by Susan Firtik
"Christ, Lina! You’ll have me coming all over you, before we’ve had a chance to start! That feels so damn good! Fuck!”
****
Keaton stopped, holding himself motionless, his hands fisted in her hair making her hold until he could breathe again. He was losing it and her soft hand and hot, wet mouth was making him feel things he didn’t understand, had never felt and taking him places he had never been. She wasn’t even trying! She moaned and the vibrations of her throat ended him, as he started pumping into her mouth to the back of her throat, gagging her but she didn’t quit. His rhythm was her rhythm.
Every time he pushed through her wet lips and across her eager tongue, she got hotter and wetter and wouldn’t stop moaning, sucking, licking until he poured his hot seed into her greedy mouth, feeling his soul pouring out with it.
"Mine!” He shouted as he thrust one more time into her hot, sexy mouth. He held on and growled in the agony of pleasure so intense it almost hurt. He was afraid he’d hurt her. He had let the beast out, and had been so involved in just the feeling of having her tongue wrapped around him, while winding herself around his heart, and he had lost control. She’d done it so easily.
"Are you okay, Angel?”
****
Her eyes were glassy and half closed. She looked up to him in a daze, licking her lips, amazed at what had just happened. He tasted as good as he looked. She saw him smiling and that made her feel proud and happier than anything she’d ever done.
"Huh?" She had a sated look and was very happy.
His eyes smiled at her. "I asked if you were okay...but you’re so much more. You are incredible, amazing and out of this world!”
Before she could say anything through her smile they heard voices downstairs. Female voices.
"Evangeliiiiina?" A howling tomcat came to mind and Lina cringed. It was her sister, Tatianna, stomping up the stairs in search of her. Oh no! She was coming up here?
"Quick, you have to go! That’s my nosy sister Tashi and she’ll never let me hear the end of this!” Frantic, she turned left and right and actually looked like she might hide under the bed.
"We’ll be out in just a minute!" Keaton yelled loud enough to stop the thunder on the stairs.
"Why did you do that?”
"I’m not ashamed to be seen with you, Lina, are you ashamed of me?"
"No! Oh, hell no! I not ashamed...I'm amazed! It’s just that...well...Tashi is...well…she tries to control everyone and everything. And if she sees us together and wants to meddle with that, she will. I don’t want to force you to…well...if you don’t want to... Shit! I’m really messing this up. Look. You don’t have to be nice to me, okay? You liked what I just did with you and I’m glad for that. It made me feel... I don’t know...kinda sexy, but you can leave. This is an easy out for you, okay?”
There. She said it. And although she didn’t feel any better, she also didn’t want to feel the pain of rejection.
****
He was shocked to say the least. He was angry now too. He didn’t want out! She seemed to think she was just a casual fuck and all he wanted was a piece of ass. She was so much more. Why was she constantly trying to push him away? A suggestive smile tugged at his mouth.
"Oh darlin', there's no way I'm leavin'. You are amazing. The thought of not holding you again will kill me. I don't want out sweet Lina... I want back in."
****
Keaton drew her closer and pulled her lower body tight against him by placing his big hands on her luscious ass. Lina was staring up into his eyes with a question in hers, when the door suddenly swung open with such force it hit the wall behind and left a mark from the doorknob.
"Lina? What are you doing? And just who is this man?”
The last word stressed with a grimace and a bit of distaste. One delicate eyebrow rose as Tashi glared at Keaton. Lina was so embarrassed she couldn’t think straight. With the way Keaton was holding her, she was enjoying the sensation way too much to even think about moving away. She finally found her voice.
"Uh, Tashi, this is Keaton. Keaton, Tashi, my sister."
Lina actually sounded calm and confident, which was not the norm around Tashi. Keaton loosened his hold long enough to extend his hand out to Tashi. She was slim but athletically built, not very tall, only around five foot six. Her straight black hair was so shiny it was almost blue, cut with thick bangs and turned under her chin which made her she look somewhat Asian. Her eyes were an unusual light brown, but they too had a dark ring around the iris…a family trait?
