by Aubrey Rose
“Sounds like an adventure.”
“It was.” Julian sighed. “It was.” He reached down and turned the key in the ignition. The Datsun’s motor roared to life, then backed down to a murmur. He pushed down on the clutch and shifted into neutral, revving the car to hear the engine purr.
“So did you ever finish it?”
Julian paused. There was a lump in his throat. Even now, even after so long.
“No,” he said. “My dad died before we were done.”
“I’m sorry,” Shannon said softly. She put her hand over his.
“His fault,” Julian said. His voice turned bitter. “Had too many drinks and headed home from the bar late one night. Crashed his truck into a ditch. My mom opened the door, took one look at the sheriff’s car outside and knew what had happened.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“We had to sell the car after that, sell it for parts.” Julian said. He looked down. His hand was clutching at the gearshift so tightly that his fingers were white. “Only got half as much for it, after all that work.”
He looked up at Shannon and found that there were tears in her eyes.
“I’ll never do that,” he said. He turned his hand over underneath hers, entwining their fingers together. “I promise.”
Shannon just nodded. Julian let out a deep breath. He was surprised to find that there were tears rising in his eyes, too. He stared out the windshield and blinked hard.
“Hell,” Julian said. His voice was shaky. “I didn’t mean to start this off so bad.”
“It’s not bad,” Shannon said. “I’m glad you told me.”
“You still want to go to dinner with me?” Julian said, trying to smile.
Shannon leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. Her hand squeezed his arm, and he felt something inside of him break loose, fall away. He felt as though the world looked a bit brighter, even with the sun setting.
“Of course,” she whispered.
“Good,” he said. He shifted into first gear and revved the engine. “I wouldn’t want to make you get all dressed up for nothing.”
They drove off into the evening. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, and the sky was still dusky with the faint promises of tomorrow’s light. Julian turned off of the main freeway onto a small county road.
“Where on earth are you taking me?” Shannon asked.
“It’s a surprise.”
Shannon peered out of the window. The first stars were beginning to be visible in the east, but rising up in front of them were the looming shadows of the mountains.
“I think you’re taking me out into the middle of the nowhere,” Shannon said.
“That’s right.” Julian grinned. He had planned everything out perfectly. At least, he thought he had. He looked at the dashboard clock. They still had over a half hour. Perfect.
“I think you’re secretly a serial killer,” she said. “And you just use your charms to lure your victims into a false sense of security.”
“You are absolutely correct, my dear,” Julian said. He dropped into a lower gear as they wove through the first mountain curve. The road grew steeper and the engine made the whole car shiver with tension.
“You’re going to bring me out to the forest where there’s nobody else around.”
“Yep.”
“And I think you’re going to take me up the side of the mountain push me off of a cliff.” Shannon’s eyes sparked with imagination. Julian wanted to lean over and kiss her, but he was focused on maneuvering around the hairpin turns.
“Not at all,” Julian said. “I’m going to chop you up and feed you to a mountain lion.”
“Oh,” Shannon said, crossing her arms. “In that case, carry on.”
“Thank you for being so obliging.”
“Of course. You know what this means, though?”
Julian darted a quick glance over towards the passenger seat. Shannon was leaning her face against the window, looking down at the mountainside below.
“What does this mean?”
“Well, if you kidnap me away to the mountain and kill me and serve my chopped-up corpse to mountain lions, you’ll REALLY owe me big time.”
Julian cracked a wide grin.
“I promised I’d make it up to you,” he said. “So don’t worry about a thing.”
“All I know is this had better be a hell of a dinner date. I was expecting, like, a sunset sail or something.”
“A sunset sail?”
“Yeah, like, on a sailboat. I’ve never been on a sailboat before.”
“I’m so sorry to disappoint you, but we’re not going sailing.”
“I figured that out once we started up the mountain,” Shannon said. “Unless you have a crazy mountain sailboat or something.”
Julian laughed. “No mountain sailboats, I’m afraid.”
“I am SO disappointed.” Shannon giggled.
Ten minutes later they were almost up the mountain, and Julian recognized the turnout. He pulled the car over to the edge of the mountain, the tires spinning gravel underneath the body of the sleek car. In first gear the Datsun rolled slowly over, and Julian positioned the car near the ledge overlooking the city. He pulled up the emergency brake and turned off the engine.
“I don’t suppose you have a picnic lunch in the trunk,” Shannon said.
“You are one saucy lady.” Julian leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “No, we’re early. I thought you might like to see the view.”
He jumped out of the car and slid over the hood, action-hero style. Tonight had made him feel young again, more adventurous. He opened Shannon’s door for her and gestured gallantly towards the view, holding out his other hand for her to take.
She let him escort her out of the car, and when she saw the view below she gasped.
“Oh Julian,” she said. He came over to stand behind her and slid his arms around the front of her waist, holding her close. Her gorgeous red hair smelled like a flowers. Jasmine, maybe.
The city lights stretched out before them, a valley of white and colored gems shining through the darkness.
“Do you like it?” he said.
“It’s just beautiful.”
