Sweetness

by Jude Ouvrard

  “Our first vacation,” I whispered, certain I was falling slowly in love with him.

  “We’ll go on vacation again soon, just the two of us.”

  I stretched up on tiptoes to reach his soft lips. “Where?” I murmured in between kisses.

  “Somewhere warm.” He kissed my lips. “With palm trees, exotic flowers.”

  “It kind of sounds like here, baby.”

  “No, not Florida. I’m talking Caribbean or somewhere in the Pacific.”

  “Honestly, I’m glad it isn’t Florida because it isn’t the same here. Damien and Caroline ruined everything for me here at home, that’s why I moved to New York. I miss the warm weather though; I could certainly go on vacations with you.”

  “I'm glad you moved to New York, otherwise I would still be a lost man,” Calvin said and it really touched my heart. My lost man.

  “I’m glad, too. You bring a light in my life.”

  “Same here. I don't want to lose you.”

  “You won't. Can't you see how addicted I am to you?” I couldn’t think of my life without him in it. He didn’t have to answer me, his lips on mine told me he felt the same way.

  A couple of hours later, the DJ announced the countdown to the New Year. Calvin and I stood on the dance floor, face to face, and one of his hands covered the side of my face.

  “The first New Year of many to come,” he said in a low voice before he nestled his loving lips on mine.

  “Do you want to go somewhere with me?”

  He nodded. “Anywhere.”

  I told Rose we were leaving and she didn’t even try to convince me to stay.

  “I’ll be okay. I’m with my friends. You go with your boyfriend. Don’t worry about me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.” She gave me a hug and returned to the dance floor.

  Walking out from a hot and sweaty crowd never felt better. Once outside, I reached for Calvin's hand and we started walking away from the bar. “I used to love hanging out here. Now, everything has changed. I think I can call New York home. I feel alive and free up there.”

  “Will you call my place home?” Calvin asked with a wry smile.

  I chuckled. “One day I will, I promise.”

  “But not now,” he added. There was a bittersweet note to his voice.

  His words confirmed how impatient he was for me to move in and they also confirmed to me, how careful I was about not rushing into things. “When I was young, I used to go to a park near here and sit under a tree. Growing up in a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone and everything about you was difficult. My sister and I, we always had more attention than the other kids because of how identical we were. All my life, I was with my sister, we were always two. Almost like we were one person in two bodies. When I moved away, I lost that completely and I became myself. I know it might sound ridiculous but for once in my life, I feel like I found my true self and I’m getting used to it.”

  “I get it, babe.”

  I smiled. “I love the ranch, but I want to stay in New York. It's where I belong.”

  “I’m glad to hear that because after seeing you earlier with your horse, I was worried you were going to stay here and let me go.”

  “I wouldn’t let you go.” I squeezed his hand. “More like I would keep you as my prisoner.”

  “Maybe I should pretend to leave,” he joked.

  We walked into the park and headed towards the tree I’d sat under for years. We were quiet for a while, simply enjoying each other’s presence. I pushed him against the tree, holding him by the collar of his shirt and pressed a kiss to his lips.

  “I love how you got me to dance.” I wet his lips with the tip of my tongue. “How you kept me secure in your arms and how you touched me.” Calvin let his lips graze down my neck. “It was very intimate, sensual, and yet I don’t think anyone noticed.”

  “You’re wrong. Every single man in there wished he was in my shoes.”

  “But I’m only interested in you,” I whispered. Calvin slid down the tree, tugging me down with him and settled on the ground with me cradled in his lap. “I’ll have to go back to the dorm when we get back to New York.”

  “Don’t. Not now, I don’t want this to end.” He sighed. “When I said I had the best holiday of my life, I meant it. Spending all of this time with you has been amazing.”

  “Kiss me,” I begged.

  “God, I love it when you say that.” His voice was hoarse and deep when he spoke. “Shouldn’t we head back to your parent’s place?”

  “We should, but I really want you to kiss me right now.” I peeked up at him through my eyelashes. He grinned and softly stroked my cheek with the back of his fingers. “What if I can’t stop?” he said, our lips touching.

  It was hard not to nibble on his lips while we were so close. Everything grew incredibly heated. Calvin held my head in place and slanted his mouth to meet mine.

  I didn’t know how far he would take things in a public park under the stars in the pitch black sky. The full moon proved lighter than either of us would have wished. He grasped my breast, and I could feel the desire growing deep inside.

  “Babe, you know how much I want you.” His tongue grazed my lips. “But I respect you more than taking you here. Trust me, it might give me blue balls but I won’t do this to you. Not here, you’re worth more than that.” He squeezed me closer, his hands dancing against my back. “Come on, let’s head back.”

  Chapter THIRTEEN

  THE SUNSET BAR MIGHT NOT have changed much, I realized, but my favorite part about last night had everything to do with the park. I’d always liked that place as a kid and sharing it with Calvin made everything even more special.

  We had gone to bed at four in the morning but I wanted to be up early to help my parents with the horses. They would probably be up and working by six or seven in the morning. I had to help them while I was here and I kind of missed doing it, too. Maybe not the manure part so much.

  “Baby, you can stay in bed, but I’m going to go help my parents, okay?” I whispered to Calvin.

  He rolled over, sounding sleepy. “What... What time is it?”

  “It’s 7:30 am.”

  He turned on the side and groaned into his pillow. “I’m going to need a shower and...”

  “Coffee is served.”

  He chuckled.” You’re the best.”

  “I’ll be in the stable.” I kissed his forehead.

  I hated to wake him up so early after spending half of the night awake. Every part of my body demanded that I go back to bed, but I couldn’t.

  I went to look for Rose but her room was empty. Could she be up already?

  My working boots waited by the door like the old days and my skate board and my apple were right next to it. Mom knew or hoped I would help them, I guessed. I let my board fall on its wheels and rolled to the stables out back on the small pavement alley.

  “Good morning, honey.” Mom’s eyes lit up when she saw me entering the stable.

  I walked up to her. “Morning, Mom,” I said, hugging her tightly.

  I bit into my apple and gave the rest of it to Polo. It was something I used to do every day when I lived at home. Every morning, whether I had school or not, I would come out here to see him. “Good morning, boy,” I said petting his nose. He devoured the apple in no time.

  “Where's Rose?” I asked mom curiously. I hadn’t heard her return home last night.

  “I thought you might know. She didn't sleep here.” Mom rolled her eyes.

  “Oh!” Had I missed something? Was she dating someone? I had no idea.

  “Did you two have a good time last night?” Mom questioned.

  “Yes, it was great to spend time with Rose. I’m really loving my life in New York, but I miss her. All my life, it has been us and now, it’s just me. I miss you and Dad too. Anyway.” I tried not to get too sentimental and pushed aside how much I missed them. “Calvin and Rose seemed to get along great. They l
aughed, talked and had shots with one of Rose’s friend. We danced all together and the night flew by.”

  “I think, he’s really fond of you. Your dad and I are very happy for you. He’s a good man. I can tell how much he cares about you even if it hasn’t been a long time.”

  “I think I found my other half, Mom. I can only hope Rose finds hers.”

  “She will, hon.”

  I took the water buckets from all the stalls and filled them with fresh water. Mom helped by putting them back in place. After the water was done, I went outside to get a hay bale. These things were really heavy and definitely too heavy for my exhausted body first thing in the morning. It took all my energy to bring it into the stable and toss some into each of the eight stalls, while Mom got their mixed grains prepared.

  I hadn’t done this routine in quite a few months and it showed. I used to do this with my eyes closed and now, my heart was pounding hard and I had sweat rolling down my back.

  “Good morning! Anything I can do to help?” Calvin’s bright voice startled me.

  When I turned around, I could have sworn he had turned into an angel. The sun rising behind him created an orange halo around his head. His hair was down, and sections of his tattoos were showing beneath the sleeveless t-shirt he was wearing. But his board shorts really did it for me. I smiled, staring at him in wonder, happy that he had picked me. It was certain, I had fallen head over heels.

  “Baby, come—” I began.

  “Calvin!” My father called his name, interrupting me. “Do you want to throw some ball?”

  I chuckled quietly at my father, the football fan who couldn’t wait to play with an ex-professional footballer. Cal mouthed ‘sorry’ before he joined Dad outside the stables.

  The sound of Dad’s laughter and cheering warmed my heart. He liked Calvin and that meant a lot.

  While the boys enjoyed having play time, I decided to take a small ride with Polo. He didn’t have his saddle on, but it didn’t matter to me, I was just as happy to ride bareback. The other horses followed us around the enclosure as we cantered around the outside. New York City had a lot to offer, but it didn’t have this. Hearing all of the other horses galloping along behind us made me feel good. They weren’t only animals to me, they had amazing hearts and seeing them do this was the proof. They remembered me, even after all these months away. Bringing my ride to a halt, I finished up by brushing their coats, something every single one of them enjoyed. Mom helped and eventually, Rose finally appeared and joined us.

  I could still hear dad was having a good time with Calvin and I was glad to hear that it seemed as if Calvin was enjoying Dad’s company as well. He laughed out loud, as he explained some kind of technical football point to Dad, but I wasn’t sure if Dad would remember anything about this. He was way too excited about playing a game with Calvin Banks.

  Once we were done with the morning tasks, I took my board and performed some of the tricks I used to do during my spare time. I was such a tomboy as a child, but I think part of it was because I was a twin. My sister was the exact opposite, she loved everything girly; glitter, everything pink and constantly changing her hairstyles.

  Dad and Calvin stopped playing and came over to watch. Calvin looked really impressed and grinned when he spoke. “Tony Hawk, what have you done to my girlfriend?”

  Girlfriend? I almost fell off the skateboard. I had never heard that word come out of Calvin’s mouth before and it astounded me. Admittedly, Calvin didn’t really feel like a boyfriend, he’d stormed straight past that title. He had gone from the man I flirted with, to the man I couldn’t live without.

  I let the board roll away and ran straight into his arms. He caught me mid-air and almost tripped over. I kissed him multiple times, all over his face.

  “So, I’m your girlfriend, huh?” I chewed on my lip, blushing furiously.

  “Why does that surprise you? It’s the proper terminology, but I think we’re much more than that.”

  “We are.” I hugged him with all the strength I possessed and then wriggled out of his arms. “I need to shower before the guests arrive. I stink.”

  “Me too,” Calvin admitted.

  “You want to join me?” I questioned with a sexy smile.

  “I volunteered to help your father with breakfast.”

  I pouted. I needed that closeness with Calvin and since we’d been here, I didn’t seem to be getting enough of it.

  An hour or so later, my grandmother arrived, along with my aunt, uncle and cousin. My grandmother gave each of us two kisses, one on each cheek, including Calvin – and so did my aunt. Calvin appeared to be very nervous. He tried to hide it, but I knew him well enough that I could see it in his eyes and the stiffness in his movements.

  “Is everything okay, baby?” I asked him quietly.

  He nodded avoiding my gaze.

  “Come with me.” I knew I needed to get him out of here because he seemed overwhelmed. He didn`t look well, and I hated seeing him like this.

  “Shit, I'm not good at this,” he muttered, sounding ashamed of himself.

  “At what?”

  He sighed and rubbed his face with the palm of his hands. “Again, I've never done this. It freaks me out. What if they don't like me?” he asked quietly.

  “They already do.” I circled my arms around his waist. “You make me happy and it’s all that matters to them, okay?”

  He nodded slowly. “The stress is playing with my head. I've never wanted to make a good impression so badly in my life.” He chuckled. “I’m more nervous now than I was before my first NFL game. This is all new territory to me.”

  “Stop worrying about it. Dad will convince anyone in this family who might have any doubts, it’s pretty obvious that he adores you.” I kissed his chin. “You’re doing great, baby.”