"Nice to meet you, Tashi. Aren’t you a day or two early?” Grinning all the while, as if he had been caught doing much worse than what she’d walked in on.
Lina stood there transfixed. Tashi gulped air like a guppy out of water and tried to say something, but nothing came out. A crashing sound behind her from downstairs had her eyes growing wide and she whipped around, ran down the hall, turning back to yell at them.
"Evangelina Green, we will talk about this!" She literally flew down the stairs. Keaton’s eyebrow arched.
"Evangelina Green?" Lina just shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah, well, Tashi’s full name is Tatianna Yellow Redmond, so I think I got off easy.”
Lina and Keaton went downstairs after another ten minutes of touching and kissing. Lina was the one who broke it off, although a little disappointed she didn’t get Keaton naked on the bed. Tashi was waiting at the bottom of the steps, sweeping up broken glass, taking her time, knowing Lina would have to come down eventually.
"What broke?"
Tashi looked up from sweeping.
"The glass vase on the cabinet by the door. Netta pushed the door too hard and it swung into the cabinet. So… you two finished suckin' face now?” Tashi wasn’t subtle. She eyed Keaton as if he were the suspect in a line-up at police headquarters.
"For now." That was all he said as he kissed Lina on the top of her head and left through the kitchen. Lina figured he was on his way to see Jason out back, knowing it had something to do with Keaton’s sense of her earlier distress.
No matter what Tashi might say or try to do with the situation, Lina enjoyed a few moments of feeling just plain good. And she also knew it was too good to last.
"Where did you meet him? Why haven’t you told me about him? How long has this been going on?" She continued with the interrogation, questions tumbling out of her mouth, with the next coming on the end of the last, with no break for Lina to answer. Lina just stood and stared at her sister until she had to take a breath.
"My personal life is really none of your business, Tashi, but he’s the veterinarian I hired to work the new animal hospital. I didn’t tell you or anyone about him, because I just met him yesterday. And don’t start. That’s the first time we’ve been... uhhhh...together in any way, so chill will ya?”
Tashi just gaped and stared at her like she was a Martian. Lina had never told her to chill. It was always just understood that Tashi knew best—in her mind anyway. She didn’t understand that Lina let her think she knew everything about everything, so long as she didn’t interfere or hurt anyone. Lina was the momma hen and deep down they all knew it.
Netta was in the kitchen, sitting in the only chair available at the moment. It was an overstuffed living room chair. The dining chairs were being refinished in a deep, rich oak color to match the new table coming next week. She looked tired but her beautiful face lit up in a welcoming smile when she saw Lina come into the room.
"Oh my God, I’ve missed you!" She sobbed as she hugged her sister. Lina made her sit back down and offered her a cup of hot tea.
"What has Tashi in such a twist? Good tea. The place looks like a tornado hit here. Farther along than I thought it would be though. Sorry we’re early. Oh, and sorry about the vase. And a man? Tell me everything!” She didn't even take a breath.
"You’re getting as bad as she is, Netta! She...uhhh...well kinda caught me with that man in my room."
And before she could
finish, Netta squealed with delight and started with more rapid-fire questions.
"What’s his name? Where did he come from? How did you meet? Where is he now? And he's hot! He walked through here a minute ago and I nearly swooned. He's even hotter close up, am I right? And you’re smitten? And it’s about time! This is wonderful!”
Lina had to wave her hands in Netta’s face to get her to halt.
"Breathe!" she ordered.
Netta drew in a huge lung full and then started laughing at herself. She was just so happy for Lina. She’d been alone and working too hard for too long!
Lina was standing at the sink, just staring out the window, slowing sipping her tea. Lina had a lot of questions herself.
CHAPTER FIVE
The house settled into a quiet routine by that evening. Lina was cooking. Tashi was gathering dishes, silverware, and napkins. Netta was cuddled up in the chair with a blanket having become chilled. Her health was not improving and Lina was very, very worried. She whispered to Tashi.
