I could hear Robert nearby, talking to his friends, but kept my eyes locked on Jack as he prepared to play. Jack possessed the athlete’s grace and focus, the muscles of his lean form on fine display. Given everything that had passed between us, I was certain a stop at my condo would be necessary before I allowed him to go home for the weekend. As I watched his appealing movements, I visualized another scenario.
I wanted to take him to my room, undress him and position our bodies so I could watch the reflection of his powerful back in my bureau mirror. I wanted him to lose control like he had on the chaise lounge, and I wanted to watch his body perform in all its magnificence while I came all around him.
My nostrils filled with pungent smoke, disrupting my fantasy. I turned in time to see Robert accept a cigar from a friend who was smoking his own. After lighting it up, Robert turned toward Jack and called him over to make a quick introduction. I waited in place, wondering if I would be asked to join the rest of the Boys’ Club. Jack shook a couple of hands, and his new acquaintance also offered him a cigar. He declined to smoke it, but pocketed the gift with an appreciative nod.
“Kathleen!” Robert waved his hand, gesturing for me to join the rest of the group and I wandered over. As soon as I reached his side, Robert surprised me by placing a loose yet friendly arm around my shoulders. We were taking some downtime before the game began and as the men continued to talk, I fell into an odd sense of contentment.
Not unlike Jack and his father, golf games with Robert were one of the few fond memories I had of time spent with my father. Having returned to Widgi Creek once more, I was ashamed to admit I hadn’t thought about those memories in many years. I risked making eye contact with Jack only to discover he was watching me with interest. I smiled to indicate that I was all right.
My acceptance of Robert at this moment was the last thing I could have predicted for the day. Was Jack’s presence in my life contributing to my improved good mood toward my father? Or was Robert just so perfectly in his element that even I could let down my guard?
“Load up your clubs, Jack,” Robert instructed. “Let’s get moving.”
The well-designed golf course meandered through a thin forest of evergreen trees. Between the manicured grounds and the surrounding wooded area, it was easy to forget we were spending a summer afternoon in the high desert country of central Oregon. My favorite spot had always been the tee box on the fifteenth hole where I could peer down a canyon to watch the constant, shifting rapids of the Deschutes River. Between the natural setting and the wildlife, the trek through Widgi Creek was always a beautiful one.
My interest in the technicalities of golf had recessed halfway through the game. Robert and Jack had bonded over their shared interest in golf and I was glad of it. They were enjoying themselves, discussing strategy and reacting to one another’s shots. Although Jack wasn’t at the top of his game, he was able to hold his own against Robert.
And he looked incredibly sexy while doing so.
“Line up on your left nut,” Robert advised Jack on the fairway of the fourteenth hole. “As opposed to dead center.”
Robert had no qualms that I was standing just a few feet away when he offered this choice piece of wisdom. I pretended I didn’t hear anything in order to spare Jack any discomfort.
It was, however, the kind of comment that kept my attentions riveted on my lover’s body.
Jack repositioned his body according to Robert’s direction and took his shot, which was impressive. I lost track of the ball briefly before watching it land near the intended target.
My father beamed at having coached him right on to the green. “There you go! Works for me every time.”
“Is that a trade secret I missed hearing somewhere?” Jack kidded. “Where did you pick that up?”
“Don’t remember,” Robert answered. “But it works like a charm.”
Robert wandered toward his own ball, which was farther ahead, while Jack walked back to the golf cart and me. The afternoon sun was almost too warm for comfort, and Jack wiped his brow as he approached.
I reached into the cart and pulled out a bottle of water. As I traded Jack his club for the water, he swooped in for a light playful kiss, his tongue stealthily skimming my lips. I’d thought of little else but Jack’s touch for the past two hours, and I was more than ready to hold him close against me.
He suddenly pulled back. “Fuck,” he whispered, upset with himself.
We both glanced in Robert’s last known location. We’d avoided detection, but it was a perfect reminder of why it was better to clear the air with my father.
“You were saying?” I encouraged.
Jack watched me keenly while he drank his water. I held his gaze with what I hoped was a lustful expression.
“What time is it?” he asked after lowering his water bottle.
“Just after three. When do you have to be home?”
“I’m on my own until six.”
“Will you have time to stop at my place?”
“I’ll make the time,” he said. “Incidentally, I’m blaming your outfit for my loss today. I plan to take out my aggression on it.”
“Whatever,” I responded. “It’s smarter to let the boss win the first game anyway.”
Jack offered me the water bottle and took back his club. “I don’t let anyone win. Ever.”
Robert did win with Jack performing well enough to garner my father’s admiration.
“We should play together more, if you’re interested,” Robert offered as we walked away from the eighteenth and final hole.
“I am,” Jack responded, and judging by this tone, he meant it.
I took in a deep breath to settle the increasing flurry of nerves in my stomach. I hoped Robert would still feel that way once he knew Jack and I were seeing each other.
After the cart was returned and the two men had reloaded their golf clubs into their respective automobiles, Jack moved toward Robert.
“Do you have time for a beer or two,” he asked, tilting his head toward the clubhouse. “I lost the game, so drinks are on me today.”
