True Nature (True Series Book 1)

by Willow Madison

  "For one week, he was in between campus housing." I answer laughingly, also downing my drink.

  "Man, do you remember how bad that van smelled?!" Mike and I both laugh at his comment. "More drinks! To the bar!" He takes Stephie's glass and I take Lucy's, heading back towards the kitchen.

  Dan joins us and is immediately handed a gin and tonic. "My wife knows what I like!" He cheers and takes a sip. Becca always informs the staff to keep Dan's drinks coming. He usually takes the next day off if he has to work.

  With a smile, I order Knob Creek and another flute. Mike makes an impressed look. "The boys came out to party tonight!" He orders gin and tonic too. We raise our glasses in a circle and drink deeply.

  "So you brought a date this year?" Dan is leaning on the bar looking at me intently.

  "What the?!...Mike asked the same thing! I have brought a girl here before, ya know." I try to avoid more of his questions. I had enough of that already.

  They answer in unison, "No you haven't!" and laugh.

  I roll my eyes and raise my palms up, shrugging. "I've brought lots of girls around."

  Becca comes up to us, putting her hand on Dan's back and mine at the same time. "So you brought Lucy...is it serious?" Mike and Dan start laughing before I can even say anything. Becca just looks between all of us.

  "I think he's in looove." Mike makes a puckering noise. I smack his head.

  Becca answers seriously though, "It's about time!" I smile at her, she's the mother hen to Dan's big brother routine.

  Dan just keeps looking at me. I shake my head and Mike and I head back into the living room.

  We find a guy I don't know standing over Lucy and Stephie. He's right in front of Lucy, though. She has a half-full flute in her hand, again, too.

  She's laughing as I walk up to the guy. I don't say anything, just take in what's happening. The guy is obviously looking down her dress and standing too close, his own flute empty. She's leaning back, but laughing loudly, tits shaking too much, taking a sip of champagne. I have to calm my instant reaction, taking a breath before taking the step into her view.

  She sees me and a look of confusion crosses her face. She's reacting to the steely look I can feel, my jaw clenched, lips pressed into a tight line. "Hey..." She sees the glasses in my hand, Mike standing behind me and she freezes in mid-greeting. Stephie just looks at Mike with a hand out for her gin and tonic, a small smile on her face.

  I imagine for a second what I would like to do in this situation....if Lucy and I were further along in our relationship. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself, my fingers squeezing both flutes. Good thing Becca insists on good glasses or I might need stitches tonight. I allow a grin to cross my features.

  As Lucy falters, the guy turns in my direction. Mike immediately steps in between us. "Hey, we haven't met...I'm Dan's old college buddy, Mike. This is Max." He remains between us. The guy smiles slightly and takes in the two glasses in my hands. He figures out that Lucy is with me and he quickly takes a step back. He's probably also reacting to my hard look and tensed arms.

  "I work with Dan in publishing." He quickly puts out his hand for Mike to shake, then for me. I just shrug sarcastically with the two glasses still in my hands. Stephie jumps up to stand next to Mike, with a quick glance at me and eyes wider for a second, a smirk on her lips. I move passed him and look at Lucy.

  She has the most perfect look of guilt and shame...like I caught her in the act of misbehaving. I have to stop myself from smiling...I want to keep that look on her face as long as I can. She looks down at the glass in her hand already and then back up at me. She tries to smile, but only gets to a small one before stopping again.

  I hand her the glass of wine I'm holding and she takes it with a small, "Thanks," now holding two glasses, looking embarassed again.

  I lean over her slowly and put my hand on the other glass, with an edge to my voice and a wink, "I'll take this for you." I take it out of her hand violently quick, the liquid swishing, but not leaving the glass, the base of the flute hitting her fingers. She just looks up at me with the perfect cocktail of emotions...a heaping amount of shame with a splash of fear. I sit next to her and put my hand high on her thigh.

  I ignore the guy as he quickly walks away; Mike pulls Stephie away, too, she gives us one last look over her shoulder.

