by Skye Turner
And he kissed me back…
SHIT!
Looking up from the table top, I see Julee looking at me anxiously. I smile at her to put her at ease. I believe she didn’t know he’d be here. “Relax. I’m ok.”
She wrinkles her nose at me. “I know you are. You’re tough, but I’m sorry you were subjected to that filth.”
I laugh and look at James. “Yeah well, I was dumb enough to marry that filth.”
She shudders. “I know.” Then she smiles. “But, now you’re not. I’d say that’s winning and he’s someone else’s fucking problem.”
Yeah, he is. Poor idiot.
With all that’s just occurred, I need to get out of here for a bit. Standing up, I look at both Julee and James as they stare at me expectantly. “I’m going to go out back to grab some air. It’s crowded in here.”
Turning back as I reach the floor, I hold my hand out to James. “You coming?”
The concern on his face melts my heart. He nods and stands up before taking it.
I’m not going out front. That’s just asking for drama with James tagging along. Threading through the crowd, I pull him behind me back toward the bathrooms. We pass them and head into the very back, past the office, where there’s a door. Looking behind me to make sure no one is following us, I push it, and pull him into the small courtyard behind the building.
I know the owner and he lets us use the courtyard occasionally. Most patrons of the bar don’t even know it exists and they don’t advertise it. It’s great for taking a break or when you just need a breather. James walks behind me and looks around once we’re outside.
It’s a cold night, but since the entire courtyard is fenced in, it’s not as cold as it could be. There’s a propane heater in the corner and I walk over to it and flip it on. I didn’t think this through. I’m wearing a damn sleeveless top. Oh well, it’ll warm up in a minute.
James doesn’t say anything, he just watches me as I walk back to him and sit on a bench. He follows suit and finally breaks the silence. “So, are you ok?”
Turning my head, I notice how the light blue of his eyes seems to light up with the glow from the string lights out here. I nod. “I am.” I’m rubbing my shoulders and arms because it’s colder than I realized. He notices.
Shrugging out of his jacket, he hands it to me. “Here. Put this on so you don’t catch pneumonia.” His eyes rake my body and I can physically feel it as if he’s touching me. “Not the smartest choice in cold weather attire.” He smirks. “But incredibly sexy.”
I feel my face flame as I take the jacket from him and slip my arms into the sleeves. The jacket envelopes me, but it’s warm from his body heat. “Thank you.”
He nods and looks around the courtyard again. Watching the glow in the heater, he says, “So, you were married?”
Still watching his face, I answer him. “I was.”
He turns and once again looks at me. I can’t look away from his gaze. “I can’t see you married to that guy.”
I laugh humorlessly. “Yeah well, I was. It wasn’t fun.”
“How long were you married?”
I hate to talk about this. Failure is something I am not comfortable with. I hate it. I hate that I made a rash decision and I hate that I missed all the signs. I detest telling people about my weak moments. But something tells me I can trust James and he won’t judge me. Now why do I feel like that?!
“Not long. Only sixteen months.”
He whistles. “Want to tell me about it?”
Do I? Strangely, I think I do.
Nodding, I smile shyly at him. “Ok, I’ll tell you. But you should know… I don’t talk about this. Like ever.”
He nods but stays silent.
“Alright. One night about a hundred years ago, Julee called and wanted me and my best friend to go to this new bar with her. It had only been open a few days and everyone was raving about the drinks.
“I was in yet another crap relationship and just feeling blah, so I did. When we got there, we sat at the bar and started talking about just everyday stuff. Mathais was the bartender. He served us and then started talking to us. He was flirty and cute. We all chatted with him a good bit. After a couple of hours, my phone rang and I went outside to talk to the guy I’d been seeing. I decided to leave the bar and go see him. Things did not go well that night and the relationship finally ended.”