He held her close to his chest, feeling her breathe under his embrace. She was so lovely. He had never met a girl like her - someone who could make him fall over with laughter one minute and then take his breath away the next.
It had been a while, he didn’t know how long, since he had been sober for any length of time. This past day had been excruciating. Every second seemed like a minute, every minute seemed like an hour. Especially when he had to sit in the back of the tour bus and trade stories with Asher. At times like that he just wanted to reach for the bottle.
But now that he was here with Shannon, he didn’t want to drink. Well, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to - the nagging demon sitting on his shoulder never shut up until he was buzzed. It was just that his desire for Shannon was so much more important that it made all of his other desires seem puny, insignificant. With her, he could forget the darkness that always seemed to be creeping up on him.
She shivered under his arms, and he squeezed her tightly.
“Cold?”
“Maybe just a little.” She turned in his arms and tilted her head back expectantly. “I’ll take some of that repayment now, if you don’t mind.”
Julian didn’t mind at all.
The coolness of the air evaporated as soon as his lips touched hers. He felt himself growing hard against her, and rather than shy away she leaned into his body, showing him her desire.
He kissed her hard, wanting her to feel his own longing, to see how much he needed her. It was a shock to him when he felt her hand between his legs, touching his hardness with her beautiful fingers. Lord, he wanted to suck on those fingers. He pulled back a bit and saw that she was smiling shyly.
“Naughty girl,” Julian said, his mouth curving into a grin. “I like it.”
“I’m n
ot nearly as naughty as you,” Shannon said. “Waiting a week to call and then showing up unannounced on my doorstep.”
She drew a line down his chest with her finger and stopped just above his belt, her fingertip teasing him with the lightest touch. God, he felt as though he would explode if she continued to touch him that way.
He pulled her over to the car, kissing her all the way. Her skin was so soft and smooth, like satin. He couldn’t wait to hold her underneath him. He brought his hands around her backside, cupping her ass cheeks. They filled his hands, taut and delicious, and he could not stop himself from giving them a firm squeeze.
“See? Naughty, naughty.” Her voice made Julian tense with desire. He pushed her back onto the hood of the car, placing one hand on either side of her.
“I told you I would repay you,” Julian said.
“Mmmm, warm,” Shannon murmured, letting herself relax against the heated metal. The car’s engine had warmed up the hood considerably, and Shannon’s body writhed against the surface. Her sinuous curves were too much for Julian to bear, and he almost came when she reached up with one hand and touched the front of his pants.
Grabbing her wrists and pinning them above her head, he leaned forward to kiss her.
“You’re as beautiful as a pinup model,” Julian said, his lips grazing her cheek. “And twice as sassy.”
“You love it,” Shannon said. Her legs came up around him and pulled him tight against her. He had to fight himself to keep from thrusting against her through the fabric. It was impossible. He hadn’t been this hard in years, not since he was a horny teenager. The surge in his libido frightened him at the same time as it excited him.
He reached down to touch her between her legs, keeping both of her hands pinned up against the metal hood. When his fingers reached her warmth, he gasped. She was dripping wet, her silken panties already soaked through.
“Lord,” he whispered, pulling a sharp breath into his lungs. The cool air cleared his head somewhat, but Shannon’s obvious desire had made him dizzy with anticipation.
“I want you,” she said. “I want you so badly.”
Julian moved down, one hand tearing off her panties while the other unbuckled his belt. He paused to look at her once she was naked under her dress.
“You’re incredible,” he said, his fingers outlining her warm pink slit. He hadn’t fucked a real woman in ages. All of the sex he had gotten in the last year had been half-hearted blowjobs from fans who only wanted to get closer to Alex. Shannon was different. She was the real thing. Her tangles of red hair shone brightly in the moonlight and her dress clung tight to her body, swelling in all the right places.
He shuffled off his own pants and underwear, his erection raging hard as he leaned into her. He paused at her entrance, his cock warm and slick from her juices. He wanted this moment to last an eternity - time slowed down as his anticipation grew, and he felt himself twitch, the flames in his groin fanned high by her intoxicating presence.
“Don’t stop,” Shannon whispered. “Take me.”
There was no other word he needed to hear. He plunged himself between her, his rock hard cock forcing itself into her tight slit. Tight - god, she was tight. All of her folds were soft and slick, and he rocked himself back, then forward again, working his swollen cock in farther.
“Oh god! Oh! Yes!”
Shannon closed her eyes, and he reluctantly slowed himself down. At the rate he was going, he would come within a few seconds, and after getting so worked up he did not want to spend himself so quickly. But Shannon was twisting under his grip, her body clenching itself around his shaft in a delicious agony of friction tempered by her slickness.
He pushed himself in slowly, inch by agonizing inch. He ran his free hand along Shannon’s arm, her side, all the way down to her hip where he pressed her hard into the hood of the car. Shannon quivered under his touch, letting out soft gasps of pleasure.
“There!” she cried out as he moved inward. “Oh god— yes— there!”
Her moan pierced their air as she bucked against him, her legs twined around him pulling him tight around her. Then she shivered, her head thrown back, and the orgasm that echoed through her body in waves made him harder than ever.
