“Pfft,” Shelley snorted. “Right. Come on Jaq. I’m pretty sure guardian angels don’t drive broken down Chevy 4x4’s. I think they’re supposed to have wings and halos and shit.”
I stuck my lower lip out into an exaggerated pout and said, “Hey, it’s my fantasy, and my fantasy says my guardian angel can drive any damn thing he pleases, okay?”
Shelley held up her hands in surrender, “Okay, okay. But you’ve told me about some of your fantasies and I don’t remember any of them involving halos or wings,” she chuckled as she turned to leave, “Feathers maybe.”
Since Seth hadn’t really specified a time for me to come over, other than “later”, I tried to take my time so it didn’t come across as me being overly eager when I showed up. Just because I was dying to see him again didn’t mean I wanted him to think I was desperate.
Seth sat on the radiator support leaning under the hood of his truck when I got to the shop. In spite of the cool temperature inside the garage, the back of his t-shirt was darkened with sweat in a trail which led down the middle of his back to the band of underwear just peeking out the top of his jeans. Tighty whities today, I noted to myself with a grin.
When he saw me walk up, he rubbed his face on the shoulder of his shirt, and a sexy smile carved deep dimples into his cheeks, “There you are,” he said.
I returned his smile, “Here I am.”
He hopped down from the pickup and used an already filthy grease rag to wipe his hands on, all the while making me fidget with the heat from his gaze. His eyes twinkled in amusement about something I wasn’t yet made privy to as though he were undressing me in his mind. “You hungry?” he asked.
I chewed on my bottom lip and nodded, “A little,” I replied. I hoped the chaos taking place in the depths of my stomach wouldn’t give him a clue as to what I hungered for.
He dipped his head and peered out at me from under his baseball cap. That trademark move of his which guaranteed to turn my legs into putty every time, “What’re you hungry for?”
Momentarily, my eyes widened before flickering away from his face. Talk about loaded questions. My inner nympho whispered, Seth. With no dressing. But the more reserved side of my personality decided not to go there. Not just yet. “Pizza?” I managed to squeak out.
“Pizza sounds good,” he nodded. Inner nympho said, Damn straight it does. A piece of that fine ass sounds mighty tasty. He tossed the grease rag onto the bench and sighed, “Let’s get out of here. I’ve had enough turning wrenches for one day.”
Chapter 15
After class, I decided to swing by the shop to surprise Seth with food. He’d assured me last night that the truck was nearly road-worthy and I knew he was just itching to feel mud beneath the tires again. I walked inside the dimly lit shop and crossed over to where a pair of boots poked out from beneath the Chevy.
He must’ve heard me come in and slid out to beam up at me. I laughed at the streak of grease covering one of his dimpled cheeks. He narrowed his eyes at me and sat up on the creeper, “What’s so funny?”
I snatched a half-clean rag from the bench and started to wipe off his cheek, “You look kind of hot all covered with oil and grime,” I snickered.
“That right?” he asked. Before I could answer, he jumped to his feet lightning fast and backed me against the work bench. He smirked, his eyes darting between his filthy mechanic’s hands hovering over the front of my Aces and Eights t-shirt and the look of horror on my face.
“You wouldn’t dare!” I squealed, trying to twist away from him.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’d hate to ruin such a kick-ass shirt,” he said. He leaned in and softly kissed my lips When he pulled away I spotted the devilish glimmer in his blue eyes, I knew he wasn’t going to let me off that easy. He grinned and gently swiped his hands across my cheeks. “Now we’re twins,” he declared triumphantly.
My eyes widened and I shook my head, “Thanks. For not ruining my favorite t-shirt.”
He laughed, “Aces and Eights just saved your ass from having to explain two greasy palm prints strategically located on the front of your chest. Which is a very nice chest, by the way.”
I swatted at him playfully, “You hungry?” I asked. He glanced sideways at me and quirked an eyebrow. I shook my head and said, “For food. I brought food. You goof.”
“Like you can’t even imagine,” his blue eyes darkened for a split second before I shoved the sandwich and fries under his nose. “Yeah, um, food is good,” he whispered.