I take a break and sit on my hands as I try to organize my thoughts. “The very next day, Mathais called me. I was shocked, because I hadn’t given him my number. He confessed he’d chatted up Julee and my best friend about me while I was on the phone and eventually asked them for my info because he was interested in getting to know me. Julee never liked the guy I was involved with at the time… She was right about him.
“Anyway, long story short… we talked for a few hours while he worked the bar. It was slow, so we talked a lot. He asked when I would come in and see him again. I decided what the hell. He was hot and charming. I made plans to go see him at the bar a few days later. I did and we talked for hours. He was interesting and paid me a lot of attention. He was working, but spent the majority of his time with me. He asked me out on a date and I said yes. We took things slow and dated for a few weeks before I ever went home with him. Then… a few months later, he asked me to marry him. I was completely enamored with him. I said yes. Everyone was shocked. It was so unlike me, but I was just sick of the losers I usually dated and he seemed so different.
“Things weren’t perfect, but I kind of pushed it away. I was getting married to this sexy, interesting man. Of course… before we got married, his roommate was busted with drugs and because of it he got evicted and moved in with me. But according to him, it was just bad luck. He wasn’t actually doing the drugs… that night, he’d been with me the night of the bust.
“We got married eight months after meeting. I added him to my credit cards and bought him a truck. Immediately after that, he started working late a lot and avoiding my calls. Yet, he kept spending my money. The only communication we had was sex.
“I did so many stupid things, but I loved him… Or, I thought I did. I convinced myself I did.”
James is fixated on my face.
“One night, he didn’t come home at all. I was so pissed and knew my marriage was a sham. I almost hated him for what he was doing to me, but I hated myself too, because I was allowing him to treat me that way. I would talk to my best friend about how I knew he was cheating. She would listen and say all the things best friends are supposed to say. He was a jerk, an asshole, how could he do that to me…
“I followed him one night. I saw him leave the bar with a woman I recognized. She’d called me at the beginning of our relationship claiming he dropped her for me. He told me it was a lie and I idiotically believed him. It wasn’t a lie and he never dropped her.
“They went to her house and he stayed for hours. I called his phone and of course, he never answered. I went home and threw a few of his things in a box. I changed the locks. When he eventually came home, his shit was on the doorstep and he couldn’t get in.
“He beat on the door and blew my phone up, but I never opened it. The next day I filed for divorce. A few weeks later, I found out that his girlfriend was pregnant. As I told my best friend, she lost her shit. In her rage and tears, she confessed that she’d been sleeping with him for over a year and actually slept with him before our wedding in Vegas, where she was the maid of honor.
“Once word got out, a ton of people, Julee included, let me know they’d heard rumors for a while about his infidelities and that they had witnessed behavior between Mathais and my best friend that was off and seemed inappropriate. I was told they believed he’d been using me from the get go and that no one trusted him as soon as they met him.”
I look directly at James. All the rage, pain, and humiliation must be clearly written on my face because his face reflects compassion. “I didn’t know. Or I refused to accept it. Either way, I was so focused on not f
ailing… I ignored all the signs. And none of my friends told me. Not one.
“He married the pregnant girlfriend as soon as our divorce was final. They’re divorced now. And he’s on wife number three or four… I don’t know. I don’t care. Yet, people continue to inform me about his bullshit. I realize now that I never loved him. I was infatuated. I convinced myself I was in love, but I wasn’t…
“I made a fool out of myself over him and it’s no one’s fault but mine. That is not a good feeling.”
Well, there you go. You just told him everything about your stupidity. He’s just sitting there. Why is he just sitting there?
Dammit, I need him to say something.
Chapter Twelve
James
Damn, no wonder she has walls up. That is a fucked up ass story.
Now, I really want to head back into the bar and rearrange that asshole’s face.
For him to do that to her… For her best friend to betray her like that…
I don’t know what to say. I’m glad she told me, but man… I can’t believe she told me.
Why is the urge to take her in my arms and smooth her brow while taking her mind off it by making her think of me so strong I’m having trouble controlling it?!