"What did that last hematologist say about Netta’s white blood count?”
Tashi took a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure Netta wasn’t listening. "The initial report said they found some anomalies, but they couldn’t expand on that. And we already kinda knew there was something odd going on. So again, we wait for more information from the lab. She seems stronger today than last week. But, she had a setback, about a month ago, and I’m not sure it didn’t do some permanent damage somehow."
There were indeed some deep dark circles under Netta’s eyes and a sunken look to her cheekbones. Gaunt. That was the word to describe her haunted look.
Netta rose to rinse her cup. They knew she must have overheard them but rather than get into the same discussion they always had, with either of them, she looked to be feigning disinterest and sipped the last of her tea, watching out the window.
Netta stiffened and squeaked, "What the hell is that?”
Tashi and Lina ran for the window in time to see two dark wolves slowly canter around the end of the house, headed toward the front. It wasn’t the silver wolf she’d been warned about. So now that took the wolf count up to what...three? It was that time of day between broad daylight and dusk.
The shock of seeing wolves after the long trip to get here was a bit too much for Netta. "I’ve never seen wolves out this early in the day. Could they be rabid? Or have you pets we didn’t know about, Lina?" Netta grinned, apparently trying to lighten the mood.
Lina had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last they saw of the wolves. Yet, she wasn’t frightened and strangely she felt safer knowing they were out there. She saw them waiting for an answer. "Not my pets, thank you. However, I’ve seen them out and about for couple days and they aren’t as wild and ferocious as TV and movies make them out to be. And as a matter of fact, I can say on good authority they are watching over us.”
Damn! She hadn’t really meant to tell them that. They each had their gifts and they knew she had an affinity with animals but she had just stepped over the invisible line from believable to a little loopy.
Netta saved the day by standing and telling her sisters she was retiring for the night. "I’m not really all that hungry but I will take some of that broth you had on the stove earlier, it smelled yummy."
Both Tashi and Lina turned and stared at her worry and concern furrowing their brows.
"What? I’m fine, just tired. It was a long trip.”
Tashi grabbed a soup cup, filled it, placed it on a tray with some buttered bread and a fresh cup of hot tea, then walked out of the kitchen leading the way to Netta’s room. Lina was surprised, as Tashi had always been the standoffish one. Mother hen
Lina was left with the dishes. Smiling, she began washing and placing them into the drying rack, lost in thought. The manual labor, the repetition, always made her feel more relaxed. She could gather her thoughts and work out problems, think of Keaton… Whoa. Don’t go there. But of course, she did. Daydreaming was nice when you had a subject like Keaton to focus on. He really did seem to like her and just as she was, warts and all. She had to stop with the self-deprecation and just enjoy the attention. She was sure the sex would be out of this world amazing. So, she would wait. She would let him woo her.
Tingles went up her back and over her scalp. She heard the owl hoot again. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the owl and let it show her what it wanted her to see. She felt the wind blowing in her face and the ground fall away under her. Flying was natural. Her eyesight was extraordinary. She could see in the dark as well as any brightly lit day.
"Where are we going?"
No answer. Nothing other than circling the mansion going higher and higher until she could see the entire house, the yard and gardens and the rain-swollen swampland behind. The attic drew her attention again. The green glow pouring out the front window was a total mystery. What would make that kind of light? Using only her thoughts and a little will power, she guided the owl lower until it landed on the peak over the attic window. Lina couldn’t see the window from that angle but the glow extended out a few feet. The light was soothing and almost beckoned to her...Find me.
With a jerk, Lina sat up, wide awake and in her room.
Okay, just how did I get here?”
After her vision, she must have blacked out and now it was morning and early...ugh. She got through her shower, hair and dressing ritual in just a few minutes and headed to the kitchen for her morning drug. Coffee!