We both washed up and he turned over a plastic five-gallon bucket for me to sit on and he hopped up beside me onto the workbench. “So, is it running yet?” I asked, nodding toward the truck.
“I was just about to try it when you got here,” he said. He blew out a deep breath and I glanced up at him. He smiled but there was a barely perceptible sadness in his eyes. “I should just get rid of the damn thing and get something more reliable, but I made a promise, you know?”
I nodded, “I get that,” I said, thinking about my own car. There were hundreds of times I would have much rather had something newer to drive, but the Charger had been my dad’s car and the thought of anyone else driving it made my stomach turn. I didn’t know what Seth’s attachment was, but I sensed there was a story behind it. “Have you had the truck awhile?”
He didn’t answer right away and I almost thought he hadn’t heard me. When I got up to throw away our fast food wrappers, he started to talk about it. “It belonged to my best friend Ed,” he said quietly. I sat back down and tucked my arm around his leg. I rested my cheek against his knee and searched his face, urging him to continue.
Seth drew in a ragged breath and raked his fingers gently through my hair while he talked, “Ed, everyone else called him Edsel because he was built like a goddamn tank. Anyway, Ed decided to join the army and one night right before he shipped out, we were propped up, drunk, in the back of that truck,” Seth nodded towards the pickup and gave a little laugh. “We were drunker than ten-hundred Indians when Ed turns to me all serious-like and says, ‘if anything happens to me and I don’t come home, take good care of my truck, okay?’ Well fuck, what could I say to that?”
I squeezed his leg, “Oh wow. I’m so sorry.”
He glanced down at me and shook his head, “Yeah. Ed never made it out of Afghanistan alive and now I sort of feel obligated to keep my word, ya know? I never in a million years figured I’d actually have to do it,” he snorted. “I mean, Christ, it’s about the ugliest, most unreliable damn thing I’ve ever owned.”
“So, the Camaro you drive? Is that yours then?” I asked, trying to ease the topic into something lighter.
“Yeah, that’s my baby,” he grinned, all proud-like.
“For the record?” I said, meeting his eyes. “Your Camaro reeks like ass.”
He threw back his head and laughter rumbled from his belly, the corners of his eyes crinkled with a big smile, “That right? Well come on then.” He hopped off the bench and grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet. “Let’s get this piece of shit running so you don’t have to ride around in something that smells like ass. I don’t want my girl to be uncomfortable.”
My girl? Holy shit sticks, had he just called me his girl?
Chapter 16
After Seth confided in me about the promise he’d made to his friend Ed, a big chunk of my frozen heart melted into a puddle, endearing me to him more and more. Each minute spent with Seth caused the wall around my heart to begin crumbling slowly into oblivion.
Though we spent a lot of time together, quality one-on-one alone time was a rare commodity. If we were at Seth’s house, his nerdy roommate Tanner lurked constantly and always managed to barge in at the most inopportune moment. Unfortunately, most of the time spent at my apartment also included the company of Shelley, or Shelley and Tim.
I was pretty stoked when Shelley informed me that some relative of Tim’s was getting married in Columbia and they would be traveling out of town for the weekend. I spent part of the day clea
ning and the rest I spent in the kitchen making my world-famous Twenty-Pound Lasagna. Shelley had dubbed it Twenty-Pound Lasagna because a full pan weighed around twenty pounds.
Seth had to work all day, but promised as soon as he got off he would shower and come right over. I hoped he was as excited about not having to share me with anyone else as I was about being alone with him.
I was surprisingly relaxed and strangely calm even though I was pretty sure I was going to sleep with the sexiest guy alive for the first time. I guess that was my rational side, the keep it together side of me. Because the other side? The borderline nymphomaniac side? Yeah she was going crazy with anticipation doing handsprings and somersaults inside my stomach.
I reached into the cupboard above the sink and pushed the bottles around until I spotted the one I was looking for, “Ah there you are. My good old friend José,” I sighed. “Long time no see.” I decided that just one shot would help take the edge off without making me want to take my clothes off. I did my one shot and tucked the bottle back up where it belonged as the warmth spread through my veins like a long lost amigo.