She’s looking at me and the despair on her face is pulling at me. Taking her hands, I rub my fingers across her knuckles. Her hands are like ice.
“I’m sorry that happened to you.”
And I am. I can’t imagine ever treating anyone that way. I might be an asshole, but I’m not cruel. I could never beat anyone down that way… not after my own past.
She pulls her hands back and stands up. “We should get back inside.”
Why do I feel like she just put another wall up?!
“What’s wrong?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing.”
Bullshit. If a woman looks like that and says nothing is wrong, something is very wrong. Did I insult her? I didn’t say anything though.
I stand up, too and take ahold of her arms. She won’t look at me. “AJ.” She swallows. “Avangeline…” Her head comes up at my use of her full name. It’s a beautiful name. She’s worrying her lower lip. The urge to kiss it overcomes me. I shake my head. “You have a beautiful name. Why do you shorten it to AJ?”
She’s looking at me from under her thick lashes and her glistening lips are calling to me.
She shrugs and it causes my hands to rub down her arms. “I just do. No one calls me Avangeline. They never have.”
“Well, they should. It’s beautiful.” Her head lifts. “And so are you…”
No thinking. No pause. I just kiss her.
Her lips are cold from the air as I brush mine softly back and forth over them. Her lips warm, her body relaxes, and she melts into my body. My hands trail down the leather of my jacket before they slip inside to caress her naked back. She shivers and opens her mouth, granting me access. Our tongues are melding together and her breathy moans are ricocheting in my mouth.
It causes an answering groan in me. Her hands flatten on my chest and she traces the muscle through the fabric of my shirt. My nipples harden under her fluttering touch. Ending the kiss, I trail my lips over her chin and neck, creating a moist trail in my wake.
Her head lolls back and it thrusts her chest against mine. My hands leave her back and trail delicately up her sides before cupping her through her shirt. I can feel the beads of her nipples as my thumbs rub them through the lace. She gasps and presses her pelvis against me. My tongue is laving the hollow between her neck and shoulder, making her mewl in pleasure.
Pressing against my chest, she pushes me back and stops my ministrations. I look down at her and see her chest heaving beneath my hands and feel her ragged breath against my chin. Her eyes are golden pools of desire.
“What are we doing, James? We can’t do this. I work for you.”
She’s saying one thing, but I can feel her pressing herself more firmly into my hands and I can smell her desire in the frigid air. I pinch her nipple. Her eyes close and she moans.
Leaning down, I lick the shell of her ear before breathing into it with a whispered, “Do you want me to stop, Avangeline?”
She grabs my head and holds my face in front of hers, as my fingers continue to roll her peaked nipples. “Yes. No. I don’t know. I can’t think.”
Slipping my hands inside of her low neckline, I pull the cups of her bra down. Her full breasts fill my hands. She pants. I breathe against her mouth. “So, stop thinking.”
I’m not pushing her. She can either accept it or not, but what happens from here on out is up to her.
Dear God, just stop thinking and feel, Avangeline.
With a whooshing breath, she pulls my head the few centimeters she needs to meet my mouth. Her mouth is fevered. Her hands are roaming my body. She slips her now warm hands under my shirt. As her small hands trail over my abs, my whole body jerks. She smiles into my mouth and sucks on my tongue as she cups my straining cock through my jeans.
It’s my turn to moan and the pressure from my hands on her breasts increases. I want to rip clean through her shirt and feast on her breasts, but the tiny part of me that’s still sane says no. Turning her, I back her against the building between the siding and a tree. Her hands are now in my hair and she’s tugging against my scalp as we ravage each other’s mouths. Breaking the kiss again, my hands pull her shirt completely down. My gaze is riveted on the abundant swell of her breasts. They are pale and full. Her nipples are a light pink and standing at solid points.
