by Amber Nation
She promptly frowned, her brows creasing. For a moment, I almost thought she wasn’t going to respond, that I’d gone too far, prying into things that I had no right to know, but she finally released a breath and said, “My daddy and I got along pretty well, even more so when my mother wasn’t around, which was basically all the time. My dad has been gone for, gosh, twenty years now, I was fifteen.” My heart hurt for her, for the things I was hearing. “My mother on the other hand, we have butted heads since the day I was born. Anything I could do to defy her¸ I did. Pretty sad when you were raised by your nanny and knew from the young age of three that your mother never wanted you.” She shrugged her shoulder again and tried to force a small smile. She thought she could show me that it didn’t bother her, but I could see her underlying hurt. Her eyes didn’t conceal everything, when I looked into their depths I could see the scared child that she was, and then the anger from her father leaving her so early, and the animosity she so clearly had against her mother. She wasn’t as great at hiding her pain as she thought she was. I bet she was shit at poker, because her face would reveal her cards.
“But I had my nanny, who I wouldn’t trade for anything. She made my childhood worthwhile.” She grabbed a dish sponge in her hands and began scrubbing the kitchen island free of the remaining flour and pie dough, I suspected to keep her hands busy. The only alternative was to fidget under my gaze. “The minute I turned eighteen, I packed my entire life into one suitcase and left.” She glanced up to me, “Haven’t talked to her since,” then she began scrubbing once again. “Oh, she did try to take me to court once I turned twenty-three. Trying to come after my trust fund that my daddy had set me up with when I was born. She wasn’t awarded anything but a dig to her pride and once I was given rights to the account, I haven’t touched a dime that the trust contains.” She paused for a moment then said something that shocked the hell out of me. “Well, until the auction last week.”
I knew my mouth was held slightly agape, but hearing that she used money that she deemed untouchable stirred something deep inside of me. Putting her reservations aside for a great cause showed me that she had so much more to her than she wanted people to see. I fucking wanted this woman in my bed and more importantly, in my life. Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, I tried to slow my ass down. I was getting way ahead of myself. Sure, I could throw a few words her way, but with all the let-downs that had accumulated in her lifetime, what she really needed were actions.
Finally, she shook off her uneasiness, “What about your parents?”
Now it was my turn to feel ill at ease. I didn’t want to further distress her regarding her upbringing by putting emphasis on mine. One thing that I hated was that I couldn’t fix how people treated her in her past but I could focus on her future if she’d let me. Blocking out all of her unsatisfactory memories by replacing them with new ones. Memories that included laughter, sure, the occasional banter every now and again, and love.
Love.
Yeah, I wasn’t going to dwell on that word just yet and I quickly had to school my expression to hide the anxiety that seeped into my veins with that one word. I had just gotten Julia to start opening up to me. Love was the last thing I needed to think about, but it had a way of creeping up in your thoughts and completely blindsiding you.
I cleared my throat, still wary of bringing up my joyous childhood in comparison to hers. “My parents still live together in Cottage Grove.” Despite the bitter cold weather outside, I was getting rather warm within the kitchen. Having the heat and the oven on wasn’t helping matters. “They’ve been married for thirty-five years. I’m an only child, but they’ve definitely had their work cut out for them through the years.” I used my hand to indicate my entire body in which her eyes reluctantly followed. Nodding, “I mean they had me for a kid, I’m sure it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for them, especially when I snuck out of my bedroom window on a regular basis.” I tried to loosen her up a little regarding the situation, I needed her to crack another smile. No matter how small, I would still consider it a victory.
We fell into a comfortable silence, not really feeling the need to fill up space with idle chitchat. When she opened up the oven door to remove our lunch, all the aromas from the pot pie permeated through the air making the entire house smell of home-cooked comfort food.
My mouth began salivating when she sat a plate down in front of me at the bar. If this heaping helping tasted half as good as it looked and smelled, I may never let her go.
