My Tessa

by Shell, C.

  My Tessa

  By: C. Shell

  Dedication

  To my husband, whose support and love has allowed me to expand

  and explore my possibilities in life.

  To my mom who taught me that anything is possible

  To my children who have shown me that love makes possibilities endless.

  Table of Contents:

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  My Tessa

  C. Shell

  Copyright C. Shell 2012

  Smashwords Edition

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. IF you are reading this book and didn't purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the author and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance between persons living and dead, establishments, events, or location is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  Grabbing her wrists he brought them above her head and crossed them before binding them with soft rope and attaching them to the posts on each side of his bed. She lay naked and trembling, but she is not cold. Looking up at him her eyes are filled with anticipation. Her eyes once the color of aqua blue, now dark with desire and longing. Taking his time he begins licking down her body, beginning at the beating pulse in her neck and stopping at her perfect round breasts to taste and suck on each of her nipples; watching them turn to hard beads against his tongue. Moaning with pleasure she arches up into his mouth, begging for more. He rose up taking off his shirt, staring into her eyes than gazing down to her mouth. He notices the catch in her breath as she watches him, devouring him. He continued nibbling his way down her body, nipping across her stomach, feeling her shiver with pleasure. Reaching her sweet spot he dips his fingers between her thighs, smiling to find her already wet and ready for him. Bending down, his tongue flickers lightly against her swollen clit making her call out his name, she bucks against his hand needing and wanting more. He slowly pushes his thumb inside her than replaces it with two fingers that slip slowly inside her channel thrusting in and out. Not being able to hold back any longer he removes his pants and boxers than positions himself between her legs and nestles his erection at the entrance of her slit, teasing her with it as he slides it up and down wetting himself in her slickness. She is panting hard, withering against the sheets trying to urge him inside her.

  This is the moment he wakes up every time with a hard on that no amount of cold showers could make go away. This same gut wrenching dream has continued to torment Alex for over three years, like a scene in a movie that is stuck on repeat. The dreams are so vivid, so alive in his mind. He never gets past that point in his dreams, never gets to taste her, never gets to sink into her and feel how tight and warm she is. He hates repeating the same scene and never knowing how good it could really be with her. He has fucked numerous women trying to erase her from his mind, trying to replace the need he feels for her with them, but none of them can satisfy the emptiness, the ache he has to be inside of her, to make her his.

  After four years serving in the Army for his country he was finally going home today, back to his small home town in East Texas. The Army had been good for Alex, he came to them as a messed up spoiled kid that thought the world owed him everything and was leaving as a man that worked for what he had and was proud of who he was. Three months ago he had received a phone call that his dad Jed was diagnosed with stage one lung cancer. When it came time to re-enlist Alex chose to head back home and help his dad keep the family remodeling business going while he went through treatment. It was not his dream job, but the freedom to be able to make his own hours and be his own boss made it worthwhile, plus the money wouldn't be bad either. He heard rumors from some friends back home that Tessa had moved back a few years ago and after a few phone calls had found not only that the information was correct, but that she was also single. Dragging a hand through his hair he let out a thankful sigh, the thought of her with anyone else made his jaw clench and an unfamiliar territorial behavior settle in his gut.

  The last four years without her in his life had been hell. He missed how easy it was to talk to her, the way she laughed loudly as if no one else was in the room and cried over stupid chic flicks. She had gotten under his skin during high school and it took everything he had back then not to give in to his urges to kiss those damn pouty lips of hers, run his hands through her caramel colored long hair, pulling it just hard enough to make her head drop back giving him access to nibble on her creamy porcelain skin. Now the only time he was allowed to touch her was in his dreams and cursed not being able to do anything about it. He hoped he could change all of that now that he was going home but considering the way he left things between them years ago he was not expecting it to be easy.

  The moment he decided to come back home and help his dad he also made a promise to himself that he would make her understand why he left the way he did. He was a different person now, a man not a boy and he could give her what she needed. He had tried on several occasions to see her when he came home for holidays, but she had always managed to slip away from him. She always had creative excuses that caused him smile in spite of the situation. She might be pissed and still a little hurt but she was being a coward and it was time for her to put on her big girl panties and deal with him. She is a spitfire and knowing she will not go easily would make it all sweeter in the end.

