"Are you just gonna play games all mornin'?" I refill his cup and set the pot on a coaster. Chad's face flashes with desire and I can't help but giggle at him as he jumps up to his knees, saying into his headset that he'll be back in a minute and crawling over to me on his hands and knees as I sit in the recliner. I pull my legs up with my knees to my chest to get out of his grasp, laughing at the sinister look on Chad's face.
"Do you wanna play some games," he asks with a sly smile, a fire lit behind his blue eyes. His large, warm hands grab behind my knees, pulling them apart so he can wiggle his chest between my legs. His hands run over my thighs to my hips, gripping into my butt and pulling me to him and we fall back onto the floor with me on top of him as I laugh quietly into his chest.
Bracing myself with my hands on his chest I say in my best sultry voice, "Well of course I wanna play games with you," and I can't help but blush at the desire that I see rush through his face. The sounds of our laughter and love-making fill the better part of our morning. Chad uses the left over frosting as inventive body paint and is licking it off my bared stomach as the doorbell rings.
I jump to my feet and run into the spare bedroom as Chad pulls his pajama pants back on, winking to me as he walks past to get the door and I lean behind the bedroom door, pulling my bra and tank back on. I can still feel the lingering touch of his lips on my skin and it fills my body with heat as I pull my tank back on. He drove me insane.
"Hey Har," I hear Chad issue and Harlan's voice reply issuing a good morning. I pull my hair up into a messy bun, fixing my appearance in the mirror above the dresser that I had used in my old double wide trailer. I can hear the two men talking about something so I head out into the hallway, waving at Harlan when he smiles at me, not breaking his conversation with Chad.
"So I was thinkin' you guys would wanna go with us," I heard him say as I grabbed the cinnamon buns and headed for the door. He took one right off the plate, biting into it with a huge smile on his face, "Mmmm-mmm Ray," he mumbled, shoving the last bit in his mouth and licking his thumb and index finger, "you make the best cinnamon buns."
"Thanks Har," I blush a little, because my baking is nowhere as good as my mom’s was. I lean my head on Chad's shoulder as his arm snakes around my waist. "Where did you want us to go with you," I ask, looking between the two men, a sly smile on Chad's face as he looks down at his slippers.
"Oh, I was just askin' Chad if ya guys wanna go to Muncy's tonight with me and Kendall," Harlan's big, dark blue eyes dart from me to Chad as his large hand reaches out and takes another cinnamon bun with a smile. I nod my head in agreement and look to Chad, seeing the apprehension in his deliberation.
"As a......double date?" I smile, raising an eyebrow as I run my gaze over Harlan one more time, taking in his towering farm boy stature. He gave me that shy smile that every country boy does to get himself out of trouble and I can't help but giggle quietly. "Well 'bout God damn time," I say, punching him lightly in the shoulder.
"Said the same bout you two," he tossed back, slapping Chad on the shoulder with his massive palm. Yeah, I was pretty sure everybody who knew us in the whole damn county said the same, but that's beside the point. I look again at Chad. I know he's going over what going with Harlan and Kendall could mean. Duke was most certainly going to be there, with his little skank, Holly, and they no-dubitably would try and start something with us.
"Yeah," Chad said, his eyes meeting with Harlan's, "we'll go with ya." He gripped me tighter to his side, squeezing my shoulder into his lower ribs and pressing my head to his shoulder. "What time?" I can see Harlan was relieved that Chad had agreed. He stood a little straighter and seemed to shake his shoulders loose of some unseen weight.
"Um, how bout eighty-thirty-ish," Harlan said and Chad nodded in reply. "Alright man," Harlan and Chad shook hands with gusto, both of them smiling and it makes me laugh a little at Harlan's enthusiasm. "First round's on me," he says, taking one more cinnamon roll and bounding down the front steps, waving from the driver’s side of his truck before getting in and roaring down the road. We both stand there for a second, seeing his truck pull into Kendall's driveway we share a glance, Chad breaking out in a laugh as we close the front door behind us, engulfed in the warmth of our home once more.