Swooping down, I feast on them. Sucking, licking, pulling on them with my teeth. She’s scrumptious. My head is held captive by her hands twining in my hair. She’s so aroused she’s wailing and I’m concerned someone is going to walk out and catch us. But I can’t stop.
She utters a protest as I remove my mouth from her breasts that ends on a moan as I kiss her again. Reaching down, I unsnap her jeans and pause for a bit to allow her time to stop me.
Please don’t stop me. I have to touch. I have to make you scream for me.
In response, she swivels her hips. That’s all the invitation I need. Yanking her jeans, I pull them down just enough to reach her center. She’s dripping for me. As my finger slips into her wetness, she opens her legs for me, granting me better access. Continually kissing her, I ram my finger into her all the while circling her button with my thumb. Each time I complete a circle, she thrusts against me and gasps into my mouth. I can feel her legs start to tremble, so I add a finger and pump into her harder and harder. Her hands grab my shoulders and her body stiffens as she screams into my mouth. I can feel her clenching around my hand as I take her over the edge.
She slumps against the wall and I remove my hand. My fingers are saturated to my knuckles. She opens her eyes and peeks at me. Bringing my hand to my mouth, I lick my fingers clean as she watches.
I take in the picture she presents. Her hair is all mussed up from my hands. Her lips are glistening and swollen. Her shirt is hanging in the front with her delicious breasts thrust up with the nipples begging to be captured again from her bra pushed underneath them. Her pants are at mid-thigh and the apex of her thighs is completely exposed and wet from my attention. She’s gorgeous.
Remembering where we are and wanting to protect her from someone accidently seeing her, I wipe my hands on my shirt and reach over to pull up her pants. She takes over from me and turns away as she buttons them and fixes her shirt. I can hear her shuffling the clothes as she arranges them. When she stops, she doesn’t turn around.
Make her understand, James. I’m sure the thoughts running through her head are not correct.
Reaching out, I cup her shoulder. She reluctantly turns. “Avangeline. Whatever you’re imagining… stop.”
She peeks at me. I smile. “Seriously. Stop.”
Her brow arches and she looks dead at me. “What was that?”
Putting my hands in my back pockets, I regard her. She looks back. “That was good.”
She blushes and it makes her look even more appealing. She smirks. “It was good… For me.” Her gaze trails over my body and stops at my crotch. My very engorged crotch. She licks her lips. “Now what?”
Is she serious? Is this a trick question?
“Now what?” Now we find a bed and I fuck you senseless. That’s what.
You cannot say that to her, J!
Reaching down, I fix my jeans and decide to just roll with it. Hell, at this point, either I’m having amazing sex or I’m going home with blue balls. Screw it. “Now, either we finish what we started here… or I go home and take care of…” I point down, “this… alone.”
*
Avangeline
I just let James Black fondle, caress, and touch me… in the courtyard of Roonie’s. What the hell were you thinking, Avangeline?
Fuck, I was thinking he’s fine as hell and kisses like a dream. I was thinking I want him. I was thinking it’s time for my “dry spell” to go the fuck away.
Anyone could have walked out… That made it that much more exciting.
Damn, I want him. He’s just offered himself on a silver platter. Am I going to take him up on it?!
Either way, things can’t go back to the way they were. I can’t be just his driver. I know what he feels like under that shirt… I know how he tastes… I want to know more.
Decision made.
Walking up to him, I cup him through his jeans again. His body jerks at the contact. “Let’s go.”
He smiles and I can see the triumph and want in his eyes. Leaning down, he plants a hard kiss on my mouth and squeezes my ass before slapping it… hard.
We turn toward the door and he pulls back on my hand, preventing me from going inside. “Do you have your SUV? I took a taxi here.”
Shit, I forgot all about that. I’ll have to call a cab to come grab us.
Whipping out my cell phone, I call for a cab and tell them where we are. The dispatcher says she can have one here in twenty minutes.
“Twenty minutes.” I say as I hang up. “Let’s go in so we can tell them we’re leaving.”