Ridge Creek

by C L Green

  “Man, give it the fuck up,” Jake grumbles again, exasperated with his futile efforts to get the puppy to let go. “I’ll trade you a bone, a shoe, or even a fuckin’ cat. Whatever it is you wanna chew and drool on, it’s yours. Just give me back my favorite sparring glove.”

  “Oh my God!” I squeal in delight as my eyes lock on the massive puppy. “A baby Dogue De Bordeaux! You have a baby Dog De Bordeaux!”

  Both Jake and the puppy startle before stopping their tug-of-war. Jake lets go of the glove, stands, turns and destroys me with a huge shit eating grin. The puppy drops the glove, plops to his butt, pricks his ears and cocks his head to one side as he stares up at me with a cheeky look on his face.

  “I don’t have a baby Dog De Bordeaux, you have a baby Dog De Bordeaux,” Jake announces before the grin slides from his face to be replaced by a look of annoyance. “But you won’t have a baby Dog De Bordeaux long if the little fucker doesn’t give up my glove. Those gloves cost me a bomb and he’s destroying the leather with ungodly quantities of drool.”

  A huge smile cracks my face as I watch the gorgeous little creature staring up at me. Jake’s glove is now forgotten. “He’s already forgotten about the glove,” I announce as I drop to my knees, my eyes not leaving the little guys face. Is it a boy?”

  “Yeah, he was nine weeks old yesterday,” Jake announces as he turns and quickly snatches the glove from the floor in front of the puppy. The puppy ignores him, his eyes locked on mine. His eyes are a pale brown color that almost match his coat.

  I grin at him as I start patting my hands on my thighs, “Come on, come cuddle mummy.” The little guy does not hesitate. With a look of pure joy at having found another human to play with, he leaps up, slamming awkwardly into Jake’s leg. Jake grunts and the puppy nearly falls over before quickly recovering his balance and trajectory and bounding towards me. Without hesitation, he launches into my lap.

  I too grunt as ten kilograms of wriggling puppy starts going berserk in my lap. His tongue lashes out at warp speed to connect with anything within reach. Chuckling at his sheer enthusiasm, I gently dig my fingers into his soft, loose skin and start rubbing. The extra attention injects the wriggling mass with another infusion of happy and he redoubles his efforts at wiggling and licking before suddenly launching from my lap to run back across the room and bounce excitedly at Jakes feet.

  Jake stares down at him, his eyes dark and his brows stern as he wipes wet, slimy, puppy drool from his boxing glove onto his jeans leg. “Gross man. You’re a slobber machine.”

  Oblivious to Jake’s disgust, the puppy starts sidling joyfully against his legs, his tail slapping at a fast beat as his tongue sets about drowning Jakes leg. “He’s gorgeous!” I announce excitedly. “Does he have a name?”

  “His paperwork has some long-assed French name on it but the lady said to just call them whatever you want.”

  I stare fascinated at the gorgeous little guy as he continues to molest Jakes leg. Tapping my hands on my lap again, I instantly know what his name will be. “Pierre, come here boy. Come on Pierre.”

  “Pierre?” Jake grunts and screws his face up at me. “How the fuck did you come up with that name so quick? What about Tank or Hooch like on the movie? Something a bit more manly considering he’s gunna weigh about eighty kilo’s when he grows up and be the size of a small horse.”

  I grin happily at Jake for a few moments before Pierre distracts me as he spins and bounces back to start smashing himself against me again. His whole body is abuzz with excitement. “He’s French so his name has to be Pierre,” I inform Jake as I try to grab either side of Pierre’s face to look in his eyes. An impossible mission as he throws himself about joyfully.

  Jake shakes his head but I don’t miss the small twitch at the side of his lips before he turns to stride across the room and pick up another boxing glove from the floor. Realizing that Jake is on the move, Pierre wriggles from between my hands and barrels off after him.

  Jake heads for a boot-box near the side of the room. As he does, I take the time to look around and see the interior of his shed is fully lined and decorated in similar colors to the main house. We are inside a large main room, but I can see a hallway off to a side that leads to more doors and rooms at the back of the building.