Our afternoon passed with more love-making followed by starting to paint one of the upstairs spare bedrooms where there was barely any furniture, only an empty dresser and an old gliding rocker that had no cushions. Chad's mom joined us, bringing us some cold chicken sandwiches which we both devoured. They were layered with stuffing and cranberry sauce, all leftovers from the other night. The robin’s egg blue color looked good and we all praised it as we rinsed out the paint roller and trays in the finished basement drain sink. Dana loved the color and convinced me [it was no big fight] to give her the left over paint so that she can pix up an old dresser and table she has. The woman was always looking for something to craft or paint, occupying her time other than her part time job at the credit union.
Dana left Chad and I late in the afternoon and we both sank down on our couch, my head automatically going to his shoulder while his arm rested on the back, just behind my head, his fingers lightly playing in my hair. We were watching reruns of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on the USA network as I started to nod off, giving in to Chad's body heat and the slight massage he was giving me on my scalp. I felt myself sigh long and heavy, my cheek sinking further into his t-shirt and I wrap my arm around his chest, running my fingers over his muscles, feeling them twitch bringing a smile to my lips.
Waking up with the room pitch dark was disorienting. More so because I was alone and still on the couch, sprawled out like I had been fighting some imaginary bear. I slowly sat up because there was a kink in my back from being all twisted around, looking around the dark room I squint to see if Chad is on the floor or in the kitchen, but there's no lights. "Chad," I loudly say, my voice scratchy as I wipe the drool off of my chin. I guess I had been quite tired and hadn't known it.
"I'm in the bedroom," he yelled down from upstairs as I tumbled from the couch, the fleece blanket tangled around my ankles. I groped around, making sure I don't bump into anything as I make it to the wall by the stairs, running my hand along it to find the light switch. I felt blinded as the staircase light beamed to life, my hand going to my face to shield some of it away but my eyes still watered as I made my way, slowly, up the stairs.
I yawned loudly as I ran my hand along the banister, taking the slight left at the top of the stairs and walking through our open bedroom door, Chad smiling at me as he turned from the dresser. "Better get in the shower sleepyhead," he winked as I shuffled past him to the bathroom door, "we gotta get to the bar in about an hour."
"Alright," I mumble, flipping on the shower and pulling a towel from the shelf above the toilet. "Will you set me out some jeans and a shirt while I'm in here," I yawn, leaning my chin on the door frame, batting my eye lashes playfully at him as I see him pulling on his dark jeans.
Damn, he looked good. His abs stood out and made me want to scrub laundry on them. His chest was wickedly defined leading to perfect arms and shoulders moving under his smooth skin. God! How bad I wanted this man all the time! He noticed that I was eyeing him up and down and he does a little spin, holding his arms out then swiping his hands down his sides as if to showcase his perfectly ripped body.
"Yeah babe," he grins, leaning in and kissing me sweetly, making me want more, "get your beautiful ass in there so we're not late." Turning with a smile, I feel his hand meet my butt in a swat and I jump, giving him a little squeal of delight.
The stars were out, the sky being clear and the air chilly as we drove to Muncy's, smack dab in the middle of town at our only stop light. Friday was a very busy night, people coming in to drown their paycheck away in long necks and shot glasses. My older cowboy boot tips peeked out from under the boot-cut, snug jeans Chad had picked out for me. The v-neck on the red long sleeve dipped down below my breasts, my red
and white tank filling the void. I can't help but feel he's trying to show me off, flaunt me if you will, and it makes me giddy. Chad Payne wants to flaunt me around our local bar, showing everyone that I'm his.
The large parking lot was almost packed, Chad taking the space three down from Harlan's F-150 and I pulled my thin Hanes sweatshirt over me, staying away the chill till we get in the bar. I could already hear the jukebox blaring Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar" as Chad's hand wraps around mine, his fingers lacing through making me feel small and protected at his side. Walking across the gravel, he tugs me to his side kissing my temple and then my ear, his teeth grazing lightly at the tender flesh and I swat him in the chest.
"Down tiger," I purr, looking up at his blue eyes, losing myself in them to the point where I stumble. Chad steadies me by grabbing my free forearm, a chuckle running through his chest. "Oh ha ha," I say, swatting at him again.