  I decide not to say something about her behaviour...we're not there yet...not the right time to reveal that much of myself...and certainly not around a bunch of other people. Lucy is rubbing her fingers against the coolness of the glass I gave her. I take her hand and kiss her palm, her fingers are a little red where the flute hit them, but she relaxes somewhat.

  "Is that bourbon in your hand, mister?!" She's leaning over me now, looking at the drink I'm holding.

  "Yes." I'd forgotten all about teasing her with it. "Knob Creek actually...I believe you're familiar with it." I'm grinning at her now.

  She hits my chest and leans over me. I notice her glass is nearly empty again. "Give me that!" She reaches for the glass, but I just leave it on the arm of the sofa, out of her reach, pushing her shoulder back with my hand.

  "Nope...told you. Not a little girl's drink." Our faces are close together, her upper body now fully leaning on me, only my hand keeping any distance between us. Her laughter dies down in response to the look on my face though. I'd meant to only tease her and let her have a sip, but my anger from earlier makes my look harder than I intended.

  She starts to move back and say something, but I pull her towards me and kiss her. She responds by pushing into me more and kissing back harder.

  "Get a room!" Dan is standing over us. Lucy blushes and hides her face behind her hair, turning towards me, smiling.

  Stephie walks over with Becca, "Come on, Lucy, the tours starting."

  Lucy laughs and gets up without saying anything else. I watch her walk away, the sway of her ass under the thin material of her dress making the outline of her thong clearly visible.

  I stand up next to Dan now, take a big gulp. "So, what did Becca get you this year?" He raises his brows up and down wickedly again.

  .....

  "I had a really nice time." Her words are slurred. I am keeping her up as much as holding her as we walk down her street.

  "I can tell!" I'm laughing as she nearly trips on the sidewalk and I have to pull her upright again.

  We make it up her stairs and I find her key in her purse. She is trying for a seductive look, but only manages a sloppy grin, "Are you going to come in this time?"

  "Yes." I push the door open and lead her inside.

  "Oh, Goody!" She is laughing. I keep one hand on her to keep her from falling as she ping-pongs around her living room in an effort to kick off her shoes. Suddenly she is pushing herself against me, "Wanna carry me to bed and have your way with me?"

  My cock stiffens instantly at this thought. I pick her up and carry her over to her bed, she yells out, "Oh, Goody!" again.

  I stand her up, keeping her in one arm against me and pulling her covers back with the other. I get her to lie down and pull the covers over her. Her arms are pulling me down around my neck. "No...get in bed...please?" Her little girl voice is almost too much to resist. But I don't want our first time to be like this...her drunk and unable to decide for herself. She nearly kills me when she says, "I want you to tell me what to do...to control me like you like to do....you do like to be in control don't you?"

  "Get some sleep, little girl." I go to kiss her forehead, but she turns her head up and I give in to kissing her deeply, pulling her up to a seated position.

  "I am your little girl, arently I?" Her eyes are sparkling, her lips wet, a smile playing across them. Her hand tries to reach into my pants. I pull her hand away gently and hold both of them in mine. She pouts, "I thought you wanted me."

  "I do."

  "Then take me." She falls back against her pillow, her tits bouncing. She opens her eyes when I don't move towards her, just keep her hands in mine, watching her
. "I'll do whatever you want, Max...whatever you command...I like that you're old fashioned...controlling..."

  I have to hold my breath to calm myself before standing up. I lean over her again and kiss her forehead one last time.

  "Tomorrow, little girl."

  Chapter 8 Her

  Slowly opening my eyes, I'm a little disoriented for a second. I'm in my own bed, it's still dark, so it must be early? As I roll over to see the time on my nightstand, my dress twists arounds my legs more. I went to bed in my clothes?!

  In an instant, I recall Max leading me into my apartment and getting me in bed. I cover my forehead with my hand. Oh, God...Is he still here?! No...I don't hear anyone else around. I vaguely remember him kissing my forehead before I fell completely asleep.

  It's only 4:00 a.m., the clock greenly illuminates a bottle of water and two aspirins on my nighstand. How sweet of him to think to do that! I down half the bottle in one gulp, getting out of bed. I pad into the bathroom, change into a tank top and sweatshorts hanging on the door.

