My Safe Place

by Steph Poe

  I am well aware that most friends don't send flowers to one another or sign off with a kiss and hug symbol, but I don't care. I'm so amazingly happy. I'm not sure what is happening, but I like it.

  Chapter 7

  Every minute of my day, I've thought about Cal. His smell, his taste, his tight ass. I try to focus on my work, but catering menus and banquet halls are completely uninteresting in comparison. What is this man doing to me?

  It's finally the end of the day when Brynna comes into my office. "I talked to the painters. They will be here on Monday morning. Also the flooring installers will be here Thursday."

  "Okay, that's great. Thank you." I smile at her. She really is a fine employee. She always has a smile on her heart-shaped face, which is great because at times, I'm serious and focused and I need someone who can lighten things up for me.

  She doesn't leave so I know she wants to say more. She shifts her weight to her other foot. "I just wanted to say that I'm glad to see you so happy."

  "That's so sweet of you Bryn. I never thought I could be so happy." I raise my eyebrows and shrug my shoulders like it's not a big deal. "How's your love life going?"

  "Not really going at all, so if Cal has any other hot friends, put in a good word for me!" she says hopefully.

  "I'll keep an eye out for you." I wink at her. I check my watch and it's already half past five. "Hey, aren't you late for yoga class?" I ask. She's normally out right at five.

  "Actually, I'm done with yoga. I'm starting this new self-defense class. My dad is always worried about me living alone in the city and wants me to take one. You should come with me!"

  Self-defense might be a good idea. You never know when you might need to protect yourself from an attacker. I've often thought about going to one.

  "Actually, that sounds like a great idea. How about I come with you next week?"

  "Okay! See you tomorrow."

  Brynna turns on the heel of her brown stiletto boots and exits my office. I'm the last one here. Ashton left early to meet with a potential client.

  I turn off my laptop, grab my jacket and bag, and head for the front door. It feels like a great night to grab Italian take out and head home to catch up on my Netflix shows. With visions of lasagna and Andrew Lincoln dancing in my head, I walk out the door and turn around to lock up behind me.

  "Looks like I came over just in time," a sweet, engaging voice calls from behind me. I can't stop my lips from turning up at each corner while I finish locking the deadbolt giving myself a minute before I turn and look at him.

  That minute wasn't enough to prepare me for the sight of him. His hair is neatly tamed. His eyes are intently studying my face, while his lips are turned up in that smirk I love.

  He's wearing a black leather, bomber jacket that fits him perfectly. It's unzipped a little from the top and shows off a crisp white tee shirt underneath. He has faded blue jeans with a small rip in the thigh. My mind envisions my fingers reaching into that small rip and tearing the fabric even more to expose more of his muscular leg. Casual, all white sneakers complete his look. He's styled like a greaser, heading to a rumble.

  I have to repeat in my head: friends, just friends.

  "Hey," I try to sound casual, like a friend seeing another friend, a completely normal situation.

  "Let's go for a drive. I want to show you something." He nods his head towards his Mustang.

  I smile at him. "Okay, but I was on my way to get some Italian take out and I kind of had my heart set on lasagna and Netflix tonight. So, this is sort of a sacrifice for me," I joke.

  He chuckles a little. "How about I make you a deal. Let's get your lasagna and then we'll go for a drive."

  I nod in agreement. "You've got a deal."

  Cal takes me to my favorite Italian take out restaurant. It's a place where you can dine in or use their drive thru for carry out, which is convenient for a single girl like me. Although tonight, Cal and I eat inside. I order my favorite lasagna and he orders one of their enormous slices of pepperoni pizza. I eat my dinner quickly because I'm anticipating the ride in his car.

  Back in the Mustang, I turn to put my seatbelt on and notice a flannel blanket on the backseat. I glare at Cal suspiciously.

  "Don't worry, Lake. I'm not planning on taking advantage of you. Unless you ask me to." He winks at me. I return his look with a scoff and an eye roll.