His hand shot out to grab the large handle of the heavy wooden door, swinging it open so that the heat and smell of stale beer hit me directly in the face. It was packed. The booths and tables scattered around the front bar room full to the brim, with patrons standing idly by, talking and joking, but mostly just drinking. Shedding my sweatshirt, I drape the hood over a set of deer antlers that were used as a coat rack by the door. Muncy's was a pure redneck bar, all wood and dark, with dead animal parts and mounts all over the place.
The bar was horseshoe shaped situated in the corner off to the left, leaving plenty of room for tables, booths and a good size dance floor with a small stage where a local country band played once in a blue moon. There was a small kitchen behind the bar where they pumped out burgers, fries, wings and your other typical bar foods. There was a small room off to the right where there were three pool tables, two foosball and five dart boards.
The smells and sounds made me smile, Chad's hand on the small of my back pushing me forward only making it brighter and wider. I really liked working here on the weekends and I can see that maybe this place will bring me a little happiness to occupy my time when Chad is deployed. I loved conversing with all the townies. Hearing stories I've heard a million times over and calling wives or mothers to come pick them up when they've had one too many, which was often. The older men were always the bigger tippers, leaving me five to ten dollars compared to the guys more around my age who would leave a dollar or two. Chad pushed me through the crowded room as we both offered polite greetings and waves to those who did the same, finally seeing Harlan and Kendall up at the bar.
Seeing them, I stopped in my steps, poking Chad in the chest getting him to bend so that his ear was close to my mouth. "Look at those two," I say with a smile. Kendall was up on the bar stool in her typical skin tight jeans and Harlan stood off to the side, his hand resting on her hip, his knee up on the bottom bar, his leg brushing hers. They looked like a couple. It was so damn cute. I practically ran the rest of the distance, sliding next to Kendall's right side and tapping her on the shoulder.
Her face lit up, her eyes going wide as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. "Hi," she squealed, throwing her arms around me as I did the same, hugging her tight and giving Harlan a dramatic wink as her blonde hair brushed on my face. "We thought you guys had split on us," she said, hugging Chad and then coming back to face me. She looked great and she seemed to be beaming. Hmmmm, I thought to myself. She had finally let her feelings for Harlan fly and flourish. Good for her.
"I accidentally fell asleep," I say, shrugging my shoulder. Kendall gives me a raised eyebrow, mouthing the words 'oh yeah right', and we both laugh. Harlan lives up to his promise of buying the first round and hands Chad and I bottles of Budweiser. I settle into the stool next to Kendall, Chad behind me and we formed a sort of square of solace, conversing close to one another so we could hear over the booming jukebox. Chad and Harlan fell into comfortable conversation about football or something, I couldn't really tell because I could only hear bits and pieces while Kendall and I talked about her and Harlan.
I learned that Harlan had confessed his long time feelings for her at the bonfire and that she had confessed hers, leading to a long, heated make out session and Kendall blushed telling me, which she never does. This is my friend who watches soft core porn remember, so her blushing is something very irregular. We had gone through three rounds before someone interrupted our little group. Guys who had gone to school with Harlan and Chad, asked them to come and play darts.
"You two okay," Chad asks into my ear and I nod. He kisses me quickly three times on the cheek and temple, making me giggle and Harlan and him are off. Turning back from watching him walk a couple tables away I see that Kendall's eyes are still watching Harlan, locked on their disappearing figures until I snap my fingers in front of her face.
"I wonder how Jarrod is gonna take the news of you and Harlan," I say, leaning closer to her. Kendall is dressed a little like me, her jeans snugger and her shirt showing more cleavage, but we have similar style right down to our cowboy boots.
She shrugs and takes another long drink of her beer, "Don't really care," she says, her eyes darting around the packed bar room. "Harlan says Jarrod always flaunted what we did together in front of him so frankly I hope he shows up tonight so I can see the look on his face." We both laugh lightly, knowing that Jarrod will act overly dramatic like he always does and both knowing that the whole bar will erupt in laughter when it happens. We click the necks of our bottles together, silently cheers-ing one another, still giggling as we take long swigs of the cold Budweiser, slamming the bottle down on the bar top as we both finish them.