  ********

  Tessa and Alex had been friends since they were juniors in high school when they were paired up as biology partners and Alex saved Tessa by dissecting the frog for her when she froze up and refused to do it citing that it was cute and did not deserve such harsh treatment. Everyone laughed at her except for Alex, he found her animal loving self adorable and could not help but save her from humiliation and a failing grade in biology. After that he was her protector and kept the mean kids from bullying her and the bad boys from having her. No one messed with or questioned Alex, even back then he was dominating and controlling in everything he did. He was gorgeous standing a little over six feet tall, inky black hair, emerald green eyes, broad tan shoulders and a chiseled body that screamed sex. During school he was the typical football jock that had all the girls hanging on him and begging to be his, but never Tessa. She was his biggest fan, always cheering him on at his games and giving him hell when he screwed up, but nothing more than the occasional flirting ever occurred between them.

  He always wanted more, wanted her but knowing how innocent she was he wouldn't act on it. He tried thinking of her as a little sister, but damn the thoughts and images he had in his head were not one any guy should have for a sister.

  Like most hot blooded girls within their small town, Tessa found him deliciously hot and thought she even loved him, but she kept her feelings hidden. She imagined being his on more than one occasion and what that would in-tell, but she was too afraid of losing him as a friend and would not take that chance; so she pushed down her feelings and kept them locked away.

  Unlike normal teen kids, she never attended high school weekend keg parties; instead she worked every weekend at the local skating rink saving her money for college. It was not a glamorous job, but her parents both worked two jobs just to pay every day bills and she
knew college was not something they would be able to afford. She saw college as her way out of poverty and was determined not to end up working her whole life just to rub two pennies together the way they had. She appreciated everything they did but also saw the way it aged them and had diminished the sparkle from her moms' eyes throughout the years.

  After high school Tessa went away to college up north and Alex joined the army. She finished college, got her degree in accounting then moved back to her East Texas home town to look after her parents and started her own accounting company. Being back felt comfortable and she was lucky enough to find a small apartment near her parents and walking distance from her business. It wasn't much, but it was home. She met some new friends and rekindled some old ones, but she had not spoken to Alex since graduation, the day she had finally got up the courage to tell him she was in love with him only to have him give her a kiss on the cheek, walk away. He left the next day for the army without saying a word or giving an explanation. That was the day she decided Alex Reddington was dead to her.

  ********

  Alex had only been home an hour and already his mother was busy spoiling him and making him all his favorite foods. He missed being around family, the last four years seemed like a blur to him now. His parents white Victorian house looked the same as it did when he left, family photos decorated the halls and trophies from his football and baseball days lined his desk in his room. Hearing laughter he went into the kitchen to see what was going on and found his mom and his big brother Larry looking through his old school yearbooks.

  "I know you are not laughing at me," Alex said teasingly as he bent over his mom to see what she had found so funny. It was great hearing her laugh, with the stress of his dad's illness, she had not laughed as often as she used to.

  "Oh Alex, we found some of your old year books and could not help but travel down memory lane. Look at this picture of you and Tessa at one of the varsity football games; she was such a sweet girl."

  Glancing down at the photo he noticed it was the one where he was crowned homecoming king. The photo was taken right after he received his crown and showed him holding Tessa in his arms and swinging her around while his date stood in the background jealous and glaring daggers into their backs. Even back then she took precedence over everyone else in his life.

  Thumbing through the pages he found several other photos of them and smiled to himself remembering the fun they had back then. The Halloween where they dressed up as matching candy bars M & M plain and M & M with nuts. The most memorable was on senior skip day at the beach in her little yellow bikini getting a piggy back ride down the beach on his back. His favorite color was yellow after that day.

  "She was something, sweet not always being one of them," he said remembering the fire in her blue eyes the day of graduation when she surprised and scared the shit out of him by saying she was in love with him. He dragged a hand through his hair; he had been so stupid that day. He was wrong for her back then, a screwed up kid that used his dick as a compass nailing everything in sight. She deserved better than that. He had grown up since then and knew now he could give her what she deserved and needed, even if she did not understand yet what that was.

  "You know she is back in town and doing great from what I hear. Mrs. Jones said she took over the old Jimmerson building and started her own accounting firm. I am surprised she has not come around to say hi yet, she spent so much time here during high school most people thought we had adopted her," his mother laughed, not noticing her sons' uneasiness with the choice of topic.

  "I am heading to the hospital to check on dad than I have some apartments to go check out, be back later," Alex called out as he grabbed his jacket and the leftovers his mom had asked him to bring to the hospital, and headed out the door not waiting for his mom to answer him.

  Hoping he would come back one day, his parents had stored his red Ford pick-up and kept it in working condition while he was gone. Smiling to himself as he put the key in the ignition and started it up; he loved the way it purred when it came to life. The truck previously belonged to his Uncle Dave and Alex had mowed lawns and helped neighbors during school saving money to pay for this truck. It needed lots of TLC when he took it over, but as beat up as it was; it was his pride and joy.