  This main room has a decorated timber bar in one corner. There is, of course, Harley memorabilia everywhere around and on the bar. The bar is flanked by half a dozen stools and there is a flat screen television mounted on the wall nearby. This shed is clearly the ultimate ‘men’s shed’.

  The rest of the room is littered with gym equipment. Lots of gym equipment. There is a treadmill, a cross trainer and a very modern looking exercise bike. There is a four-station home gym setup to one of the side of the room. On another side there is a bench press and a squat rack. There are two different sized boxing bags hanging in another area, as well as two speed balls. One of the speed balls hangs from a large exposed beam jutting out from a wall and the other suspends between the roof and the floor by tie-downs. There is also a sparring mat near the center of the room.

  I look back to Jake as he tosses the gloves in the boot-box. Bending down to rummage around, he straightens with an old red glove in his hand. Tossing the glove to the puppy he announces, “Here, slobber on a dirty old Everlast. Kill that one and you can have its partner.”

  Pierre doesn’t hesitate to pounce on the glove with joy. Picking it up in his mouth, he lifts his head high to keep it clear of the ground as he trots happily over to a doggie bed that Jake has set up near the bar. Climbing in, the puppy circles a few times before flopping down. Letting go of the glove, he sighs, rests his head on the glove and seems content to just keep an eye on both Jake and I. He looks tired.

  “He wears out quick,” I comment as Jake shuts the lid on the box to keep Pierre away from his precious gloves. “Yeah, the woman said they have short spurts of energy. Seemingly they pour so much energy into growing big they don’t have a lot spare to be too active for long.”

  “That has to be a plus doesn’t it?” I murmur as I look back to Pierre.

  “Something has to balance out the enormous amounts of fuckin’ drool they produce. You should have seen the woman’s house. She had three of the big bastards living inside with her and she carried a towel with her everywhere she went to wipe up the abundant streaks of slimy drool hanging off her furniture. I nearly left your fuckin’ puppy there and drove away.”

  “Oh no! It can’t have been that bad,” I cry as I climb back to my feet.

  “No shit. It was worse. You know I’m not the tidiest person but fuck me, even I felt like grabbing a towel to help clean up.”

  “Oh dear,” I mumble as I wander over to inspect Jake’s bar. “I suppose this means that he can’t come in your house?”

  “No, it means that you have your work cut out for you cleaning up behind the bloody thing as it tries to drown everything it comes in contact with. The dog is supposed to be a guard dog in training. He stays with you at all times. Where you go, he goes. Get used to it and start carrying baby wipes and a towel or whatever shit you need to clean the fuck up after him.”

  I grin as I run my hand along the polished timber bar before walking behind it to inspect the array of bottles lining the shelves. I’ve just been ordered to take care of and clean up after a puppy and I couldn’t be happier.

  “Thank you for buying me a puppy,” I murmur as my eyes settle on some shot glasses. “Wanna celebrate?”

  I do.

  Even though less than half an hour ago I once again thought my life was over, somehow Jake has made it a lot better. Again. I’ve wanted a dog all of my life. Tony would never let me get one. I’ve had my new puppy all of five minutes and I already know there is no way I want to give him up. I’ll do whatever I need to do to keep him and me safe. Until he grows up, at which point I assume he will be able to look after himself.

  “Fuck yeah,” Jake rumbles as he follows me over to the bar. Settling himself onto a sto
ol, he grins up at me. “Are you gunna play barmaid for me?”

  Sliding my eyes sideways as I reach for two shot glasses, I cock my head slightly and grin back. “If you want me to.”

  Jakes eyes darken as his grin fades to a smirk. He stares at my eyes for a beat or two before his gaze wanders slowly along the length of my body. His eyebrow ring lifts as he leans forward to drop his elbows on the bar. At the same time, his eyes come to rest on a point at my back where my t-shirt has lifted above the hem of my denim shorts. “Hell yeah. Any chance of a topless barmaid?”

  “Every chance,” I murmur as I return my attention to the shot glasses. Lining four glasses along the bar, I reach up high to grab a bottle of Bookers bourbon that caught my eye earlier. Stopping midstretch to glance back at Jake I see his eyes have moved and are now pinned on the small piece of bare stomach now revealed.