  He starts the car and that purr of the engine already has me enthralled. I feel like a teenager, riding with my crush in the hottest car. I have no idea where he's taking me, but I don't even care. He turns up the radio and the sounds of Matchbox 20 fill the car. I'm taken back to my teenage years.

  He asks if he can roll the windows down and I say yes. The night air feels wonderful as I stick my arm out the window. I feel so free as I sing along with Rob Thomas, uncaring of what Cal might think of my terrible singing voice. When I glance over at him, I'm pleased to see he is stealing a glance at me with a huge smile on his face before he starts belting out the lyrics. I laugh out loud to hear his singing voice is just as bad as mine before I continue singing along with him.

  We continue on our joyride, listening to and singing along with great music until he finally turns into what I assume is our destination. We are out in the countryside. He pulls the car onto a long gravel drive that suddenly just ends, and that's where we park. I look in front of the car and all I see are a few acres of open land. No buildings and nothing but grass and trees everywhere I look.

  He grabs the blanket and gets out of the car to open my door for me. Reaching his hand in for mine, he helps me out. The night air is crisp and I'm grateful that I wore my gray tweed pants, a warm sweater, and boots to work today. I'd be freezing if I had on my usual dress and heels.

  Cal keeps ahold of my hand and we begin walking in the grass away from the car. The only sounds we hear are a cricket or two and the wind gently rustling the leaves of the nearby trees. Neither one of us speaks for awhile, perfectly content to enjoy the sounds of nature.

  He stops in the middle of the field and releases my hand. He spreads the blanket out on the grass. I realize now that he actually has two blankets and I'm grateful because he must have been worried I would get cold.

  He pulls me down to sit on the blanket next to him. He spreads the second blanket across our legs and tucks us in nicely. I wait for him to speak, staring up at the stars wistfully.

  "What are you thinking about, baby?" I tilt my head and smirk at him in a 'are you seriously calling me baby after we decided to just be friends' look.

  He looks sheepish as he shrugs his shoulders. "Sorry. It just sounds so good to call you that. What are you thinking about, friend?"

  "It's beautiful out here. I love gazing at the stars. So did you pick a random field to bring me stargazing, or is there something special about our location?"

  Cal lets out a sigh. "It is beautiful here. I come here a lot because it's so peaceful." He looks up at the sky with me for a few moments before turning his eyes back to me. "When I was little, I remember my mother and father always talking about wanting to move away from the city and build a house in the country."

  "Have you always lived in the city?" I ask.

  "Yes. We lived in an apartment for most of my childhood. We didn't have a lot of money. My dad was a high school English teacher and my mom stayed home with me and my brother. Sometimes we would go on a drive out here in the countryside. My parents always talked about how they wanted to someday build a house out here, but they were never able to afford it." He seems sad as he tells me this. I wait for him to continue.

  "I told myself that when I had made enough money with my business, I'd build them a house in the country. About two years ago, I was on a drive and I saw this area with a for sale sign. I knew they'd love it here." He looks down at his hands that are folded together in his lap. He fidgets a little before he continues.

  "I brought them out here after I bought it to surprise them. They were so grateful, although they told me it w
asn't necessary. It was necessary for me, though. I wanted to be able to give them something because they helped me start my business. They were wonderful parents to me and my brother." He keeps looking down and is quiet.

  Before I even think, my hand is covering his and grabbing hold of it, caressing the palm. He looks at me and flashes a half smile.

  "We were working with a builder to design a house for them. About a year ago, I got a call from my Mom that Dad had a heart attack. They took him by ambulance to try to save him, but he didn't make it." His eyes glaze over and he looks up at the sky again.

  "I'm so sorry, Cal. That must have been really difficult for you." I sympathize with him. Losing a parent is not an easy thing to handle.

  He looks at me and continues. "When he passed away, my Mom said she couldn't be happy out here because it was always the dream that her and Dad shared. So we stopped with the plans."

  "Where is your mom now?"

  "She moved to Arizona to live with her sister, my Aunt Judy, about six months ago."