  “The stress has been eating at me all night. I’m so tired. It took everything I had to wake up this morning.”

  “Follow me.” Telling Mom on the way to my bedroom that Calvin and I needed a few moments alone, I watched as she simply smiled, no questions asked.

  As soon as we got into my room, I locked the door and got under the covers of the bed. “Come on.”

  His eyebrows furrowed. “What are you doing?”

  “You need to rest, baby. We’re going to take a nap together.”

  A small grin appeared on his lips. “Do you mind if I take off my top?” He chuckled, knowing I would never mind such a thing.

  He joined me in the comfort of the bed. With his tall frame, the bed was awfully small, but all it meant was that we had to cuddle a little closer together. Within seconds, he had fallen asleep; his head on my breasts and his arms wrapped around me, not letting me go.

  I let my fingers swirl through his hair until I fell asleep. We both needed to catch up on sleep and now seemed like a good time. The sound of his breathing calmed me. I felt at peace having him here with me. Everything was rushed with us getting together, but maybe it was meant to be that way.

  A few gentle knocks at the door woke me up. “Iris, it’s been two hours now. Everyone’s out here and anxious to meet your god,” Rose whispered from behind the door.

  I chuckled. “I’m going to try to wake the god up, now. Thanks.”

  By the creaking of the floor, I knew she had definitely gone and wasn’t standing outside listening.

  “Baby, wake up. We have to head back downstairs to the party.” I kissed his hair and slowly, he started waking, stretching his legs and arms.

  “Jesus Christ, that nap felt good.” He blinked up at me with tired eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Are you ready to face a few more people? I really don’t want you to get stressed out.”

  “It’s okay. I think I can handle it,” he said, pulling me on top of him. “I missed you, feeling you against me like this.”

  “I know, me too,” I whispered. We stared into each other’s eyes for a moment while wondering to myself if I could control my fervent desires.

  The
answer came when he crashed his lips onto mine. It seemed we were both unable to contain ourselves. “Can we?”, he muttered.

  “Yeah, I can’t stop now, but we have to hurry.” His hands went immediately to the belt of my shorts. He touched my bare skin. I loved the way he touched me. It hadn’t been that long since the last time we messed around, but I had missed him, nonetheless.

  Gripping his hair, kissing every inch of his bare chest. Every part of me craved more and I moaned when his finger slid under the elastic of my underwear. I knew what was to come. His finger stroked deep inside me and my muscles constricted.

  “Calvin...” I wanted him to stop, because I feared I wouldn’t be able to control myself from moaning too loudly. “You can’t do this now. You know what’s going to happen if you do.”

  He chuckled. “Right.” But he wriggled down beneath me and added his tongue to my sex and I had to bite the inside of my cheeks to keep from letting go. “You know how much I want this...”

  “Yes, baby.” I told him.

  “You know you want me. Let me show you. We both need this.”

  “Calvin, we can’t,” I hissed.

  He let a long sigh escape from his mouth. “You don’t want to disappoint me, I’m pretty sure, sweetness.”

  God, I was back to being sweetness. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop him at this point.

  His soft velvet tongue went straight back to my sex, applying a gentle pressure on my clit. I could feel my pulse beating right beneath his tongue. Jesus Christ! My hands turned into fists, my breathing grew sporadic.

  “Mmm, it’s so good to taste you again, sweetness,” he whispered against my skin.

  How could he do this to me? His finger and tongue meant business, he knew what he was doing and what he wanted. “So ready for me.” His tongue drew circles around my clit, always better than the last time. My back arched, and I couldn’t control my own body anymore, so I snatched up my pillow and covered my face with it.

  “Calvin... baby...” I moaned as quietly as I could. “I can’t do this.”

  “You can, sweetness, I know you can.” His voice was soft and seductive. He suddenly rolled us so he was on top and he parted my legs and pulled me closer to him. His erection rubbed against me, teasing me. “Take me, baby, I’m yours to take.”