Netta was already in the room with a pot made and was reading the local newspaper. The overstuffed living room chair apparently had been claimed as hers and truth be told, she needed to be pampered. Just a little. Lina was not going to let her get away with feeling sorry for herself, milking her illness or manipulating others because of it. They had not been raised that way. Grams didn’t hold with coddling. You got up and got over it. Move on.
Tashi waltzed in like Pollyanna, sing-songing. "Good mooorning ladies!"
"Ugh,” was Lina’s reply. Netta just buried her head in the paper.
"Well!! I expected some courtesy, but I guess all I’m gonna get is a grunt from Lina and Netta hiding!”
"I hate mornings. I hate morning people. I hate happy-happy in the morning. Hush now, and get the creamer out of the fridge, please." Lina moaned.
"Well, since you added the please. After coffee, what are the plans for today?” Tashi settled herself at the small card-table they were using for the time being.
Lina hadn’t planned on her sisters being here this soon, much less planning what she was going to do with them. They weren’t supposed to arrive until after the kitchen was complete. She decided she might as well take advantage of them being here.
"I was hoping you could give me some ideas and drawings for a billboard design, advertising the Antiques & Flea Market." She knew Tashi would jump at the chance to use her artistic talents.
"Sure thing! Did you want down-home or more metro feeling? Who are you going to try marketing to? Upscale or middle class? I should get my sketch pad and start on this.” She mumbled as she rushed her way out of the kitchen.
"Netta, I have a less than glamorous task for you, if you feel up to it?"
Netta frowned and put the paper down. "Don’t you dare baby me! I’m just sick and now I’m getting sick and tired of being treated like an invalid.”
"Okay! Fine! I need you to follow me around and write down all the items and supplies that we’ll need to finish some of the projects around here. I know…I know..." She held up her hands to ward off the inevitable objection coming from Netta. "I said it was less than glamorous. I really need the help, but it'll be a lot of walking, climbing stairs and possibly some carrying, and some lightweight things. You up to it??”
Netta grinned. “Bring it on, sista!"
An hour later, they were out in the large garden area.
Lina was ticking of a list. "A dozen 2 x 4's and 500 yards of chicken wire. Two dozen t-posts and a box of baling wire. That’s
a good start for the garden. We can get some chickens later, when we’ve civilized this place a little more or we’ll lose ‘em before they can start laying those delicious, fresh, brown eggs!" Lina dusted off her hands on her jeans with a look of satisfaction. She was rattling off items as fast as Netta could jot them down. It felt good to get organized. It appeared the contractor and his subs were making good progress on the kitchen foundation, framing, and had some wiring completed by the weekend.
Since Netta and Tashi had arrived, there had been no sign of Keaton and he hadn’t called. Lina should be relieved. She had a lot of work to do. But you could tell she was not a happy camper without contact from him and that was obvious by how she drove herself and her sisters to do more and more every day.
"I think we need to hit the hardware store this afternoon. We can get the lumber through the contractor, but the wire, t-posts etc. we can get in town at the hardware store. Once we get the fence repaired, we can start tilling the soil, adding amendments. Oh! Jot that down. We’ll need to get some manure from Mr. Hawthorne down the road, then we’ll have to plan how many tomatoes, onions, and potatoes for the sunny side of the garden. Flowers can be put in between. Hmmm. We can always add marigolds later for insect control. Did you get all that?”
Netta was grinning and watching her sister light up from the inside. Lina was in her element, organizing and planning, putting things into proper order.
"Yes ma’am. I got it all. If you want to get to the hardware store and get back before dark, we’ll need to leave in about an hour. That enough time for us to get cleaned up? We’re both muddy from this so-called garden of yours.” Netta huffed as she sat on a large boulder surrounding the garden.
Lina noticed the dark circles under Netta’s big pale gold eyes and felt guilty yet pleased she had lasted as long as she had. "Let’s get a cold drink, clean up and see how we feel. We can always go into town tomorrow.”
Netta had to be tired but didn’t want to be a burden. However, she looked grateful for the reprieve.