  Driving through town he was amazed at how much the town had changed while he was gone. The old movie theater that once housed two screens had doubled in size and even now offered an eye max screen. The town square had acquired a new park and two new grocery markets had moved in. He arrived at the hospital and found a parking space near the front, then headed inside and up to the second floor to room 243. Pushing the door in slowly he walked in surprised to find his dad up and watching football with a few of his buddies and admiring their favorite Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

  Expecting to find a man on his death bed; Alex breathed a sigh of relief and went over to give his old man a hug and say hi to his friends, most of the men he remembered from his younger years. His dad looked like an older version of himself, at 66 he was amazed at how young his dad looked. His hair was dark and wavy with a peppering of grey, eyes a shade of green like his sons and a body toned and tan from his hard days of work.

  "It's about damn time you came home and saw your old man," his dad growled out although his eyes gave away his appreciation to seeing his son. They had always had a great bond. His dad was tough but fair and Alex grew to accept and appreciate that as he got older. It was hard seeing his dad ill; he had always been the backbone of their family and the rock that held it all together.

  "It's good to see you too old man," Alex said while laughing and smiled when he noticed the side table filled with family photos of his mom, brother and one of them fishing together when he was only eight. He loved fishing, they had always been able to sit for hours on the lake not speaking and yet come back home and feel like they knew everything about each other.

  "How is your mom doing today? I worry about her, I know me being in here is not easy on her, but she is so stubborn she will never admit it. Promise me you will look after her and keep me updated on what is going on." The worry etched in his dads face was evident; it was amazing at how fiercely his parents still loved each other after all these years.

  "She is doing fine, she made practically every dish I ever thought about liking, and I brought some leftovers for you," he said pulling out the food and placing them on the only open spot left on the table by the bed.

  Alex hated hospitals; they reminded him of the time he broke his wrist during a football game that cost him the rest of the season. He stayed a little longer making small talk with his dad and the other men and then quickly gave his dad a hug and promised to come back tomorrow and get details hammered out about work and what needed to be handled.

  ********

  Fumbling with the radio while trying to find a decent station that did not play rap or sad country music about someone losing their wife and dog all in the same day; he pulled the truck over giving it his full attention before he caused an accident. Finally finding a song that did not make him want to drink or bang his head up and down while killing his eardrums, he glanced up before pulling back onto the road and realized he was two building down from Anderson Accounting, Tessa's business.

  Damn, what now? He sat there staring at the building trying to decide to go in or do the smart thing and just leave. He wasn't sure what he would say to her or if he was even ready to face her yet, especially since she had made it clear more than once that she did not want to see him. How did you tell someone who professed their love for you that you walked away from them for their own good and not sound like a douche?

  Ran. I ran not walked; no reason to sugar coat it now.

  He was out of his element and very nervous. He never had to gravel to anyone and yet he knew that is exactly what he was going to have to do if she was ever to forgive him.

  Leaving it up to fate he dug into his jeans and pulled out a quarter. Heads I go in, tails I leave and w
ait until I have an idea of how I should handle this. Tossing the quarter in the air he smacked it down with his hand than slowly pulled back and peered down at the quarter as though it held the all the secrets to the universe.

  Heads, either fate was being cruel or it had a hell of a humor.

  Chapter 2

  Her office was warm and inviting. The room was decorated in dark wood with dark leather couches and chairs spanning one side of the room. The walls were neutral beige accented with burgundy trim; her degree was framed on the wall along with some other contemporary art. Not seeing her right away he walked over and examined the personal items scattered around her desk. Looking around to make sure no one was watching he picked up a bottle of lotion and smelt it; it was a familiar scent that he always associated with her, the rich smell of lavender and vanilla. Hearing the sound of a woman's high heels coming down the back hall he replaced the lotion and turned just as she walked into the room. She was so beautiful. She wore an ivory silk camisole top with a brown pencil line skirt that looked classy yet very sexy. Obviously she was not happy that he was there; she came to an abrupt halt, her eyes turning stormy and her mouth went into a thin grim line.

  Holy Hell! Just the sight of him sets her blood on fire. Her legs went weak and her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest, she absently grabbed at it as though she could stop it.

  "Alex? What are you doing here?" Tessa asked trying to mask her anger and confusion and not doing a very good job of it. She had seen him few times in the last four years, but had always maneuvered to keep a distance from him and, seeing him now brought back all the hurt and betrayal she felt. She wanted to squash him like a bug. She had learned long ago that being mad was much better than being sad, and right now she was definitely mad, she was pissed!