stop in front of me. Not knowing exactly what to say I stare at him and just shrug. He reaches out with his right hand and lightly brushes my long hair behind my shoulder exposing the skin. He takes the back of his pointer finger and runs it down my neck and across my collarbone. I respond by tilting my head away from his hand and exposing more skin. He continues to trace my collarbone across my chest and reaches up with his left hand to now brush the hair off my other shoulder exposing that skin. He steps a bit closer to me leaving very little room between us. Instinctively, I take a step back to add more personal space. I find I have already backed myself up to the wall and have nowhere else to move. He hasn’t moved and is still very close to me. His hands are soft except for where you can feel the callouses from his guitar playing.

  “Do you realize how beautiful you are?” He asks as his eyes follow his hand that is tracing my skin.

  Taking in a deep breath and nearly gulping down air. “No,” is all I can say.

  “You have this sensuality about you, but you hide it. You don’t realize how pretty you really are and people can see that.”

  I know he’s right. I know I don’t think of myself as beautiful, maybe cute at times, but for the most part, beautiful is not a word I have ever used to describe myself. Feeling his hand as it slides down my shoulder, I close my eyes and breathe in savoring every touch he is giving me.

  “I can see you’re hiding. You’re not comfortable in your skin, are you beautiful?”

  Hearing him call me beautiful in his sexy voice sends a shiver down my spine, wanting to hear him do it again and again. How can someone that has known me for mere hours and really not have said a whole lot to me, know this about me already? How does he know I’m not comfortable being who I am right now?

  He continues, “The minute I saw you, I could see the beauty. I could see something about you. I didn’t have to be told you could sing. I heard you in the park.” He chuckles. “You don’t realize how much your sweet voice carries even if it is just a hum.” His left hand reaches up and he threads his fingers into the base of my hair. He closes the gap between us completely when his right hand slides over my waist and around my back pulling me into him. Our lips brushing from being so close. He smiles and lightly moves the tip of his nose up and down over the tip of mine which puts a bigger smile on my face. He pauses a second, pulls back a fraction and looks into my eyes before leaning in slowly as his lips brush mine. My toes wiggle in my heels to remind me this isn’t a dream. He passes back over my lips again with another feather light kiss and it’s driving me insane. Knowing I can’t take much more of his soft, sensual brushing kisses, my hands shoot up to his hair and my fingers weave themselves through it, pulling his lips towards mine with more force until they are planted against mine. It was instinct and he was responding well to it as he lets out a slight moan while my hands continue to fist his hair massaging his scalp. The sweet kissing picks up speed and the heat when our lips, mouths and tongues collide back and forth against each other rises. The temperature in the room must have gone up too, because I can feel a bead of sweat forming in the small of my back and is traveling south. I can’t seem to get enough of him as I feel I am trying to devour his face. He breaks away from the kissing and leans further in so his lip’s land at the base of my chin. He works his way to the base of my earlobe kissing it lightly and in an incredibly sexy way. The anticipation of him kissing that special spot sets me off as my hands release from his hair and they slide down his back. I need to feel his skin with such a passion. Taking my hands, I slide them under his already untucked polo and along his back feeling every muscle as I go. I slowly and lightly scratch my way back down.

  His reaction to my move sets my skin on fire as he reaches down and lightly scratches both of his hands up my thighs and to the base of my skirt. Shifting his hands, he lowers himself a little. Being sure not to break our kiss, he slides his hands up my thighs further taking my skirt with it until he can firmly grab both of my hips and lift me up in the air causing not only my breathing to stop. Instinctively, I wrap my legs around his waist resting myself against the bulge in his shorts and causing my skirt to move up around my waist. I am still pushed up against the wall and leaning down as I kiss him with my arms wrapped tightly around his neck. His hands shift back and down to massage my ass deeply, spreading my cheeks as he pulls outwards. His mouth leaves mine only to end up on my chest as we grind against each other feverishly. His hands slide further up my sides taking my skirt with them. The need I feel right now is overpowering. Throwing my head back, he takes the opportunity to suck on the nape of my neck and lightly nip at it which only increases my need of him.

  “My god Reece you are so fucking sexy,” he whispers in my ear before taking my earlobe in his mouth and sucking lightly.

 
; I can only offer a soft moan as what he is doing to me is rendering me speechless at the moment.

  Shifting myself against the wall causes me to lower a little against him and feel the large hardon he has as I push my hips into it. His breath hitches in reaction as I smile against his lips. “Impressive,” I offer in response.