Just like clockwork, Seth showed up right on time. He’s never late; he’s never early and for someone who never even wore a watch that was pretty impressive. He walked in with a six pack of Miller Lite in his hands. He’d asked earlier if he needed to bring anything and I told him to bring whatever he wanted to drink, knowing full well it would be Miller Lite since no one in our house drinks his particular brand.
The lasagna was ready to come out of the oven and I tore my blatantly lustful gaze away from the piercing blue eyes staring back at me. His mouth slid into a lazy grin. He didn’t even try to hide the look of desire on his face. There wasn’t any baseball cap on his head to hide behind for a change, and I imagined his eyes to be like two portals through which I could swim into the depths of his soul. I absently ran my hand across the back of my neck, trying to erase the tingle that had begun to vibrate just beneath the skin.
After we ate, Seth helped clean up the kitchen. While I loaded the dishwasher he crept up behind me. He stood so close I felt the heat radiating off his body as he lifted my ponytail and brushed his lips against the little indentation at the base of my hairline. Sending shivers down my spine I momentarily stiffened from the tickling sensation as his mouth trailed kisses along my neck.
I turned to face him and wrapped my arms around his neck. Our eyes locked and my inner slut began to fantasize about him having his way with me on the kitchen table as we pressed the length of our bodies against one another.
He slowly nibbled along my jaw line with gentle, playful nips before easing away from me. His darkened eyes devoured every inch of me and I felt heat color my cheeks. He cradled my face in his hands tenderly before pressing his mouth to mine. Our kisses were tentative at first but it didn’t take long before they turned urgent. I let go of the weeks of pent-up frustration and handed myself over to him.
His hands dropped to my waist and when he lifted me off my feet, my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist and our tongues met in a decadent, primal dance of passion before he tore his mouth away from mine. Breathless, his eyes burned into me with an unspoken question. I bit my bottom lip softly and nodded my head in response.
I clung to him tightly, trailing kisses along his jaw as he carried me down the hallway and into my room. Part of my body was screaming to rip his clothes off in haste, while the other part of me, the less needy part, wanted to slow things down. Savor the moment. He set me on my feet and I moved away from him momentarily so I could turn on some music.
The heavy throbbing of bass coming from the speakers drummed in time to the erratic beats of my heart. I reached out and tugged on the hem of his t-shirt before slowly guiding it up and over his head. His scent, something warm and woodsy, collided with my senses like butterfly kisses against my skin. Seth’s eyes met mine as my shaking hands carefully worked to undo each of the too-many buttons on the shirt I my body ached to be free of. His eyes were ablaze with a need I found both intimidating and intoxicating.
Finally free of my shirt, I flung it to the floor and watched as Seth’s expression went dark in an unspoken dare, pleading silently for me to do something reckless. I pressed my palm against his tightly muscled chest and was surprised to find his heart beating just as wild as mine. As though hypnotized, I inched closer; captivated by the way his pupils had swelled with need. Boldly, I trailed my finger down the center of his chest to the top of his pants where I grasped his belt, yanking him against me.
My eyes flickered to his mouth, barely inches from mine; I tipped my head back and licked my lips. I closed my eyes, swallowed, took a deep breath of his heady aroma and my inner sex goddess ordered him to: “Lose the jeans.”
His mouth tilted into a half-smile as his pants fell into a heap around his ankles. I stood unable to breathe as he turned his back on me and hooked his thumbs into his briefs. Dear mother of god, he was such a damn tease. He stepped free of his clothes and smirked over his shoulder at me.
My lips parted and I ran my tongue over them before moving to him. I brought my arms around his waist and pressed my naked breasts against the hard muscles of his bare back. I pulled away slightly to trail kisses down his spine, smiling at the goose bumps popping out along his strong arms. He moaned softly and turned to face me.
With his hands on my shoulders, he walked me backwards until my knees bumped on the edge of my bed and I dropped to my butt. His piercing gaze was enough to make me wet with desire. “Tell me you want me Jaq,” he cajoled.
