by Remy Rose
“Well, my theory is that attractive, insecure women don't like attractive, secure women. Anyway...back to the horse whisperer. I want details.”
“He's very kind. There's something very calming about him, not just with horses, but in general. I don't even really know him, but I already feel relaxed around him. He seems to read me pretty well.”
Al is nodding and smiling as she drizzles the chocolate sauce on the ice cream. “So he's sensitive.”
“Yes.”
“And handsome.”
“Very. He's smart, with a good sense of humor, too. Plus, he's obviously very into horses, which is a definite bonus.”
“Would you consider dating him?”
“I really don't want to get seriously involved with anyone, but...yes, I'd date him.”
“Wow.”
“What?”
Darting her eyes around, Allison quickly licks a droplet of chocolate from the side of her hand. “This is so different for you. When you talked about the Stallion in the past, you'd be blushing and obviously uncomfortable, but with this cowboy...you're calm about it, like it's no big deal. Maybe that's saying something.”
“Like what?”
“I'm not sure. Guess that's for you to figure out, girl.” She picks up a washcloth and wipes the outside of the sundae dish. “I gotta go deliver this before it melts. Don't forget your pie.”
“Oh! Right.” I follow her into the red room with the tollhouse and check on my tables. Water refill for one, more beer for another, extra napkins and the bill for a third. I’m the first waitress off tonight and should get out around 9:30. With only a week and a half till Christmas, I still need to get a small wreath for my mother's headstone. And I’m going to make myself go through the box of decorations from my childhood house and at least take out a few things to put up, in memory of my mom.
After my shift, I hang up my apron, give Al a goodbye hug and head out to the parking lot. A shower of sleet pelts my face so I have to bow my head as I walk. There’s a thin carpet of ice on the ground, crunching beneath my feet. Damn, I’m going to have to scrape the car, and worse, drive in this crap, which always makes me nervous.
The parking lot is quiet, the cars frosted in silvery white. My Malibu is at the far end; Bruce always wants us employees to park away from the restaurant to save the good spots for customers. I get in my car, turn the defroster on full blast and reach in the pocket of the door for the ice scraper. Leaning across the hood of the car, I clear the ice from the windshield in long, even strokes. I’m moving to the back of the car to take care of the rear window when headlights from a vehicle at the edge of the parking lot suddenly come on, momentarily blinding me. High beams, most likely. I squint against the glare, waiting for the lights to dim or for the car to move, but neither happens. The driver is either an asshole or a moron. Maybe both.
I clear off the back window and get in my car. The headlights of the other vehicle are still glaring, and I can’t see the driver or even the kind of vehicle it is. The thought that it could be Carlo crosses my mind, but then again, I’d expect him to just come in to Tucker's. Maybe, though, he knows I don’t want to talk to him so he’s settling for just seeing me. But why the headlights?
Maybe it’s just some clueless person who doesn’t even realize the high beams are on. I flick on my wipers and pull out of my parking spot. Checking my rearview mirror, I can see the two bright orbs of the headlights, glowing like pupil-less eyes. The size of the lights don’t decrease as I keep driving.
Which means the other car is following me at a steady rate of speed.
I hunch my shoulders to alleviate the cold, creepy feeling prickling against the back of my neck. Okay, stop. The person just happens to be leaving the same time I am. No need to get all paranoid. The car will most likely turn off somewhere soon; there are lots of side streets coming out of Manheim.
I continue on toward E-town, going slow since the roads are glazed with ice and glancing in the rearview mirror. The car is still there. At the intersection of South Main and Market Square, I click on my blinker. The car behind me follows. All right, on my next turn, I’m not going to put on my blinker. Might not be the safest thing, especially with the slippery roads, but I don’t want to give whomever it is behind me any advance notice of where I’m going.
Hossler Road is coming up on the right. I slow down just a bit and then take a sharp right turn, the Malibu’s rear end sliding to the left as I turn the wheel to straighten the car...and headlights from behind flood my car's interior. High beams again. And still following.