  I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been smoking pot, or whether it’s because of my latest emotional breakdown, but the sight of his dark green eyes pinned on my stomach sends a shiver down my spine. I feel goose bumps jump on my arms and it’s as if all my hair is standing on end. He licks his lips slowly continuing to stare. My goose bumps vanish as a hot flush courses through my body and I swear the temperature in the room has risen by five degrees.

  Holy shit.

  Turned on. Much.

  Dropping my arm back down I smirk as I realize what I am about to do. Something I have most definitely never done before. Before I have a chance to change my mind, I grab the hem of my shirt and rip it over the top of my head. Tossing the shirt behind me, I glance back at Jake to see both of his eyebrows have now lifted and he looks amused. Giving him a wink, I turn back and reach for the bottle of bourbon.

  “Nice,” Jake murmurs softly as his eyes lock on my pale blue lace bra.

  Surprised by my own lack of self-consciousness, I struggle to ignore him as I focus on the job of pouring drinks. Placing the bottle on the bar with a resounding thud, I bend down to look under the bar for a bottle pourer. Hearing Jake hiss, I grin to myself and decide to throw a butt wiggle into the show.

  “Should have bought you the fuckin’ dog earlier,” Jake mumbles as his eyes move to lock on my breasts hanging loosely right before his eyes.

  Finding a pourer, I wink at him again as I straighten again. His eyes remain locked on my chest. Another chill spirals down my spine and I feel my core muscles clench tight. I think I am enjoying this almost as much as he is.

  Screwing the lid off the bourbon bottle, I push the pourer into the spout and quickly set about pouring four shots. Thudding the bottle back down on the bar, I slide two shots across to sit directly in front of Jake. His eyes release their lock on my breasts to move lazily to his drinks. He smiles softly as he reaches out, lifts a glass and throws back his first shot. Swallowing slowly, he slams the empty glass back on the bar.

  I watch mesmerized as he runs his tongue around his lips as he savors the burning flavor of the bourbon. Nodding towards my drinks he urges me to drink one. I grin back at him, grab my first shot and with the ease of someone who has been practicing drinking shots for the past few weeks, I down my shot in one go. The cool liquid hits the back of my throat and sends a burn through my nose. I enjoy the burn as I inhale deeply through my nose and feel the warmth of the alcohol spreading through my body.

  I lock my eyes triumphantly on Jake’s, impressed with myself and my newfound ability to drink hard liquor. He smiles dangerously at me as he lifts a hand, slowly turning it over and curling his pointer finger in a ‘come here’ motion.

  Like a puppet on a string I follow his finger, leaning over the bar my eyes locked on his. My heart starts to race and a sense of sheer happiness envelops me.

  I like being told what to do. Especially by Jake.

  Pushing up onto the tip of my toes, I hover my face inches from his. His eyes sparkle dark and dangerous before me. His lips tip almost imperceptibly at the sides of his mouth. I close my eyes and sigh softly. Intense feelings of expectation course through my veins as I feel his warm breath against my face.

  Jake doesn’t disappoint.

  Within a heartbeat I feel his hand wrap around the back of my head as he drags me the last few centimeters to mash his lips against his mine. The kiss is anything but gentle. Hard and furious, he wastes no time in forcing his tongue between my lips to tangle our tongues.

  I groan softly. He tastes amazing. Warm and sweet with the after burn of bourbon, I find myself lapping at his mouth for more. We go hard at each other for a few more beats, Jake’s hand scrunching my hair against the back of my head as I respond with all I’m worth. Desperate for more, I find my hands scrabbling for purchase on the bar as I try to lift myself higher and closer to Jake. The bar now an annoying barrier to my being able to wrap myself around him.

  Chuckling against my lips, Jake suddenly breaks the kiss. Disappointed, I groan my displeasure. Jake ignores me and loosens his hold on the back of my head to slide his hand down my back. With one deft movement, he pops the catch on my bra. Moving quickly with both hands, he slides both shoulder straps down my arms and then yanks the bra from my front. With a small flick of his wrist, it sails over his shoulder.