He had no idea how bad I wanted him. I wanted him inside of me with every last fiber of my being. My entire body ached with need. My eyes locked with his and I whispered, “I want you Seth. You have no freaking idea just how much I want you inside of me right now.”
His eyes flashed black and he gently pushed my shoulders down onto the bed, “That doesn’t sound very convincing,” he teased. “Maybe you need to beg for it.” My eyes grew wide and I bit my bottom lip as he dropped to his knees between my legs. I gasped as he hooked his arms under my legs and trailed his tongue up my inner thighs before darting it in and out of me.
My fingers fisted through his hair and I pulled him tightly against me, trying to refrain from smothering him with my greed.
He groaned, “Let go for me Jaq, I want to taste every drop of you.” I was right on the edge and when he brushed his teeth across my clit I arched my back off the bed and my body contracted rhythmically, aching for him to be inside of me.
He grinned at me and swung my legs onto the bed while he turned and grabbed a condom from the pocket of his jeans. I thought I’d go crazy with desire waiting for him to tear open the package and put the damn thing on.
He propped himself up with one hand and placed the tip of his penis against me. I closed my eyes, “Open your eyes Jaq. I want you to watch me make love to you,” he said. I did as he asked and sucked in a breath as he slowly pushed inside of me. I thought I might die from too much of a good thing. I arched against him, skimming my nails down his back. We rocked together until in perfect rhythm until I came again. Soon, his breathing went shallow and he gripped my ass pulling me to him. He let out a strangled groan and his body went rigid against me.
“Oh fuck yeah,” he said after we caught our breath. He smiled down at me and brushed his lips across mine. “Damn baby, I think I’ll keep ya.”
I laughed, “Damn baby, I think I might let you,” I teased.
Chapter 17
I awoke with a smile on my face and stared at the beautiful guy in the bed next to me. I traced my finger along the jaw of his still sleeping face. Damn girl. Last night was just about the most mind blowing sex you have ever had. I thought to myself. I jumped and let out a little squeal when his hand snaked out from beneath the covers to grab hold of my wrist. He didn’t open his eyes, but a mischievous grin tugged up the edges of his mouth.
I giggled and struggled to be free from his grasp when he suddenly r
olled over on top of me, pinning me to the bed. “Good morning,” he whispered against my mouth. “You’re amazing, Jaq. You know that, right?”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I teased, wondering if wake-up sex would be as hot and satisfying as pre-falling-asleep sex had been and since I could feel him hard against me already, I knew it was only a matter of moments before I found out.
Some time later, he swung his legs off the side of the bed and stood up, giving me a bird’s eye view of his very fine ass. He glanced over his shoulder back at me and raised an eyebrow,
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll never be able to get dressed and leave.”
“And the down side of that would be?” I asked. I slid up so my back was against the headboard and unashamedly savored every inch of his bare skin as he tugged on the jeans I’d so wantonly stripped him of the night before.
He snorted, “As much as I’d love to stay here in bed with you all day, I do have shit I need to get done today.”
My bottom lip stuck out in a mock-pout, and I heaved a heavy sigh, “Oh okay.”
He smiled and reached out to brush his thumb across my mouth, “I swear to God Jaq,” he shook his head. “Stop with the puppy dog eyes.”
As he made his way down the hall to the bathroom, I forced my aching body to crawl out of bed and throw on some clothes so I could kiss him good-bye at the door.
I was in the kitchen leaning against the counter, when he walked in. He greeted me with a heart-melting smile and a quick kiss, “I’ve got a surprise for you. Don’t make plans for next Saturday night,” he informed me.
My eyebrows drew down into a puzzled frown, “Why? What’s next Saturday night?”
“Can’t tell ya. It’s a surprise,” he kissed me on the cheek and walked toward the door to leave. “Gotta go. Catch ya later.”
Once he was gone, I decided to take a hot shower. My muscles ached in a non-painful, satisfying sort of way. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten such a fabulous workout. I wasn’t sure I ever had. Ata girl, my inner lustful side congratulated me with an imaginary pat on the back.
Different Roads Page 6