I scooped up a major forkful, making sure I got a little bit of everything in the mix, for the perfect bite. I brought the steaming fork towards my mouth and glanced up at Julia before taking the initial plunge. Her nervousness was vastly apparent as she had her bottom lip tucked in between her teeth and her brows were furrowed. She genuinely cared about my reaction to her cooking, which led me to believe that she allowed more things to get to her than what she let on.
She acted like she didn’t care what people thought of her, and to some extent it may be true, but right then her self-doubt that she tried so hard to keep buried was creeping up and invading her thoughts.
My initial reaction to the taste would immediately give my thoughts away and I wanted her to perceive them as good even if I didn’t find the dish to my liking. I didn’t want her to end up being disappointed in herself. My worrying as well as hers ended up being all in vain. Once my perfect bite hit my tongue all the textures and flavors exploded on my tongue. The creaminess of the roux, the bite of the peas and carrots mixed along with the chicken, and the flakiness of her crust along with the subtle hint of thyme—I had certainly died and was sent straight into culinary heaven. This heaven far exceeded any of my expectations because it included Julia.
I was fairly certain my eyes rolled back into my head before I reluctantly came back to earth for another bite. Julia had eased up on gnawing at her bottom lip, but I realized she needed verbal confirmation. “This has to be the second best thing I have ever had in my mouth.” I pointed the fork down towards the plate, “It’s fucking amazing, Julia.”
You could see the gears turning in her head, battling her curiosity, but a hint of a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. I wanted to goad her to go ahead and ask the obvious question and soon enough her curiosity won. She quirked a brow, “And pray tell, what precedes my pot pie?”
A devilish smirk played on my mouth and in my mind I was rubbing my hands together, because she had caved in so beautifully. I placed my fork down beside my plate and rested my arm on the counter, leaning my torso in closer to her and whispered, “You.”
Instant recognition hit her and I knew she was now transported back into the hallway of the wedding reception last night, where our tongues and mouths were ravaging one another as if we couldn’t get enough.
It was the first time either of us had brought up the kiss and for a moment I was worried that I’d see a flash of regret in her eyes, instead I was awarded with the opposite. Her lips tipped up into a full-on brilliant smile which left her utterly gleaming.
“You should do that more often,” I murmured as I shoved another forkful into my mouth.
Confused, she replied, “What do you mean?”
“Smile. I love it when you smile. Even your slight smile is beautiful, when your lips just barely lift, but when you really give it your all, it’s majestic and absolutely breathtaking. You get these lines next to your eyes that crinkle and it makes you look radiant.” My fingers were itching to touch her face, especially the aforementioned area.
And…now I’ve scared her away.
She turned away from me to dish up her own plate and a hushed silence fell over the room. I was certain that I’d said too much but a fleeting smile remained on her lips, reassuring me about my response.
Since she had slaved away on this glorious lunch, I insisted that I would clean up. It helped that I washed dishes like a boss. Eden and Baylor had the luxury of a dishwasher, while I did not, so a good old sponge
and dish soap was my specialty. Julia had seen my house and knew that I was somewhat domesticated, not feeling the need to keep my house cluttered, and not that I needed to emphasize how great of a catch that I was, but that I could do chores without having to be nagged or goaded.
So I was elbow deep in soapy suds and hot water using a sponge to disintegrate any and all grimy food remnants. I briefly turned my head towards Julia, who was resting against the island behind me to my left, wielding a freshly topped - glass of wine. She took a small sip, looking at me over the top of her glass before dangling it from her fingertips down at her side, her eyes never leaving mine.
I glanced back at the plate I was rinsing off before bringing my gaze back to the blonde who was garnering my attention.
“You like me…” I posed it as a statement rather than a question, but I wouldn’t expect anything less than a rebuttal from Julia.