  As my head melts the pillow into shape, I fall back asleep wishing for Max in bed with me.

  .....

  Bolting awake. The dog upstairs is barking, louder with each knock on my door. It's 10:00 a.m. now. Rushing to the door, I can't see who it is. Max must have closed my blinds last night too.

  I see him smiling at me through the peephole. I open the door a little and he walks right in...trailing the most wonderful coffee smell behind him.

  "Good morning, sleepyhead," he kisses my head. God, I didn't even look at myself before I opened the door. I stop in front of a mirror...wipe my raccoon eyes and push my bedhead hair down and back into a knotted ponytail. He's setting down two cups and two bags on my coffee table, "I figured you might need some coffee this morning." His smile is sweet but his expression is a little chastening.

  "Yeah...sorry about that....I didn't realize how much I had until we were walking home," I take the coffee he hands me. "Thank you! ...And thanks for being such a gentleman last night too," I say quietly into my cup.

  "No problem...I think my friends were a little to blame too." He nods his head towards the bags. "There's milk and sugar in the bag if you like. And I wasn't sure if you like sweet or savory in the morning, so there's chocolate croissants or bagels and cream cheese." My stomach actually growls at the mention of food.

  "My hero! I like my bagels toasted...how bout you?" As I head into the kitchen with the bag of food, already eating a croissant.

  "Toasted is great, thanks."

  "What's in the other bag?" upon returning with knives and plates of toasted goodness.

  "A new deadbolt... I'm going to install it for you." He pulls a large plastic package out to show me.

  "You don't have to do that!"

  "Yes, I do...it's not safe for you to have a door to the street and only a tiny lock," he is pulling some tools out of the other paper bag. "Your safety is important to me." He returns to the sofa and kisses me as he sits back down to eat his bagel.

  "Well...thank you...I'll have to tell my landlord."

  "There's an extra key you can give your landlord too...see I thought of everything." He gives a very self-satisfied smile with this.

  "And humble too," I pat and push his shoulder a little.

  After finishing our bagels, I continue eating the rest of the croissant while Max starts on the lock. My cell phone starts ringing by my bed. I jump up with a guilty look towards Max, but he ignores this.

  Billy calling. Shit. I totally forgot about our plans for today. It's 10:30, we're supposed to be meeting in an half hour.

  "Hey, Lucy. It's Billy. How are ya?"

  "Um...great...Uh...I know we had plans to meet today..." I walk into my kitchen, so Max won't overhear me.

  "Yeah. I was thinking by the parking lot entrance near the old boat building."

  "Um...I'm sorta feeling under the weather today...can I get a raincheck?" I feel awful lying to him, but I can't very well leave with Max here.

  "Oh...yeah...no problem. I'll give ya a call later this week."

  "Thank you!"

  "Feel better, Luce. And text me if you need anything...I can always stop by with some soup?"

  "That's sweet...I'll be fine. Thanks, again, Billy." Hanging up, I don't want to go right back into the living room yet in case Max heard any of that. I head into the bathroom instead, brush my teeth, wash my face and add a little makeup...and think about last night some more.

  I keep replaying what I said to him...and how he responded. I know I was drunk, but I've never been so direct with a guy before. Probably because I've never had a guy be so direct with me before.

  I had a boyfriend once who liked to role-play in college. He would order me around and have me strip-tease for him, but he wasn't like that all the time and he certainly wasn't like that outside of sex.

  Max is different. He likes to be in control all the time and last night I confessed to liking it that way. I'm blushing again thinking this.

  ...and we haven't even made out yet!

  I'm still laughing at myself as I quietly return to the living room. Max is almost finished with the door. He proudly shows off my new and improved safety. "Thank you, again."

  He wraps his arms around my waist. "Gotta take care of my girl." I smile at his use of that phrase again. "Get dressed and let's go for a walk."

  Now that I blew off my plans with Billy, I might as well enjoy the day with Max. "Ok. Be right back." I quickly change into cutoff shorts and a clingy t-shirt.

