by Ava Walsh
“Hate is a strong word, dear.” Rose had raised her eyebrows at Teresa.
“Did you see the way he was glaring at me? Or how he mocked me? The others might be right about him, Rose.” Teresa said through gritted teeth. She couldn’t remember when someone had made her this mad. She wanted to punch the wall with fury.
“Now, my dear, just settle down. He was only making a joke.” Rose tried to mediate but Teresa couldn’t be consoled. She stormed into the bedroom and banged the door shut behind her.
Back in her father’s childhood room, it was like she felt his presence instantly. What was she doing? What was she thinking? She was a twenty-five-year-old successful professional. He was a cowboy. When did she stop being able to take a joke? Or was it Derek Mason who was the problem?
Chapter Four
Teresa was wearing a white cotton summer dress and thin leather sandals the next day. She had had the time to arrange her hair in a thick, curly curtain around her neck, and she stepped out of the cottage with her large sunglasses on. She’d spent the previous day exploring the farm and the ranch, with Rose slowly walking by her side. She had so much to learn and discover about her family history. So the next day she decided it would be a better idea to explore Klaire, to step out of the house and meet the people her father grew up with.
Rose had given her directions, and Teresa followed them carefully, although it still took her half an hour to reach the town center.
The high street was a short, wide road with a few shops on either side, the kind that were usually clustered around a corner of the New York streets she was used to. Teresa could barely believe it. What did people here do for fun? Where did they go on the weekends?
People smiled at her as she walked down the street, although there weren’t that many people to begin with.
“You must be the Fontaine girl.” She heard a voice behind her. A middle-aged man was smoking a cigarette in the door of a barber shop. Teresa stopped and smiled at him, noticing his spiked cowboy boots and the trademark plaid shirt tucked into his jeans. It was as if everybody in Klaire was wearing a uniform.
“Hello. I’m Teresa,” she said, and took a few steps towards him.
“I’m the Mayor of Klaire. Steve Williamson,” he said, smiling and holding out a hand towards her.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Williamson,” she said.
“Call me Steve. Everybody around here calls me that. I grew up with your papa,” he said, puffing out a ring of smoke into the air. Teresa smiled and nodded.
“That’s nice. I’m afraid he didn’t talk about his childhood much,” she replied, wondering when the last time someone in New York stopped her on the streets to talk to her was, without her feeling threatened by them.
“It’s a shame…his passing I mean. And your poor mother,” he added, crossing his brows and then taking in another deep puff of his smoke.
They heard a metallic roar down the street and they both turned to look.
“It’s that Mason fellow. Don’t mind him,” Steve said, squinting his eyes down the street to see clearly. Teresa felt her heartbeat increase. She didn’t think she would be seeing him so soon.
“Actually, he’s buying the ranch.” She turned to Steve instead, to divert her attention. The last thing she wanted to do was catch Derek’s eye as he rode past. She was still recovering from the embarrassment of her behavior from the previous day.
“Yes, I heard he’s interested. Are you going to sell it to him?” Steve asked. The roar of the engine was growing louder now. Teresa was distracted. She hadn’t paid attention to what Steve asked.
The engine stopped right behind her, and Teresa had to try her best to not look behind her. Steve’s attention had drifted from her, as well. He was looking past her, towards Derek.
She heard Derek’s boots hit the ground, and then his voice.
“Morning, Mayor.” His voice was the same, deep and authoritative. Teresa still didn’t turn.
“Morning,” Steve mumbled, his eyes fixed on Derek behind her.
“If you’ll excuse us, I’d like to have a word with Ms. Fontaine,” Derek said, and Teresa felt like her knees were going to buckle. She slowly turned to look at him. His hands were still on the handles of the bike and his feet firmly planted on the street, holding the vehicle in place.
“Excuse me, Steve,” she said distractedly, and then walked over to Derek, tightly clutching her bag. What did he want from her? She wasn’t prepared for what she was going to say. He had caught her off-guard again.
“Hello, Mr. Mason,” she said politely, unable to smile at him.
“Hello, Teresa,” he said, shocking her with his use of her first name. “I was wondering if you would give me a tour of the property like you promised.” Teresa couldn’t believe it. She was tongue-tied again.
She blinked a couple of times as he continued to stare at her.
“Sure,” she said hesitantly, still uncertain of what exactly he wanted from her.
“Hop on,” he said, tilting his head behind him at his bike. As if in a daze, Teresa looked over at the empty seat as he gave her his hand for support. She lifted her leg and swung it over the back seat, using his hand as a lever. When she settled into the seat she looked over at Steve, still standing outside his shop with a grimace on his face.
“Hold me.” She heard Derek’s voice, more like an order than a request. Teresa hesitated and then wrapped her arms around his waist, grabbing her hands in front. Without warning, he kickstarted his bike.
Teresa felt the ground beneath her shift, a jolt in slow motion towards the back, and then they were flying. The wind was in her hair as Derek rode the bike at a speed that she was unused to. He was wearing a scuffed leather jacket today, brown like a biscuit, and she had an urge to rub her cheeks against it. Her eyes were beginning to water, but she reveled in the proximity of him, that she could look at him, at the back of his head and his broad neck, for as long as she wanted without him catching her out.
Teresa wasn’t paying attention to Klaire or what they were passing, she was focused on watching him. She could smell him now. He smelled like timber, spice and pine cones.
But her enjoyment at watching him silently ended when she sensed that she was being watched herself. He was looking at her through his rear view mirror. Teresa had her sunglasses on and was thankful for that, but he knew she was watching him.