Shit. I’m trying not to, but I’m getting seriously creeped out here. Is it just coincidence that this car is going the same place I am? Or was the person waiting for me?
I’m torn between wanting to rush home to the safety of my apartment but feeling uneasy about this person finding out where I live. Should I call Teal? That way, I can hear a friendly voice and my follower can see I’m on the phone.
I look down at the passenger seat at the same second I realize I locked my purse—and my phone—in the trunk. Shit. Pulling over and getting out of the car does not seem like a wise move.
Even though the road is icy, I press down on the gas pedal, hoping to put some distance between me and the other car. The vehicle behind me increases its speed, coming even closer than before, the headlights feeling intrusive.
Uneasiness ratchets up to fear as I consider my options. There’s no one along this stretch of road that I know and could pull into the driveway for help. I don’t want to get out of the car. I can’t use my phone. My apartment is still ten miles away, and I don’t want to be followed there.
There’s no one to help me. Unexpectedly, Carlo's name comes to me, like some sort of buoy to cling to in the teeming sea of my mind. Despite everything, he’d want to protect me, and knowing this makes me feel like crying.
I clench the wheel in an attempt to get a grip on my panicky thoughts, and suddenly, I remember what’s up ahead, less than a mile away: the police station. I’ll pull in there and if needed, I can honk my horn until someone comes out to help me. Thank God.
Clicking on my blinker, I drive into the parking lot of the barracks and check my rearview mirror. Just as I hoped, the vehicle behind me roars past. I crane my neck to try to read the license plate, but the person’s going too fast for me to even determine the make of the car.
Okay. You are safe. Relief mingles with triumph as I sit in there, taking deep, shuddery breaths. I’ll wait a bit to make sure the other car isn’t coming back, and then I’ll get my purse out of the trunk, call Teal, and the two of us can maybe even laugh about this afterwards.
I turn my car to face the road and watch the drops of sleet meet their demise on the windshield. After a few minutes, I get out and pop open the trunk to get my purse. Climbing back in the car, I take out my phone, feeling a tiny zing of disappointment when I don’t see a message from Carlo. The urge to call him and tell him what happened is surprisingly strong. But I won’t. I’ll deal with it, looking at this situation as just some random creep getting his enjoyment out of playing stalker.
And hope that it won’t happen again.
chapter twenty-five ~ Carlo
Ahh, fuck...the doorbell rings as I’m pulling on my sweater. No idea who it could be—I’m not expecting anyone since I have the office holiday party at Bent Brook in an hour. I’ll have to get rid of whomever it is so I can finish getting ready and leave.
Coming into the foyer, I can see what looks like a woman through the front door sidelight, her arms wrapped around herself. She’s wearing a bulky winter coat with the hood over her head, hiding her face. Too tall for Cassandra, unfortunately. So who is it?
I open the door, hit by a blast of mid-December air. The woman pushes back her hood, shaking her bangs out of her eyes and smiling at me mischievously. It’s Alexis.
I’m not annoyed anymore. “Well. This is a surprise.”
“Look, I know you weren't expecting me, but godd
amn it, Carlo, I've asked about getting together like a hundred times, and I just thought I'd take the bull by the horns...so to speak. Are you going to invite me in? It's freezing out here!”
“Getting together? Is that what you'd call what we do?”
She makes a face. “Getting together...booty call...shagging...fucking...whatever you want to call it.”
Grinning, I step aside. She closes the door behind her and immediately wraps her arms around me. That action, and my reaction, take me by surprise. Didn’t expect to feel so moved by this—or so aroused.
Lexi shrugs out of her coat and lets it fall to the floor, standing before me in a loose pink sweater and tight jeans. She’s smiling, but there’s an intensity in her gaze that’s unmistakable as her eyes search mine.