She threw her head back and released a long laugh. The kind of laugh that makes it hard to breathe and no sound comes from your mouth. She thought my statement was hysterical; my confidence was quickly diminishing. It took her a bit to recover and if I ever had any qualms of self-doubt she brought them out front and center topped off with a neon flashing sign. “No, I like cool summer nights. I like chocolate frosting. I wouldn’t say that what I feel towards you falls under the ‘like’ category. I’m slowly learning to tolerate you.”
Tolerate me? I wanted to call her out on her bullshit, but I pressed on. “You’re attracted to me, though, I could tell in the way your breath hitched at the auction and…well, in the way you mauled me at the wedding.”
She placed her glass down on the bar, “Excuse me? Mauled you? What am I, a lioness out stalking her prey?” She began slinking her way towards me, slowly putting one foot in front of the other until she rested against the counter right next to me. I was able to watch all of her movements while I continued to slave away in the hot water. “Waiting in the dimly-lit bushes for the feeble gazelle to wander by before I strike and make my move?” I was the feeble gazelle? Oh, hell no, but I shrugged a shoulder. “You’re ridiculous. I’ll admit that there is a degree of attraction there, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like you.”
Chuckling, I counteracted, “But you will like me.”
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
I’d have to admit that she was doing a splendid job trying to convince me otherwise, or maybe she was failing to convince herself. “In the meantime, I think we could have a bit of fun…” I couldn’t believe that I was actually going through with this, but I needed to show her that despite our thrilling banter that we could be good for one another. “Of the naked and sweaty variety, that could perhaps at times take place between the sheets.”
She eyed me warily, clearly sizing up whether my proposition was real or not, as I continued on with the dishes, finishing up the last of the silverware. After a minute, she pushed herself off the edge of the counter, standing up straight and readjusting her long, flowy cardigan, wrapping it around her torso and narrowing her eyes as if accepting my challenge.
Words, sweetheart, I need the words.
“What are you waiting for?”
Momentarily stunned, I didn’t think I had heard her correctly but the raised brow she was sporting told me otherwise. I didn’t let another moment pass or give her the chance to change her mind before I took one giant step in her direction, cradling her face in my wet hands and crashing my lips to hers. I felt the water and suds run down my arms, dripping onto the floor, but having dry hands wasn’t a good enough reason to break our connection.
Moving a hand blindly until I reached her hairline, I loosened the knot that was securely fastened on top of her head, feeling the silkiness as her hair came tumbling down in waves, resting in the middle of her back. I thrust a hand into the thick strands, pulling back with just enough pressure so she’d be forced to break our connection and look into my eyes.
It elated me to no end that her breath was coming out in short pants and her eyes were glazed over with lust.
“Why’d you make me pull away?” Her voice came out as a deep rasp.
“I just wanted to be sure that you were certain about this.” I was certain myself that I had lost my balls somewhere along the way. That was the only legitimate excuse I could conjure up that would explain why I was questioning her about this when she could very well be naked by now.
Without blinking, she responded, “Dean, I’m positive. Like you said, there is an attraction between us and I think a fling is the perfect way to get us out of each other’s systems.”
I visibly flinched without warning and couldn’t help but feel that I’d been dealt a major blow to my gut. Of course this would be just a fling for her and nothing else. Well, no one could ever say that I didn’t appreciate a challenge. It would be my distinct pleasure to open Julia’s eyes to see how good we’d be together.
She wasted no extra time before she leapt into my arms and locked her legs behind my back before attacking my mouth once again. Forcing myself to shut off my brain and just be in the moment with her, I shifted her back off of the corner of the kitchen counter and began our retreat into her bedroom.
While Julia felt so absolutely fucking perfect in my arms, moving blindly around the house proved to be no easy feat. If I had said that I knew what direction we were headed in, it would’ve been a total lie. And my point was proven when I tumbled into a wall in the hallway. Julia’s back slammed up against the wall and she released a slight whimper in the back of her throat and was close to biting my tongue.
“Shit, I’m sorry, sweetheart.” There I’d let that word slip again, but I couldn’t help but worry I’d hurt her.