He took a sudden swift turn around a bend and Teresa tightened her grip around his waist. She could feel the warmth of his body now, her own torso pressed against his back. The bike was roaring as they rode together, and she was beginning to panic, unsure of herself and how she was going to react.
Teresa jolted when the vehicle came to a sudden stop. Derek turned in his seat to face her directly and Teresa nearly looked away, embarrassed, but managed to hold his gaze.
She remained still as he reached over with his leather glove-covered hands and gently slipped her glasses off her face.
“Do I scare you, Teresa?” he asked. They were parked on the side of a deserted road, and if she was honest, he did scare her. Or excited her, rather. She didn’t feel threatened by him, but she was definitely shy.
“No,” she said, trying to sound as confident as she could.
“I’m sorry if I offended you yesterday,” he said, and she watched how his lips moved. He wasn’t smiling, and his steely blue eyes were boring into her, like he was trying to examine her closely. She felt naked, under scrutiny and conscious of every movement.
“You’re forgiven,” she said. Slowly, realizing that her arms were still around his waist, she started to release her grip on him. She licked her lips as he watched her, growing increasingly uncomfortable under his gaze. What did he want?
She saw a flash in his eyes for a second, the answer to her question. He wanted her. She licked her lips again and he leaned in towards her, knocking his forehead against hers. Teresa didn’t move away. Her heart was beating fast, he was so close to her, his lips nearly gra
zing hers.
“Teresa…” He said her name softly and his lips engulfed hers. He was kissing her, gently, more gently than she could have ever imagined him to be. She closed her eyes tightly shut and leaned in towards him, enjoying the way his mouth possessed her. She wanted him too, had wanted him so badly since the first time she saw him.
Her body grew tense with her need for him and she pushed her tongue between his lips, exploring the inside of his mouth feverishly. A moan escaped her lips as she felt his hands on her waist. With their lips still locked, he got off the bike. Then he pulled away from her.
“Come here,” he grunted, and before she knew what he was going to do, he had picked her off the bike like a child and placed her on the dusty path. She didn’t know what was happening or who could be watching. There were no houses or vehicles around, but surely anybody could suddenly appear?
Her thoughts were suddenly jarred when Derek grabbed her waist again and turned her around quickly. She felt her torso press against the body of the bike. He was going to fuck her. She felt herself growing wet in anticipation, in the suddenness of it. He wasn’t preparing her for it, there was no gentle foreplay. He was just going to have her, right there on the road, against his bike.
She couldn’t see what he was doing, but she heard the sound of his metallic belt buckle. Her body instinctively arched over. She placed her upper body on the bike seat, pushing her butt towards him. She was inviting him, she could hardly wait.
His leather gloves were still on when he placed his hands on her hips again, this time pushing her forward to place her in front of him. Her breath was stalling in her throat, and she felt faint with anticipation. She wanted him inside her.
Teresa felt the sudden gush of wind when she realized he had lifted her dress. With one quick movement he pulled down her white, lace panties, and now they lay bunched up at her ankles.
She felt him grab her butt, and then, when she wasn’t expecting it, he thrust himself inside her. She felt him slide in, she was wet enough for it. Smooth and hard, he was inside her. Her body crashed against the bike with the weight of him and she moaned loudly. He pulled out and pushed inside her again, in quick, short jolts. Her mind was drawing a blank, she couldn’t think straight. All she cared about was him being inside her, repeatedly, over and over again. He built up a rhythm; with his hands tightly clutching her bare butt, he was thrusting inside her like a machine. He grunted as he did this and she moaned loudly.
She realized that she was going to orgasm. This quickly? She tried to fight it, but with each hurried thrust of his, she got closer and closer to the point of no control.
Her toes curled as she dug her nails into the fabric of the bike seat. She was screaming now, more loudly than she cared and she felt his body shake as well. He was emptying himself inside her, she could feel him oozing and hear his deep grunts.
Her breath was still short, she was panting, when he slowly eased himself out of her. She heard the sound of the buckle being put back in place and she bent down to pull up her panties. She hadn’t turned to look at him yet.
Derek hadn’t said anything and she didn’t know if she wanted to look into his eyes yet. What had she done? Why had she done it?
“I’ll walk home,” she said, without turning to look at him.
“Teresa!” She heard him call out to her as she started hurrying down the road, in the direction they had just ridden from.
Her mind was racing, she could still feel him inside her, her thighs were quivering. What had she done? What had she done?
Chapter Five
Teresa could see Derek hunched outside over Rose’s sunflower beds, which she had been informed were known as ‘Firewheels’ in Texas. She had stormed home the previous day, walking all the way from where she had abandoned Derek, and spent the rest of the day in her father’s bedroom.
Of course there was no chance of an internet connection, so she resorted to simply plucking out her diary from her bag and writing. She was writing about Texas, her father and the new facts she had learned about her ancestral home. She wasn’t writing with an intention to be published, she only wanted to write to distract herself.
She believed she had accomplished it, as she was able to successfully distract herself from thinking about how crazily and recklessly she had behaved. It was obvious to her that Derek had simply taken what he wanted, and she had been foolish enough to give it to him. But now, finding him working on Rose’s flowerbeds, Teresa found herself wondering what his agenda was. What did he actually want?
“Morning, Rose. What is Derek doing here?” She stepped out of her room, having already changed into a flowing cotton skirt and a blouse.
“Morning, