I was still furious about the night before, but with my upbringing, I couldn’t walk by and say nothing.
I parked and got out. “Hey, what’s goin’ on, wild girl?”
It was then I heard her parents arguing inside.
“She’s your daughter!” Mr. Hirt hollered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mrs. Hirt yelled back.
“You know what they say about apples and trees.”
“Oh, you fuckin’ son of a bitch. You got around as much as I did.”
“I’m a guy!”
“Ha! So the fuck what!”
Something crashed inside and we both jumped.
“You stopped over on family fun night,” Karis said, but she still kept her head down.
“Well, I’ll be surprised if she makes it to graduation without gettin’ knocked up by one of those scumbags she hangs around!” Mr. Hirt growled.
Karis stood up angrily and started to walk away.
“Where are you going?” I called, catching up to her.
“Anywhere but here. Maybe I’ll track down one of my scumbags and get on that.”
“Stop. They’re just angry. I’m sure they didn’t mean it.”
“Like you don’t think the same damn thing.”
I grabbed her by the elbow and swung her around to face me.
It was then I saw the abrasion and slight bruising on her cheek.
“What the fuck! Who did that?” I hadn’t really gotten a good look at her again in decent light the night before. “Did that little fucker do that to you? I’ll kill him.”
I was already turning away from her when she gripped my t-shirt.
“No, he didn’t do this.” I watched her. “That’s the handiwork of the back of my mother’s hand, if you must know.” She glared at me defiantly, but I saw the hurt in her eyes.
It made me feel like shit, because I knew it wasn’t the first time her mother had slapped her. Karis didn’t make things easy for her parents the way she acted and the things she did. She would push any parent to the breaking point. However I couldn’t condone her being abused. Discipline in my family was very different. But there was nothing I could do, if that’s what they thought they needed to do to keep her in line.
I worried that’s what her attraction to Max had been. Did she equate his mistreatment to love because of the rocky relationship she experienced with her mother and father?
Without thought of anything else, I pulled her into my arms. She tucked her head under my chin and she embraced my back. The floodgates opened. She sobbed into my shirt.
“Come on. Let me come in with you, maybe we can talk to them and...”
“No. I heard what they think of me. I’m not going back in there. At least not tonight. My mother’s had a few drinks and she’s never reasonable after that. Later she’ll come into my room all pissed up and list off all the things that are wrong with me and why I am their biggest disappointment. Let them worry and wonder where the fuck I am and if I’m out getting fucked by twelve different guys!”
“You see! That’s precisely why people think those things of you. Why can’t you be a good girl?”
“I’m not doing anything different than Trey. But no, he’s a fucking hero when he has a new girlfriend every week. When I switch guys, I’m a slut.”
“Karis, if you ever want to land a guy like me, then you seriously need to clean up your act.”
Her expression changed to one of hurt before she broke away from me. “What are you doing here anyway?”
“I came to see if Trey was home.”
“He’s not. So go home.”
“Come with me.”
Her head twitched, as if I’d brought her up short with that suggestion.
“Come on, it’s getting dark and I don’t want you traipsing around out here. If you don’t want to go back inside, come home with me. You can sleep on the couch.”
She snorted. “Just what do you think happens to me when you’re not around, Call? I can take care of myself you know.”
“Yeah, you’re doing a bang up job,” I said as I took her arm and directed her to the passenger side of my Jeep.
Lucky for me, she didn’t fight me and got in.
I should have known better. As we drove toward my house she played with the radio. Once she found a station she liked, she reached across and gripped my thigh.
I glared at her, then focused back on the road. “Don’t start,” I warned.
“Why not? Taking me home is probably not a good idea for you, Call. You think I’m gonna stay on the couch when I know your nice warm body is just down the hall?”
“My parents are home.”
“And you think that worries me? What do I care what your parents think of me when I know that my own folks think I’m a whore.”
“Well, I care about what my mom and dad think of me. And if you care about me as much as you say you do, then you’ll respect that. And you’ll respect my parents in their home that they are about to open up to you when you need a place to stay.”
“I didn’t ask for your help. I have other places I can go. So don’t act like a martyr here, Call.”
“Quit acting like a spoiled little brat.”
Turning up the radio, she stared out the windshield and ignored me.
When we arrived at my place, I explained the situation to my folks and it was no problem. My mom supplied a blanket and a pillow. She was so sweet to Karis that by the time I checked on her before I turned in, she was in tears again. She was already lying down. “You have the sweetest mom,” she sobbed, wetting the pillowcase.
I sat down on the floor by her and brushed her long hair back from her face.
“I know. I lucked out.”
I wiped her cheek, avoiding the small purplish bruise. “I’m sorry, Karis.”
She shrugged. “Brought it on myself, right?”
“Why do you always have to act so tough?”
“I’m lying on your couch crying my eyes out. Yeah, I’m real tough.” She closed her eyes.
My mom called softly then. “Call, I think you should head up to bed now. Let Karis get some sleep, hun.”
“’Kay, Mom.” I leaned over and gave Karis a kiss on the cheek. “Good night, Kare.”
“Good night.’' Just as I was about out of the room, she added, “Call...thank you.”
It took me a long time to get to sleep. I couldn’t keep my mind off her, as she’d said, just down the hall. I had this overwhelming urge to just go and hold her, but that would be stupid and send her all the wrong signals. Besides, it was getting harder and harder to fight her off.
When my door cracked open, I wasn’t really surprised. It was just beginning to get light out. I tensed. The last thing I wanted to do was get into one our rip roaring fights with my parents just down the hall. As bold as you please, Karis crept up and pulled the blanket aside.
I glared at her. She ignored me and cuddled right into my side, laying her head on my chest. She didn’t move, didn’t try to fuck with me. That, in itself, made me relax a little. Not my dick though, it was on high alert, just having her close to me, feeling her warm body pressed against mine.
But when I felt her hot tears hit my chest, my heart went out to her. In a way, her life kinda sucked. Her parents always compared her to Trey, and she was right, he was no better or worse than her in his behavior. He partied and skipped school and fucked around just as much as she did, if not more. It was Karis who always got shit on, even by Trey. He talked smack about her even to us guys, calling her every derogatory name he could think of. Even when she walked by us with her girlfriends when we’d attended the same school, Trey would call her something and we all, including me, had gotten so used to it, no one said a word in her defense. The entire family held no respect for one another.
“I can’t wait to leave this town, Call.”
I stroked her hair. I had no idea what to say to make her feel better. Getting away from here would be the best thing for
her.
Chapter Five
I spent the entire day cleaning up and preparing for the party. I put together a couple of cheese and veggie trays while trying to reach Karis. She hadn’t answered any of my texts or my calls. I assumed she must have headed back to school. I tried to keep my disappointment at bay, but it didn’t matter how many times I attempted to think of something else, Karis always crept back into my thoughts.
About 5:30, I’d just finished showering and pulled on some trousers when the doorbell sounded. Shit! My first guests were early.
I ran down the hall with my shirt in my hands and peeked through the fancy side glass window. I smiled when I saw the beautiful blonde on the other side of the door. My stomach tightened. I tossed my shirt over my shoulder and whipped open the door.
“Hey, wild child.” Again, she looked fantastic. I was used to her in shorts and a t-shirt, but dressed nicely as she was just did something for me. Today’s ensemble was similar in cut to the one from yesterday, hugging her body like a second skin, but instead of a solid color, the pattern was a bold purple with silver swirls and pinpoints.
“Call, your place is beautiful,” she said, but her gaze went straight to my chest and worked downward. She held a bowl covered in cellophane in her hands. Without taking her attention from my upper body, she set the dish down on the curio table I kept near the door.
“Oh, my.” She ran a fingernail down my core. My muscles twitched and my cock jerked at her touch.
“Your four pack has grown to six, pretty boy. Very nice. Mind if I hold it against me?”
I had no objection. In fact, it sounded like a great idea.
Her gaze never lifted and she started to move closer, smoothing her palms over my ribs.
I angled my arms around her waist and pulled her in. She made a humming sound that transferred from her to me as she flattened her chest against mine. And, to no one’s surprise, especially mine, my cock lengthened.
“Aaaand he’s glad to see me,” she mumbled, her lips brushing my bare shoulder.
“Yeah, well, you always did have that effect on me.” For once, I wasn’t even pissed off that she’d called attention to it.
“I know. Too bad you never did anything about it.”
As one we stepped back and I closed the door. We stood holding each other. I was totally distracted by the way she kept running her soft lips over my collarbone.
“So, I stopped over early to see if I could help you get ready for your soirée tonight, but this is so much better.” She sucked softly on my skin and I cushioned my hips more fully against her. Never the shy one, she didn’t move away; she pressed back. Now this was more like the girl I remembered. I wanted some more of that.
Not to be outdone, I also ran my mouth across her skin. Her lovely shoulders were bare and on display, begging to be kissed.
“I didn’t think you were going to show,” I said, letting my lips murmur against her tasty flesh.
“This is a party, right?”
I cocked my head at her, questioningly.
“You should know from experience that a party’s not a party, if I’m in the party.”
I couldn’t help but grin. That was her signature. “There’s a song in there somewhere.
“Yeah, used to be my favorite.”
“Yes, I remember, I even have it on my playlist. I listen to it when I need a Karis fix and a little reminder not to take life so seriously. That it’s okay to have a good time once in a while. And yes, there were many a party that didn’t get off the ground until you arrived.”
“I know, right! And it’s good to know that I taught you a little somethin’.”
For a moment, I experienced a little anxiety about how she would mix with my company people. I couldn’t afford to have her trying to pull off some of the crazy stunts she’d done in past. I quashed the senseless worry. She was more mature now and she also knew how important work and the business were to me and my family. She’d even said so herself.
I heard a car door slam outside and I knew even if it wasn’t one of my guests, they would be coming shortly and I should take some time to try and get myself under control.
“What’s in the bowl, Kare?”
“I brought salsa that I made with real tomatoes, fresh cilantro, jalapeno, and serano peppers. And a dash of lime. Not from a jar. Should I put it in the fridge?” She leaned back.
“No,” I said, much too quickly, pulling her in.
Silently, she laughed.
I felt her breath shudder down my arm.
She ran her soft palms up my back and I fuckin’ trembled at the touch.
“I should really keep it chilled, Call.”
With reluctance I stepped back and as she moved to the kitchen area, I gave my dick a quick nudge. “Behave.”
Pulling on my shirt, I then buttoned it up but left it un-tucked for the moment to help camouflage my indecency.
Karis turned back to me after placing the dish to cool. “Thought I’d show you salsa that doesn’t come from a jar.”
“Trying to show me up? Mine turned out pretty good, ya know.”
“Turned out, you mean, of the jar?”
“Okay, let’s have a little contest then, shall we? We’ll see whose dip goes the fastest, will we?”
“And what’s the wager?”
“Whoever loses has to clean up.”
“No way. This isn’t even my shindig,” she said in protest.
“Okay, if you lose, you clean up. And if I lose, I’ll clean up and you can name your winnings.”
“Oh, that might be very dangerous for you. I can think of all kinds of things I’d like from you.”
There were a few I’d like to give her, I was beginning to realize.
Gracefully she took a seat on the other side of the island counter. I poured her a glass of wine.
“Thank you.” She took a tentative sip. “Mmm, that’s good. Nice choice.”
“Also Dad’s suggestion,” I said, taking a drink myself.
“Are your parents coming tonight?”
“No. That’s why I wanted you here.”
“That’s too bad. I’d love to see them.”
Swivelling on the stool, she looked into the living area.
“This is so weird.”
I watched her questioningly as I poured chips into a bowl.
“Sitting here in your very own place, which did I mention is to die for...”
“You did.” I smiled, strangely pleased that she seem so impressed. I was proud of what I had and what I’d been able to provide for myself so far.
She continued. “Having a glass of wine. Like we’re real grownups.”
I chuckled. “We are.” Although this was a new dynamic for the two of us. I had to keep reminding myself of that.
She took a dainty sip of the rosé and when she licked her pouty lips, the action made my dick jerk.
Then she stood. As she went to walk past me, I took her arm and it brought her gaze to mine. We were very close.
“Where ya goin’?”
“I thought I’d put on some music,” she said, watching me levelly. “Remember? Music. Dancing.” She did a little shimmy, then pointed at her chest. “Party.” That irrepressible grin of hers appeared and it made me smile, too.
“How could I forget?” One of my favorite things to do was watch her dance. No one moved like her. Depending on what kind of mood she was in, she moved in a different way. Sometimes she was graceful, others sensual but more often than not, she gyrated quite like no other woman I’d ever seen. Trey used to joke that she could get a job as a stripper or a pole dancer and pay her way through college and come out with a degree and zero debt.
I let her go and she strode over to my sound system. “Open up my laptop there,” I said. It was all programmed through there.
“Oh, fancy, high tech, rich boy.”
“Pull up the library, you can either pick and choose individual songs and they’ll just play in that order, or you can
pick the genre or just hit random.” While she messed around with that, I tucked in my shirt and tied my necktie.
“What kind of ambiance do you want for your stuffy friends, Call?”
I chortled. “Well, maybe quiet at first, so we can converse. Then we can crank it up. But just a bit,” I added, when her face lit up “...once everyone has had a few drinks and loosen up a bit.” Besides, Karis’ interpretation of turning it up and mine were completely different. She’d blown out the speakers in my Jeep several times.
“Okay, so elevator music it is.” She bent over the keyboard, staring at the screen. Her short skirt inched up, giving me a sweet view of her amazing thighs, maybe even a hint of her nice round bum.
The room filled with hip but sophisticated tones. It was perfect. It made me want to hold her close and dance with her. I gave into it, looking for any reason to get next to her again.
I moved in behind her and placed my hands on either hip. She looked over her shoulder at me then straightened up. She turned to face me. “What are you up to?”
I didn’t answer, just took her hands in mine. I kept hold of one and directed the other to my shoulder. She went along with it, focusing on my face. I continued to smile at her.
We swayed together and once she relaxed, she took her hand from my shoulder and slid her arm around my back.
One song ended and blended into another. I would have been quite content to spend the entire evening like this. Fuck the party.
“I thought you didn’t like to dance with me,” she said, staring over my shoulder.
“I can only take it in small doses. For me you’re like sensory overload to the nth degree, Kare.”
“Why is it you can give a compliment, but when it’s directed at me, it sounds derogatory?”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
I could feel her drawing back. “Don’t you think we should get the munchies plated?”
“Probably. But I’m just as happy to stay like this.”
“What’s gotten into you?” she asked, but she smiled. “Were you into that wine before I got here?”
“No,” I responded, staring at her bare shoulder.
She grabbed my tie, then turned around. With it over her shoulder, she dragged me towards the kitchen area. “Come on you.”
Memories of Us Page 5