Squinting up at me, “Perhaps you could let me finish this little journey out on my own feet.”
I reluctantly sat her back down on the floor before picking her up again, this time with one of my hands braced behind her back, and the other under her knees, cradling her close to me.
“Where is the fun in that?” I joked.
“You’re impossible.,” she ground out around a giggle. I would never grow tired of hearing that sound.
As I maneuvered our bodies the rest of the way to her room, I stuck my nose in her hair, inhaling the warm vanilla scent of her shampoo. My instinct was to close my eyes and relish in her smell, but the way she began clawing at my shirt told me she was wanting this as much as me.
I made sure her ass was firmly planted on the bed before I proceeded to peel her cardigan and t-shirt off of her arms and free her breasts from the confines of her bra.
Being somewhat of a boob man, I already knew that hers had been surgically enhanced, but I just wasn’t prepared for the beautifully sculpted masterpieces that were right in front of me. I engulfed each breast with a hand and there was still plenty spilling out of my palms.
“I’ve wanted to do this since the first time I laid eyes on you,” I breathed. Not able to wait for a response, I leaned forward and latched onto an erect nipple and swirled my tongue around. Her hands grabbed ahold of my hair and pulled, almost to the point of pain. Her breathing increased as I released one breast right before devouring the other.
Julia’s hands began frantically clawing at the shirt on my back, desperate for contact. I eased up on my assault of her breasts before pulling my shirt up and off over my head. Her eyes widened at the sight of my torso before she raked her nails down the taut skin of my abdomen, forcing a hiss to expel from my lungs.
“Like what you see?” I smirked, her gaze still transfixed on the expanse of my chest.
“Eh,” she slightly shrugged a shoulder before locking her eyes back on mine. “I’ve seen better.” Instead of dwelling on her verbal dig like she would anticipate, I just let it fuel my fire.
I was about to rock her world so she wouldn’t remember any other man she had been with. Game fucking on.
I braced a hand behind each of her knees before yanking her legs down the bed making her lay flat on her back for
me. Shock registered on her face at my quick movements before I tucked my fingers under the edge of her leggings and panties, slowly bringing them both down her legs and off in one fell swoop until she was completely bared to me.
Prying her legs open I could see the glistening moisture of her desire on her core just begging for my attention. My resolve was wearing thin and I didn’t know how much longer I could hold out before sinking balls deep into her.
She looked at me through her parted lashes as she gripped her own breasts, kneading her milky flesh, and a strangled, “Please,” fell from her lips. She was pleading for my touch, how could I deny the softer side of Julia?
A swipe of my tongue along her slit was all it took for an inaudible cry to rip from her throat and her back to bow up off of the bed. My dick had never been so hard but that was the effect Julia had on me. Sucking her clit into my mouth, her hands grasped the linen sheets on the bed, yanking them towards her as she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted my name.
My own heart rate increased and I felt like I was on top of the world for eliciting the reactions from Julia that I was. One of my hands skimmed the apex of her thighs before I plunged two digits deep into her heat.
“Dean! Dean, baby I need you! I need you inside of me!” she screamed.
She certainly didn’t have to tell me twice. I kissed her clit once more before removing my fingers. I grabbed my wallet from the back pocket of my jeans and quickly retrieved a condom, then proceeded to shuck my pants. I went to rip open our protection and she stunned me by snatching the package from my hands and placing a hand in the center of my chest in order to push my back down into the mattress.
Julia sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down on the plump flesh as she flicked her eyes from mine down to my straining erection. The way she was looking at me with such intensity and raw hunger I was afraid that all it would take for me to blow my load was a single brush of her fingertips on my cock.
My eyes snapped shut tightly and I held my breath as she rolled the condom down my shaft, securing it in place. Straddling my hips, she grasped the base of my cock and lifted herself up, hovering my tip at the entrance to her core. She idly stayed in this position, as she had all the power. One hand was now braced in the center of my chest as she slowly proceeded to press herself down on me.