Brad Muncy is tending the bar tonight and he sees us signal for another round, uncapping the bottles and sliding them our way. Brad is one of Duke's friends but he had always been nice to me, sticking up for me when Duke is being an over the top asshole. He was about five foot seven with close cut black hair, kept gelled and spiked when working [he managed the bar which was owned by his dad] and under a torn up baseball cap otherwise. I had always found his large hazel eyes magnificent, especially since they were rimmed with long dark lashes. He had a country boy drawl and was always polite to everyone, unless they caused a problem. Then he used his very toned body to haul them out into the parking lot.
The bad thing about Brad was that he was a follower, being a year older than Duke but he followed him around like a little puppy dog. I guessed it was because Brad had a slight case of dyslexia, causing some kids to be mean to him when they were younger, giving him a lower self-esteem. He was a cutie, I just wished that he would dump Duke and his other lackies and find himself a nice girl, or guy because I had an inkling that Brad might bat for both teams, if you know what I'm saying.
"When you gonna come back ta work girl," he winks at me, wiping the bar right in front of Kendall and I, giving me a smile that could bring any girl to her knees. He was good to work for, being flexible on hours and tip sharing.
I lay my hand over his large one, patting it slightly like I always do. "Next week bud, don't worry." I give him a sweet smile and he chuckles, shaking his head as he turns to dish out some more drinks. Kendall leans in to say something just as I feel a hand on my shoulder, causing me to turn on the stool, coming face to face with a frowning Duke Orr.
Duke, in all his six foot two bulky stature, stood before me in a ripped pair of Levi's, scuffed cowboy boots, a plaid, pearl snap flannel unbuttoned to let his white t-shirt show underneath. His normal dirty Earnhardt Racing cap is replaced with a black cowboy hat, well-worn and creased to fit. His bottom lip bulged with Copenhagen as his blue-green eyes bore a hole into my blue-gray ones, squinting and looking over my outfit. I shift a little under his scrutiny as I see his eyes settle on my chest, then my thighs.
"Hey Ray," he said, tipping his chin at me, sparing a glance at Kendall.
I nod at him, looking behind to see that he was flanked by his cousin Jesse Ludwell, Kendall's ex Jarrod Rawlings and his ever present shadow, Garth Cobb. Garth was the only one who looked indifferent, his e
yes focused on the bar as Jesse's face curled into a smile. His eyes watched me and Jarrod's eyes were locked on Kendall, well the back of her head at least because she hadn't turned back around.
"Where's your boyfriend?" Jesse sneered, snatching the beer from my hand and drinking a huge portion of it before the protest even left my lips.
"Won't you guys ever grow up," I yell, getting Kendall to whip around and slap the beer bottle from Jesse's lips. Her action warranted a few looks from patrons, but they quickly looked away, deterred by the presence of Duke. The bottle smashed on the wooden floor, shards of glass and foam spewing out for a few feet making a few locals take a couple of steps back to avoid the spray. "You guys to need to leave us the fuck alone," I grind out, my teeth clenched as I lock my eyes on Duke's face, the anger boiling inside when I see his cocky grin. "Besides, where's your little girlfriend?" That got him to drop the grin and replace it with an awful sneer.
"Holly and I aren't dating, you know that," he almost hissed in my face, the smell of beer and chew washing over me, along with the spicy scent of his Tommy Hilfiger cologne, which he always put too much of on. "I want you, Rhea. I've always wanted you." His face softens a little to the point where I remember why I was attracted to him. He was good looking. His blue-green eyes could shine like little marbles in the light, sparkling and seemingly seeing into my soul.
"Duke you shouldn't say shit like that," I scold, giving him my best indifferent raised eyebrow. "If you had wanted me, you woulda stopped sleepin’ with every girl in town the first time we hooked up," I shrugged, turning my legs toward Kendall and accepting the new beer from Brad, who stood idly by keeping a watchful eye on us. "Just please, leave me alone. Leave me and Chad alone. We're happy,"
Two Weeks With a SEAL (The Wakefield Romance Series) Page 15