“You aren't the only one who has needs, Carlo,” she murmurs. “I'm sorry to show up like this unannounced, but you know I can be impulsive, and I just couldn't stand it anymore. You didn’t say anything about your being in a relationship, so I figured you were able to...play. And right now—I really, really need to.” She steps closer so that her pelvis is pressing into mine, her face registering instant pleasure when she feels my growing erection. Putting her smooth cheek against mine, she speaks huskily as she slides her fingers up the back of my neck, into my hair. “Will you play with me, Carlo?”
Christ.
“Lex...” The scent of her, the feel of her body against mine and knowing that she wants me, combined with my unappeased libido...all of this is weakening me.
“I know you want me, Carlo. You can't hide it.” She runs her hand slowly down the front of my sweater, sliding it down to grasp my cock through my pants.
A low groan escapes me. Lexi leans closer, still groping me, nipping at my ear lobe with her lips. “I need you to fuck me, Carlo.”
“Jesus, Lexi...you make things so goddamned difficult.”
“I think you meant to say I make things hard. You and I are not difficult—no strings, remember?”
“My office party...it's in an hour.” My cock is straining at the fabric of my pants as she begins to stroke me through the cloth.
“Then we'll be quick. We both like it that way. I'll leave right after—promise.”
Even through my pants, her touch is making me wild. I know it won’t take long; I haven’t been inside a woman since...
The reality jolts me. Lexi is the last woman I had sex with. Almost five months ago.
Five fucking months. I’ve been so focused on Cassandra, on trying to get her back, that the weeks have gone by in a blur, stacking up one on top of another. But there is relief, standing in front of me in a pink sweater and jeans, with no complications and no expectations beyond having me take her—right here, right now. Even though I wish things were different, the reality is that I’m unattached, with no indication that things with Cassandra are going to change any time soon.
Decision made.
I grab Lexi's hands and push them behind her, holding them firmly just above her ass. Her head tilts back to look at me in eager expectation, and I put my mouth hard on hers, taming her tongue with mine. I shift both her hands into my left one so I can have my right hand free to reach under her sweater, cup her breast, pinch her nipple till she’s moaning softly against my lips.
I break our kiss to whisper harshly in her ear. “I'm going to fuck you against the wall, Alexis. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she breathes. “Oh God, Carlo...yes.”
I’m kissing her again, pushing her against the wall in the foyer, not caring if the neighbors might be able to see, not caring about anything else except getting my cock inside her and fucking her hard.
I unbutton her jeans and push them down over her hips. She’s wearing pink panties with lace trim. Jesus, that innocent young girl look always makes me hot.
Taking Lexi’s hands and holding them over her head, I kiss and nibble her neck as I push my knee between her legs to spread them. She’s breathing heavily, her eyes closed, and she gasps when I run my index finger down the center of her silky panties, circling around the small, hard knot I feel through the fabric.
“I can feel how wet you are. You're ready to be fucked, aren't you?”
“I am. So ready.”
“Beg me.”
“God...please, Carlo. Please fuck me.”
Christ, the pleading for me to take her...my balls tighten and my cock throbs. “Keep your hands over your head, Alexis,” I command her as I unbutton my pants and slide them down to my knees. My hard-on is fucking enormous. I think about having her suck me, but I don’t want to chance coming in her mouth.
“Close your eyes, Alexis.”
She does, her tits moving up and down with her rapid breathing. I get on my knees in front of her. I planned to just take her, but I want to praise her for being patient with me...and going down on a woman is a reward for me as well.
My fingers dip into the waistband of her panties and pull them down. Her pussy is bare, the pink lips swollen. God...my mouth grazes her folds as I let her feel my exhales. She’s trembling with anticipation. Placing one hand on each of her thighs, I lean in and kiss her sex, enjoying her sharp intake of breath. I flatten my tongue and press it against her engorged clit, holding it there as she squirms.
“For Christ's sake, Carlo,” she whimpers. “You're killing me here.”
Goal met. I chuckle softly and kiss a circle around her clit, slipping a finger deep inside her wet opening.
“Spread your legs, Lex.”