  With my legs still firmly wrapped around his waist he pushes into me further as my back arches in pleasure. His hand slides down around my ass and continues up between my legs. I feel his fingers run along the rim of my black satin and lace panties and my head drops to his shoulder as I let out a deep moan of approval. I know he can feel the wetness already soaked through as he continues to trace up and down them. His forehead is resting against my shoulder as he continues his exploration taking moments to kiss and nip at my collarbone.

  The more he continues to explore the more I push into him as if I can’t get close enough. Suddenly, he isn’t tracing my panties anymore as I feel the warmth of his fingers running along my folds. I release a moan a lot louder than expected and his lips find mine absorbing the sound as he continues to run his fingers along my soaking wet center. His spare hand is braced under my ass, massaging and pulling at my cheeks spreading me wider for him.

  I want more from him. I need more from him. I release one hand from around his neck and slide it down his side until I feel the waistband of his shorts. Lucky for me there’s no belt and they are loose enough to slide my hand down his hip. His lips meet mine again with a deep long lasting kiss as his fingers massage my clit starting the buildup. My hand slips beneath the band of his boxer briefs gripping tight to his hip and digging my nails in just as he slips a finger inside me. The penetration is tight and causes my back to arch and my head to rise upward breaking our lips apart. My hand wrapped around his neck is gripping his shoulder tightly as I look down and see his blues looking back up at me and melt me all over again. As if all time has slowed, I can feel the slow pull as he exits me only to re-enter with two fingers. My muscles clench and my nails dig deeper into this hip and shoulder as I accept his fingers inside me. A wet but tight squeeze as he pushes in and slowly out. “Oh my god.” I breathe heavily into his ear.

  “You so wet Beautiful, it’s driving me insane,” he says breathlessly.

  He continues his movement and I can feel the buildup. My hand is still clenching his hip and I release it to move lower. There is no missing the thick hardness in his shorts as I wrap my hand around the base. Closing the gap I give a little squeeze and he moans in return. With my legs still wrapped around his waist and the way I am positioned against the wall, I am able to grip him in between my legs, which provides for better movement. As I continue to slide my hand slowly up and down, I find the rhythm he responds to. He presses his thumb against my clit and moves it while he pumps his fingers in and out of me. We find a rhythm with each other easily. Breathing heavily, I hold my head next to his face as he lowers his lips to my neck again.

  “Come on Beautiful, you know you want to cum for me.” He breathes into my ear. He’s so right, I haven’t had a release like this in so, so very long. “Yes, yes please,” I gasp back.

  His movement quickens while the pressure increases and I continue my stroke. “Is that good, like that?” I ask a little embarrassed.

  “Yes, just like that Beautiful.” His eyes close and his head tilts back just a bit.

  My legs begin to quiver with his movement the pressure mounting as I clench and release. Unable to focus on anything other than the way he is making me feel I bury my head in the crook of his neck, breathing harder as the intensity increases. Holding myself close to him and moving with his movement I can’t resist the urge anymore.

  “That’s it Beautiful, I can feel you resisting, cum for me.”

  His words set the spark and as I begin to let out a loud moan his mouth covers mine again absorbing all I can offer. He doesn’t stop as my body continues to explode over and over again. My body is sensitive as he continues to pull his fingers in and out causing me to shiver. I realize my hand is still wrapped firmly around him and I start stroking up and down again. Hearing and feeling me cum has left him hard as a rock and I know it won’t take much for him to blow. As he still moves slowly in and out, working me back up again, I continue my work on him. Releasing my death grip on his shoulder I wind my fingers back through his hair and gently grab hold and pull back. I expose his neck to my waiting lips and I run my tongue up his neck. I reach his earlobe and gently suck instantly getting a jerk from him and a pleasurable moan.

  “Your turn now sexy,” I whisper in his ear which is so unlike me.

  “Mmmmmmmmm keep doing what you’re doing Beautiful and I am good to go,” he mumbles back lost in a pleasurable state.

  Kissing all around his neck and ear is definitely his weakness as his moaning is a sure sign I’m doing something right. Keeping pace I can feel his hardness increase telling me he is ready to cum.

  “Mmmmmm you ready?” I ask playfully.

  “Oh god yes, don’t stop.”