Robert looked at me. “Is that all right with you?”
My father’s consideration for my schedule took me by surprise.
“Sure,” I stammered.
The matter settled, Jack and Robert turned toward the lounge. I followed behind them and my eyes drifted to Jack’s hand. I longed to take hold of it as we made our way inside. With each step closer to the clubhouse, my nervousness evolved into dread. It was agonizing that I couldn’t comfort myself with Jack’s physical reassurance.
As we entered the bar, I did my best to calm myself down with a single thought.
When I leave this room, I’ll be able to hold Jack’s hand any time I want.
CONFIDENT AS ever, Jack led the way to the window side of the lounge. The table he selected was low to the floor and designed more for resting drinks on than enjoying a meal. He gestured for me to sit next to the window before taking his place on my right. Robert sat across from us.
When the server approached to take our order, the young man looked to me first.
“I’d like an unsweetened iced tea, please.”
Jack looked surprised by my order, while Robert appeared impassive.
“You don’t want a beer?” Jack asked me before offering an impish grin. “I’m buying, remember?”
“I don’t drink beer. But thanks.”
Jack quirked his eyebrows in surprise and persisted. “Wine?”
I shook my head and turned my attention to the window, pretending to take in the view. I was hopeful Jack would take the hint and drop the matter. I hated beer and couldn’t even stand the smell of it. I could have ordered the wine, but I’d never swallowed an ounce of alcohol in my father’s presence, and I wasn’t about to begin now. Robert rarely offered me the same courtesy.
I was relieved when the waiter switched his focus from me to Jack.
“An Inversion IPA, please.”
I cringed when Jack ordered his beer. It could make kissing him later unpleasant.
The server nodded and turned to Robert. “The usual?”
“Yep.” Robert pointed at Jack. “And he’s the one paying today so make sure he gets the bill.”
“Good deal.” The waiter grinned before turning toward the bar.
“What’s the usual?” Jack inquired.
“Deschutes River Ale,” I replied in monotone, my eyes still fixated on the nearby tree line. I answered the question before Robert could.
Talons of tension dug into my shoulder, and I was helpless to control my growing anxiety.
“She knows me so well,” Robert jokingly replied to Jack.
I crossed one leg over the other. I did my best to hold still in my seat, but my leg began to bounce as the inevitable conversation was now underway. The day had gone well, so I did my best to hold on to the more enjoyable moments.
“Thanks for letting me tag along today,” I said to my father, doing my best to remind him of a good afternoon spent together.
“Maybe one of these days I’ll talk you into playing, too.”
I didn’t see that happening. However, I wasn’t rude enough to say so. “One of these days. I’ll have to retire sooner or later. Maybe then you’ll have the time you’ll need to teach me properly.”
Robert chortled as our server reappeared with our drinks. “I’ll be ordering you around when I’m ninety and in a wheelchair.”
“Hmm.” The thought was not an exciting prospect.
Jack reached for his beer and raised it up in the air to offer a toast. Robert and I followed suit.
“Thanks for a good game today.” Jack nodded toward my father. “And here’s to many future afternoons of you paying the bar bill.”
“Keep lining up on that left nut and maybe I will,” Robert returned.
The three of us tapped our drinks together and indulged in a few sips before Jack set his beer down on the table. He sat back in his chair and turned to look at me, a signal that the time had come to make our announcement. Jack smiled and turned back toward my father.
“I enjoyed our game today, Robert. I would like to keep playing with you.”
“Absolutely,” Robert responded. “Let’s figure out a schedule for the rest of the summer.”
“Sounds good. My daughter will be in Baltimore with her mother, so I’ll have plenty of open afternoons.”
Robert nodded as he took a significant swig of his ale.
Jack leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees as he tented his fingers. “There is something else I’d like to talk to you about. I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to have this conversation away from the office.”
Robert glanced in my direction as though to remind Jack that I would be overhearing their conversation. “Sure.”
I looked back and forth between the two men as Jack set the scene for the conversation. Jack paused and rubbed his chin as a nervous laughter escaped him. He turned his head and his brown eyes met my green ones. Several anxious moments passed by as we watched one another.
“I thought this would be easier,” he confessed.
I hadn’t seen Jack so nervous since he’d discovered me half-naked and angry in his bedroom many weeks before. This sudden shift was surprising. He’d been so adamant about leading this conversation with Robert and assured me of his ability to do so. I had offered up no resistance with his decision, and I’d been relying on Jack’s fortitude to hold my own resolve intact. Without it, I wasn’t sure how best to proceed. But we were in this together and now the time had come for me to prove it to him. And to me.
Before another consideration stopped me, I reached for Jack’s hand. He entwined his fingers around mine. I turned back to my father. His eyes were locked on our joined hands. Jack and I were a united front, and as Robert began to comprehend this, the smile slid off his face.
I waited to speak until my father raised his eyes to meet mine. “Jack and I are seeing each other.”
“Since when?” Robert’s voice was low. His tone soft, but also infuriated. I wondered who he was most let down by. Me? Or Jack?
Jack’s grip tightened around my fingers. “Not long,” he said, “but long enough to know we’re serious about one another.”
Robert didn’t respond to Jack. He was far too concentrated on me, his eyes sharpening into ferocity. It was a look I’d come to know well over the years. I braced myself.
“Well,” he scoffed. “You’re back to acting like a fifteen-year-old, I see.”
Jack remained motionless while I held my father’s gaze. I sensed no fear from him, and the slight tightening of his grip hinted that Jack was awaiting the opportune moment to interject.
“How many other men from the office have you slept with?” Robert spat, grabbed his beer and took another long pull from the bottle.
Jack sat forward, prepared with his response. I strengthened my hold on him as a deterrent, knowing my knuckles were turning white with the effort. I wanted to stand up, end the discussion with Robert and walk away, but I didn’t. I didn’t give a fuck what my father believed, but I did care about what Jack believed.
“You tell me, Robert,” I retorted with suppressed rage. “When was the last time I went out with you to share any kind of good news?”
Robert slammed his bottle down onto the table, momentarily drawing the attention of several other members of the golf club. When I chanced a quick peek in their direction, they averted their eyes immediately.
“I asked how many,” he hissed. “And I want a number. Now.”
“None,” I seethed.
“Just him?” Robert jabbed a thumb toward Jack, while his livid gaze remained on me. “Are you sure about that?”
“I’m not like one of your girlfriends,” I snapped in a voice laced with acid anger. “Don’t talk about me like I’m easy.”
“You’re certainly no saint, are you?”
Robert blinked and acknowledged Jack. “You know, she hasn’t been a virgin in a very long time.”
Jack let go of my hand and the sudden disconnection frightened me. I whipped my head in his direction and observed that his face was flush with anger. His nostrils flared as he fought to control his temper.
“Stop,” Jack said in a tone ice cold and vicious in its delivery.
Taking in the sight of an enraged Jack Evans was one of the most frightening moments of my life. Jack’s countenance terrified me more than any of Robert’s confrontational remarks. I’d been raised by Robert, and I expected my father to be a prick. I never counted on Jack Evans to strike back with equal force.
And neither did Robert, whose focus returned to me. “Jack has a complicated situation with his family. Did you stop to think about the damage you could do?”
Despite all the coaching during the week I’d given myself not to take his bait, my temper broke. I possessed more loyalty to Jack and Heide than I’d ever had for my father. Robert had just made a terrible mistake.
“Don’t you dare ever lecture me on family,” I warned him. “Don’t you ever talk to me about his family again.”
“Control yourself, Kathleen,” Robert fumed.
I leaned forward, closing the distance between us at the exact moment I most wanted to separate from this miserable excuse of a father. “Look at me, Robert. I am in complete control. After everything you did to my mother? To me? You’re lucky I’m even giving you the chance to throw this ridiculous fit.”
Robert stood up and swept his beer bottle off the table in the process. Suspicious of what he might do next, I didn’t take my eyes off him even when I felt Jack’s hand take hold of mine again.
Robert looked at our reunited hands as he gulped the rest of his beer. He rocked on his feet for a few silent moments before setting the empty bottle on the table.
He offered a final look at Jack and said in a frigid empty tone, “Good luck with her.” Robert walked away without a backward glance.
I turned my attention
back to the window, but I knew Jack kept his eyes on Robert until he left the clubhouse.
“Are you all right?” I asked. I was concerned for Jack but too afraid of his answer to look at him.
“I want to get you out of here,” he replied. “I just wanted to give Robert time to leave first.”
“Fine.” I kept my face to the window and tried to cool my anger.
“What about you?” he asked. “How are you doing?” Jack’s voice was calm once again, and I found the courage to face him.
“I’ve been through worse.”
“I’m glad we did this on a Friday.”
“His anger is always situational,” I tried to reassure Jack. “He’ll calm down over the weekend.”
“You think so?”
I nodded.
“Should I call a cab?” I asked him. “Let you get on your way?” My question was impulsive.
Jack’s eyes flashed with offense. “Of course not.”
“After all that? Are you sure you still want to take me home?”
His dark eyes softened. “I do. Is that what you want?”
I nodded.
“Do you still want me to come in for a while?” he asked. “Or do you want to be alone?”
“I don’t want to be alone.”
“Good.”
I SPENT the afternoon planning to take Jack to my bed and watch us in the mirror, but as it turned out, we never made it that far.
As soon as the front door of my condo closed, I lunged at him, releasing every ounce of the afternoon’s tension into our kiss. I was frantic as I guided him to my sofa, where I pushed him down before settling myself on his lap. We were breathless as we devoured each other with our kisses. I unbuttoned my shirt, and Jack pulled the front of my bra down to expose my breasts. As soon as my nipples were freed, he took me in his mouth.
As he skimmed his teeth over my skin, I arched my back and reached down between us to stroke his already hard and immense erection. I had to have him now. Withdrawing from his mouth, I stepped back just enough to drop to my knees in front of him. My intentions took him by surprise, and his reaction was visceral. He helped me to unfasten his pants, and I released him from his clothing. He breathed heavy with anticipation, but allowed me to control the moment.
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