“Oh god, Julian…”
Julian shifted forward, rocking himself even deeper into her body and tensing his muscles to keep himself from exploding. Shannon’s eyes went wide as Julian pressed himself against her body. He let go of her wrists and brought both of his hands to her head, running his fingers through her hair passionately. Red - bright red. He felt as though his entire body had caught fire.
Her hands came up and caressed his shoulders. He dipped into her, letting his thrusts grow faster as she caught her breath from her climax.
“Julian—”
He stopped her words with a kiss, pulling every drop of sweetness from her full lips. He dipped again, his lips still against hers, and she moaned hard.
That sound. It sent him into a frenzy, and he could not stop the passion that took hold of him. Thrusting harder, faster, he felt his entire body turn wild with desire.
“Yes, yes—”
She was on the verge of coming again, and he would not let himself release until she had reached her second peak. He plunged into her again and again, the sweet tight flesh tensing around his throbbing shaft, sending thrill after thrill into the heart of his body.
“Ohhhhhh!”
The sound that escaped her lips was something between a moan and a cry, and as her body went wild under his, pulling him hard against her, he could not help but let himself take her with the force he had always held suppressed deep within him. His body crashed into hers violently as she writhed in orgasm, feeling the wave of release rise up higher within his own self.
At the last moment he withdrew, gripping himself with one hand as his seed spurted out through his fingers. He cried out, his forehead wet with sweat, as he jerked once, twice, and then was spent.
He breathed hard, fast, trying to get his heart under control as his vision swam before his eyes.
Shannon sat up slowly and turned to grasp the panties that had been thrown half-heartedly aside. She wiped him with the dry parts of her underwear. The silk against his cock made him half-hard even as he was recovering from his climax. He took the panties from her, smiling.
“A little wet to wear, don’t you think?”
“Guess I’ll just have to go without them for tonight.”
At the sight of her mischievous smile, Julian felt his cock stir again. Before he could say anything, though, she pulled herself up and off of the car hood, balancing precariously on her heels while she steadied herself and pulled the hem of her dress down over her thighs. Those gorgeous thighs.
“Now get your pants on,” she said, one hand on her hip. “We’ve got dinner reservations.”
CHAPTER FIVE
As they drove through the mountains, Shannon leaned her head just outside the window, letting the cool air stream past her face and blow through her hair. Her skin was still hot from their lovemaking, and her heart beat just a shade faster than normal. The car’s engine growled as Julian shifted into a lower gear, accelerating around the mountain’s curves, and the vibrations sent new shivers up Shannon’s legs.
“What are you thinking?” Julian asked.
Shannon smiled. Her mind roiled with images of Julian and her pressed together, making love in unlikely places.
“You don’t want to know what I’m thinking.”
“No?”
“No. I’m thinking naughty things.”
“Then I definitely want to know what you’re thinking.”
Shannon turned in her seat, her hand reaching out to stroke Julian’s shoulder.
“I’m thinking about us. About how crazy this all is.”
“I want you to know I’ve never done anything like this before.” Julian pointed ahead through the windshield, and Shannon saw a tiny log cabin tucked away into the folds of the mountain, a
thin line of smoke escaping from the chimney. The entrance was lit by a single rustic lantern.
“That’s where we’re going?”
“Yep.” Julian pulled off of the road and parked in a small parking lot. He helped Shannon out of the car. Her heels slipped on the gravel and he caught her arm, supporting her.
There was only one other car in the parking lot, a beat-up white van. The lantern flickered in the doorway of the small cabin, and the inside glowed invitingly through the window curtains.
“You’re sure you’re not going to chop me up, Mr. Serial Killer?”
“I promise I won’t.”
“What do you mean then, you’ve never done anything like this before?” Shannon let Julian lead her to the steps of the cabin. The wood boards creaked under her heels, and the wind whistled through the trees overhead. Julian paused on the doorstep, taking her by both hands.
“I’ve never fallen for anyone like I’ve fallen for you, Shannon. It scared me. And I acted like a jerk because I was scared.”
“Julian-”
“Please, Shannon. Just let me apologize.”
His eyes were rounded, watery, and Shannon let her protests fade away.
“I treated you worse than you ever deserve to be treated, and I want you to know that I’m never going to treat you badly again. I’ve been stupid to hold back, because I realize that you’re the most special person I’ve ever met. I’m sorry. Thank you for giving me another chance.”
He leaned forward and opened the door, and Shannon gasped. The room inside was filled with hundreds of candles from top to bottom, surrounding a table that looked like it had been plucked from a fancy French restaurant and placed in the cabin just for them. The large window on the side of the cabin opened up to the valley below, the city lights twinkling just as they had from the car lookout. Behind it all, a roaring fire heated the room, the flames licking at the wrought iron grate.
Julian kissed her hand. “I’m going to make this chance count.”
“Oh my god.” Shannon stepped inside of the cabin. “This… this is beautiful, Julian.”
“Now it is,” Julian said. His eyes were drinking her in, and for a moment Shannon could almost picture herself as he saw her, the shimmering dress lit by candlelight from all angles.