  "Is it hard being so far away from her now? Were you close to her? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions." I find myself wanting to know more.

  He smiles at me warmly. "I don't mind at all. I'm enjoying talking to you." He squeezes my hand. "Yeah, we're close. She's always been there for me so it is hard sometimes being so far apart. We talk on the phone once a week. She's even figured out texting so we can talk more often," he chuckles. "I plan on going to Arizona in December to spend Christmas with her."

  "You mentioned a brother. Does he live here?" I inquire. I'm really enjoying sitting under the stars getting to know this man. Hearing him speak about his family makes me feel so warm and safe, like he's inviting me into his life.

  "Yes, he lives here. His name is Henry and he's a dentist. Pretty darn good one too." He flashes his white teeth at me in a grin. "What about you? Any siblings?"

  "Nope. Only child." I rearrange my legs so I am sitting on my bottom with my legs stretched out in front of me. I let go of his hand so I can arrange the blanket back over me.

  "I know you told me that your mother passed away. What about your father?" He looks over at me and grabs my hand once again. I like the feel of his hand in mine.

  I inhale a deep breath and share a difficult piece of my past. "I never knew my father." I stare up at the stars and am silent for a minute. He rubs his finger in the palm of my hand. "My mother got pregnant with me when she was very young, eighteen. My father was twenty. He moved away somewhere and left her all alone to raise me." I share the short version of my fatherless situation. I look down at our intertwined hands to see him release his hand from mine, only to put his arm around my shoulders and pull me closer to him. I really love how my body feels against his. It feels right, like we fit perfectly.

  "Are you warm enough?" he asks, and I'm grateful for the subject change. I don't like talking about the man who didn't want me before he even met me.

  "I'm very warm." I wrap both my arms around his waist, feeling his hard body through his shirt. It stirs those feelings inside of me. An electric current flows down to my belly. I don't know how much longer I can be this close to him without taking it one step further. Everything in me is telling me to push him to the ground and straddle him. How is it even possible to be only friends with someone when the attraction is this magnetic?

  "Lake, can I be perfectly honest with you?" I look up into those eyes and see they are filled with longing and desire.

  "I love honesty," I say in a breathy whisper. I'm watching his lips intently, waiting for the words to flow through them.

  He puts his finger under my chin and whispers, "We can't just be friends. I want to run my tongue along these beautiful lips and taste you." He presses his thumb on my lower lip. "I want to make love to you right here, under the stars." My heart is pounding and I know I can't control this anymore. I want him with every part of me.

  "If you don't want this, you need to stop me right now, because after I kiss you, I won't be able to stop myself from ripping your clothes off and licking every delicious part of you." He moves his lips slowly closer to mine, waiting for my approval. "Do you want me, Lake?"

  I slowly nod my head, unable to speak as his lips cover mine. He grabs a hold of the back of my neck. He runs his tongue across my lower lip before biting gently for a moment before taking my lips with his again.

  He reaches his hands around my back and firmly grasps my ass with both hands and pulls me onto his lap. I can feel his erection through his jeans. I place both of my arms around his neck and run my fingers through his hair. I grind myself against him trying to get the friction I need.

  I lift up my arms and he pulls off my sweater. My skin shivers when the cool, night air hits it. He reaches around my back and with one hand unfastens my bra and slides it down my arms. His mouth wraps around my breast, stroking my nipple with his tongue while his hand massages the other one. Then he finds my mouth again and kisses me hungrily. I help him take off his jacket and he lifts his arms so I can help remove his shirt.

  The sight of his muscular chest with the smattering of dark chest hair is a feast for my vision, like an orgasm for my eyes, —an eyegasm. I run my hands over his upper body, feeling every chiseled feature. I bring my mouth down and run kisses down his neck all the way to his abs.

  He pulls my face back up to his and kisses me greedily before placing me on my back and climbing on top of me. His guides his hand over my chest and abdomen before sliding his hand down to unbutton my pants. I feel his fingers lower into my panties until he is lightly caressing my wet, throbbing center.