  Looking triumphantly into my eyes, Jake pushes me back across the bar and back onto my feet. “Another,” he announces as he nods towards my second drink before he grabs his second shot and downs it.

  Throwing him an annoyed look, I grab for my drink and slam it back. Thudding the glass back down on the bar I stare at him boldly, waiting for further instruction. I can feel that I am at his mercy and I am loving it.

  Jake looks at my empty shot glass and smiles. With the slow movements of a man in total control, he slowly reaches across and one by one, flicks each shot glass off the bar and to the floor next to me. I watch mesmerized as each glass bounces gently before rolling to a standstill against the wall behind me. When the last glass has finally comes to rest against the wall, I shift my gaze back to Jake and lift an eyebrow at him.

  Questioning.

  He grabs the bourbon bottle and lifts it in the air as he growls, “Get on the bar. Lie on your back.”

  I don’t hesitate for even a second as I spin around, place the heel of my hands on the bar and lift myself up to a seated position on the smooth shiny timber of the bar. Swinging my feet, I spin and lie down on the bar, my eyes seeking Jake’s again. I almost groan as I see the look of pleasure on his face at my instant response to his request.

  “Good girl,” he murmurs as he leans forward to peck me lightly on the lips. “Body shots.”

  Body shots?

  Oh my God.

  I have never done body shots. I have never even seen anyone I know do body shots. I have only ever seen them done on television. Another flush of excitement courses through my body and I shiver. “Don’t we need Tequila, salt and lemon?” I ask as I watch him lean back to inspect my chest and stomach.

  “Nope, any liquor will do. Hold very still.”

  I do as I am told and watch in fascination as Jake slowly pours a stream of bourbon along my body, starting between my breasts and trailing down to my belly button. The liquid is cold and I shiver both in anticipation and the cold contact to my stomach.

  “Still,” Jake orders as he places the bottle down next to my side.

  I slowly draw in a deep breath as I stare mesmerized at the side of his face. He slowly lowers his head towards me. Within an instant I feel his hot tongue connect with the skin between my breasts as he angles his head and swipes his tongue slowly towards my belly button. Closing his lips over my belly button, he slurps deeply and sucks every last drop of the cool liquid back before tipping his head back to look at me, his eyes dark and inky.

  “Oh my God.” The words slide breathily from my mouth as I blink slowly up at him. My skin feels like it is on fire. My breasts are hard as hell and my hardened nipples point straight at the ceiling almost begging for some attention too. “That was fucking awesome.”

  Jake’s lip
s twitch as he leans forward and gently sucks a nipple into his mouth. His moist, warm lips send my core into convulsions and I very nearly orgasm.

  Holy shit.

  Sucking deeply, I arch my back, pushing hard against him, writhing in pleasure. With a loud pop, Jake lets go of my nipple and moves to the second one. It feels like my eyes roll into the back of my head. With another pop, he lets go of my second nipple and I sense him pull him away from body. Snapping my eyes open, I am about to complain when I notice the look on Jake’s face. He is grinning and looks mischievous again.

  “What!” I snap, annoyed that he is no longer lavishing attention on me.

  “Just wondering if you were bored,” Jake smirks down at me.

  Bored?

  “Fuck no!” I growl as I start scrambling to sit up on the bar. “What in God’s name made you think I was bored?”

  Jakes hand flies out and presses one of my shoulders to push me back down against the bar. “I’m not saying I thought you were bored, I was just checking that you weren’t.”

  Staring dumbly up at him I knit my brows in confusion. “Why did you think you needed to check? Was I doing something… um… wrong?”

  Oh my god.

  Is he trying to tell me I’m a dead root or something? Why did he stop?

  Oh my god.

  I watch as a huge shit eating grin spreads across Jake’s face. “No Ari, you were not doing anything wrong. Which would be my point exactly.”

  “Your point?”

  What the fuck is he on about?

  “I just thought I’d give you a little reminder that sex is not boring…”

  It is at that precise moment that I see red. My body is wired, I’m as horny as hell and he’s mocking me? “You asshole!” I growl as I start to struggle against his strong hand pinning me down. “Now is not the time to be proving points. I want you to fuck me and I want you to fuck me now.”