  My hand strokes up and my palm covers the head of his cock as I move my hand back down twisting slightly and applying pressure. His body twitches from enjoyment and his fingers are still slowly sliding in and out of me as well. I focus on him ready for him to finish.

  “Yes, just like that, yes Beautiful, yes,” he gets louder.

  This time my lips cover his to absorb his excitement just as my hand cups around his tip and I feel the warm juice when he lets go.

  The kiss lasts long after we both have stopped. It’s passionate, sensual and nothing like I have ever experienced.

  I slide my hand as carefully as I can out of his shorts and unwrap from his waist as position myself back on two feet. His hands slide up to my waist and he gently pulls my skirt back down to its proper position.

  He reaches behind himself and grabs a clean bar rag from the pile on the table and hands it to me which I use to wipe off my hand. The silence isn’t awkward but just that, silence. I don’t notice him reaching into one of the lockers and getting out a new pair of shorts.

  “Hmmm should I make the assumption you carry an extra pair of shorts because this is something you do often with girls you meet in less than 24 hours?” I ask jokingly.

  He doesn’t say anything when he turns to look at me which makes me uncomfortable. I meant it as a joke but maybe that’s exactly what he does.

  “No Beautiful, this is not a habit at all. I have an extra pair here from when I was helping with painting a few weeks back. I brought them to change into after I was done but never did.”

  Buttoning up his shorts he turns and looks at me. With his gorgeous blues and his amazing smile he leans down and kisses me softly causing my toes to curl again.

  “You are one beautiful woman Reece. I hope this isn’t the last time we see each other,” he says leaning down to kiss me again.

  “Me either,” is all I could muster to say.

  Chapter 14

  When I returned to our table after my encounter with Jon, I hadn’t said anything to him except asking if he was ready to leave. Brent didn’t ask questions. He didn’t make comments. He just smiled, stood up and said, “After you buttercup.” As he showed me the way to the front doors.

  “Ok, if you don’t start talking I’m going to be forced to beat it out of you,” Brent barks sliding into the passenger seat and shutting the door with more force than needed as I turn the key and start the car.

  Checking my review mirror and throwing my car in reverse I look behind me while answering, “Talk about what Brent?” I casually remark, hoping my tone is even enough so he doesn’t pick up on my nervousness.

  “Huh,” he bursts out clearly stating his frustration. “So, that’s how you’re gonna play it Miller? Act like NOTHING happened back there, that you weren’t gone for like thirty fucking minutes when you went to just “pee”. Pretend no one else noticed Jon left the stage shortly after you went to the bathroom for a quick break but didn’t come back un
til you showed up saying you were ready to go. I’m gonna ignore the fact that you walked out of the “bathroom” grinning like a fat kid in a candy shop? That’s how you want to play this? I thought we were tight, had an understanding.” He finishes shaking his head from side to side mumbling under his breath.

  “What do you want me to say Brent? Is it that fucking important for you to know everything I do? Seriously, how bout I just don’t want to fucking talk about it. Ever think of that? I’m a pretty private person if you haven’t figured it out. Don’t expect me to fucking tell you my whole damn life. So can we just drop it?” My frustration came out harsher than I had intended.

  “Nope, Miller you don’t have to tell me anything about you or your life. If you prefer to have people see you as a closed off bitch of a hermit, then by all means continue to give that impression. But look here missy, you can dance around the facts. You can act like you are ok with no one caring about you and you can even treat the people that do care about you like ass if it makes YOU feel better. BUT, you know as well as I do that like talking to me, you like having someone to hang out with, you like that I give you shit and you damn well know you like me. SOOOO, if you want to play this game we can, but you will lose.” He says with a sweet sarcastic smile on his face and eyes that challenge me to bring it on.

  I couldn’t help but laugh at him. The guy is six feet at least two hundred thirty pounds and built like a Mac Truck and is in my car whining and bitching about me not telling him I just had the most fucking amazing experience of my life. Ok well he doesn’t know that’s what I’m keeping from him, but he knows something happened and is acting like a cry baby and I can’t help but laugh.

  “Geez Brent you’re acting like a girl.” I’m still laughing.

  “What the fuck, Miller just get us to this damn party so I can find a hot chick and dance my ass off.”

  “Hot chick? What the hell Brent?”

  “Oh come on Miller, I may be gay but I am NOT blind and still find women hot as hell. Besides you know as well as I do that girls always want to dance with the hot gay boy, they think they are safe.” He says wiggling his eyebrows up and down.