She obeys, and I flick my tongue over her hard knot as she moans, her fingers sinking into my hair and gripping it tightly. Taking her clit between my lips, I suck it gently at first, then harder until I know she can’t wait another second to be fucked.
I stand up, my cock rigid and throbbing as I anticipate the walls of Lexi’s hot pussy around it, the release I’ll soon have. I position myself to enter her.
Pressing the head of my cock against her slit, I take each of her hands in mine and hold them high over her head. She’s in perfect alignment with me. I jerk my hips forward, plunging into her with my mouth at her ear.
“You needed me to fuck you, didn't you?” I slide in and out of her with hard, quick strokes, grunting with the effort of holding back my climax as her pussy tightens around me. Closing my eyes, I’m suddenly imagining wavy auburn hair, stunning aquamarine eyes, a delicate, innocent face—wishing I was pinning that girl against the wall, wishing I was inside her tight, wet pussy, fucking her hard...
“Cassandra...” With a final, deep thrust, I groan as I come hard, feeling the spasms of Lexi's pussy around my cock as she has her own climax.
Fuck. Did I really just say Cassandra's name? And did Lexi notice?
Breathing hard, I release her hands and take a step back. She pulls up her jeans and buttons them, one eyebrow raised as she regards me with something between amusement and disapproval.
“My sweet Carlo,” she says, sighing and shaking her head. “Now I know why you've been resisting me. You have someone, don't you?”
And there it is—the familiar ache, fanning out from the center of my chest and taking hold.
“Yeah, Lex,” I tell her, a rueful smile flickering on my lips. “I do.”
chapter twenty-six ~ Cassandra
“I can't convince you to come to Christmas with me, can I?” Teal flutters her eyelashes at me as she sucks on the end of a candy cane. We’re in my living room in pajama pants and sweatshirts, surrounded by Teal's textbooks, opened bags of corn chips and cans of Bud Light Lime. Teal has Pandora Christmas music playing on her laptop.
I frown at her over my computer. “I went to your Thanksgiving. Wasn't that enough?”
“No. I need you. My mother's even worse on Christmas.”
“Then I'll gracefully decline by saying absofuckinglutely not.”
“Grrrr, you’re cruel. But I can't blame you.” She picks up one of her textbooks and flips through the pages. “This Public Finance an
d Social Choice final is going to be the death of me.”
“You'll be fine. You always are.”
“Isn't this cool, having a study sesh? Just like old times.”
“Except I'm not actually taking a class yet.”
“A minor technicality. You've enrolled.”
“Yeah, in one wimpy business class online. I'm just here for moral support for my brainy friend who's taking like twenty-seven history governmental political socioeconomic credit hours.”
“Ha! It does feel like twenty-seven. But I just keep telling myself that it'll be worth it. Ninety-three percent of Franklin Marshall pre-law students get accepted into top law schools. Got to keep my eye on the prize. And you do, too. You'll have that stable to manage yourself someday.” Taking a sip from her beer, Teal sets down the can on the end table with a contented burp. “And speaking of the stable...how's your cowboy?”
“Josh is good. He's amazing with horses.”
“And with women?”
“I don't have much to go on, but from what I've seen so far...pretty talented in that area as well.”
“Have you guys been flirting? Anything physical yet?”
“A little flirting, but nothing beyond that.” I reach for a handful of Fritos and crunch them.
“Is the CEO still after you?”
“Yes.”
“Have you let him explain his whole motivation with that submission game thing?”
“No.”
“Aren't you the least bit curious about that?”
“I don't know. It's really not about being curious.”
“Well, I'm curious. I'd like to know if there's any justification for it.”
“You talk to him, then.”
“Don't get all pissy with me, Cass. I've just been thinking...maybe it would be good to hear him out, and then you can decide if it's worth it to give him another chance. He's like obsessed with you, and maybe this thing is just going to keep being in limbo, with him trying and you resisting. Maybe the only way for you to move on, with him or without him, is to listen to what he has to say.”