  Chapter 8 HIM

  The park is full of kids, parents, and couples like us. The ducks and geese are vying for an old man's bread. Lucy's laughter matches the kids' and doesn't fail to make me smile even more. "This is one of my favorite spots in the city."

  "Mine too!" As she squeezes my upper arm again.

  I walk us towards a park bench a little way from the water and pull her onto my lap. I barely feel her weight on my legs, but adjust so the response of my cock isn't so obvious. I brush her hair away from her neck and kiss lightly from her earlobe down to her shoulder. I feel the goosebumps on her arms, her nipples standing out, and she turns her face towards mine for a deeper kiss. My hands explore her back, thighs, neck. We start to get some stares from the uptight moms and older women.

  "Maybe we should keep walking," Lucy says shyly looking around and getting up.

  "Are you hungry? There's good Thai near my place."

  "I can't believe I'm saying this after all those carbs this morning...but I'm actually hungry. Thai sounds yummy!"

  I hail a cab. "I thought you hated cabs." She pokes my ribs.

  "Gotta give Jeff a day off sometime."

  .....

  "Let me guess...you want to do the ordering?" She's poking my ribs again, but smiling at least. The restaurant is just thinning out from the lunch crowd, so we have a corner of the place to ourselves.

  I grab her chair seat and yank her closer to me, "Of course." I take the menu out of her hand and set it down on the table. She doesn't protest and I smile. "What's your favorite kind of curry?"

  "Green, please!"

  "Excellent choice." I fight back a wider smile remembering this as one of the biggest problems with Natalie. She took offense that I always ordered for her. But, then again, I didn't start out the right way with her. Hopefully, I am with Lucy. By what she said last night, I am.

  She just smiles while I give our order to the waitress. "I love Tom Yum Gai...excellent choice!" She is squeezing my arm with both hands. "So what's with the old school you ordering everything, anyway?"

  I'd hoped to avoid this conversation for a little longer, so I give a half answer. "It's how I was raised. My Dad..well, he's actually my Stepdad really...he was very old fashioned and strict. He took really great care of my Mom, me, and my little brother....taught me everything I know about being a good man."

  "Was your Dad around too?" Her hand hasn't left my arm, the warmth trailing her fingers up and down.
r />   "No...he ended up leaving when I was just a kid...I think he did some merchant marine shit in Alaska for a while. My Stepdad, Ron Traeger, actually adopted us when he married my Mom. And I never heard from my deadbeat Dad again."

  "That sucks...I'm sorry you had to go through that." Her voice is so soft and sweet, I can imagine hearing it in bed.

  "It wasn't so bad. Ron's been a good Dad to us. He really helped my Mom be a better person too." I'm not ready to get into that yet. "How bout you? Mom and Dad? Siblings?"

  "My folks are still married. They're visiting me tomorrow actually. They live in Arizona now and are coming through on a trip. I have an older brother. He's married and lives here with their two kids. My nieces are adorable."

  "Are you close with your family?"

  "Not really....I mean...well, we get along fine, but I don't see them often. I see my parents once or twice a year, my brother about the same....I usually go up to their place for holidays. He's 15 years older than me, so we weren't really raised together. How old is your brother?" She seems uncomfortable talking about her family and quick to change the subject back to mine.

  "My brother, Jake, is 32. He lives with his girlfriend in Old Town. We hang out alot, but he went down a different path than our Dad wanted for us. We were both supposed to be lawyers and take over the family firm...Jake dropped out of law school...he's still finding himself I think."

  "Ah...family pressure...that's something I know all too well..." Her whole body has tensed up, shoulders raised, hands between her legs now.

  "What kind of pressure does your family put on you?" I take her hand and place it on my leg instead, putting my hand back on her thigh...not letting the physical connection with her go.

  "My folks think I should be married and barefoot by now....I mean, they are proud of me...My Dad just doesn't like that I live alone in a big city...I think they worry more about me since they've moved away." She keeps her hand on my leg, but remains tense.

  "Sounds like good family values to me." Good sign...she doesn't move her hand away. "If I had a sister, I wouldn't want her living alone in this city."