  I moan with pleasure as he strokes me softly. I move my hips to meet his touch. He moves his mouth down to my neck, licking up to my ear lobe and grabbing it in his teeth. Then he shoves two fingers inside of me and moves them in and out in a steady motion while using the pad of his thumb to rub circles on my clit.

  "I'm close, don't stop, oh please," I cry out in pleasure.

  "Never, baby," he whispers in my ear. My body heats and I feel the familiar ripple running through me before I explode on his expert fingers.

  "I love the way it feels when you come and your body contracts around my fingers. I can't wait to feel that squeeze when I'm inside you." He leans up and tears my pants and panties off of me before unzipping and removing his jeans and boxers. His cock springs up and reaches past his belly button. Oh, this man naked is a vision. A perfect vision of male anatomy, and I get to feel him inside of me.

  "Shit," he curses. "I don't have a condom. I wasn't expecting this at all, Lake. I pro—."

  "It's okay, I trust you and I'm on the pill," I say, so thankful in this moment for oral birth control.

  "Are you sure?" he asks.

  "Yes, please, Cal. I want to feel you, skin to skin," I whisper.

  He positions himself between my legs, then grabs my ass with both hands again and pulls my hips up to his cock before plunging into me. We both moan and whimper, enjoying the feel of each other.

  "I wanna kiss you when you come apart for me," he mutters while he grabs my back and pulls me up so I am sitting astride him. We are all tongues and lips, tasting each other as we move our bodies together in the sweetest rhythm. In no time at all, he takes me to the edge again.

  I cry out, "I'm close."

  "I'm with you, baby." He increases the speed of his thrusting and it sends us both into our own gratifying orgasms. We come apart in each other's arms and, with our mouths still fused together, we breathe our ecstasy into each other.

  He keeps us together with me on top of him, and pulls us to the ground, grabbing the blanket to cover us up. We lay together with him still inside of me, neither one of us wanting to break that connection. I have my head resting against his chest, listening to his heart thrum as the rhythm begins to return to a steady beat.

  He breaks the silence first, bringing his mouth to my ear and whispering, "Tell me what you're afraid of, Lake."

  Chapter 8

 
I remain lying on his chest, unable to bring myself to speak the words. I'm afraid of what his reaction will be. I don't know if he'll be able to accept the damaged person that I am. There's only one other person I told when it happened, and even that was difficult for me. My heart is pounding as tears begin to roll down my cheeks and drop onto his chest. I know I need to tell him. He deserves to know what he's getting into with me.

  He positions me so I'm cradled in his lap. He fixes the blanket so I'm completely covered. "You don't have to be scared. I would never hurt you. You're very special to me, Lake. I knew it the first second I looked into your eyes." He softly smoothes my hair back and off of my face before lightly kissing my forehead.

  He's holding me so tightly and I feel safe. Everything inside of me is telling me to trust this man, but the fear is there too, reminding me that a man I trusted abused me. I start to shiver uncontrollably.

  "Oh, baby, you're freezing. Let's get you dressed and then we can go get some coffee." Cal gently brings us to our feet, letting go of me only to gather my clothes. I'm frozen in my spot still shivering from the cold, but mostly from the fear inside of me. I let him dress me while I'm stuck in my own mind, trying not to picture the nightmare that lives inside of me.

  When I'm dressed, I stand in place watching him dress quickly in front of me. I want to trust this man so badly. What if he doesn't understand? What if he thinks it was my fault? That I allowed it to happen? I don't want to lose him. Now my fear is not only that Cal would ever betray my trust, but also that he may not understand what happened and end things with me now, before they've even begun. My mind is a jumble of questions and worry.

  Cal wraps his arm around my waist and we walk back to his car. He places me in the passenger seat and buckles my seatbelt for me. I continue to stare straight ahead, lost in my head. He gets in his seat and hesitates before starting the car. He turns his head towards me and places a reassuring hand on my knee. "What can I do?" I glance at him and those golden eyes are pleading with me.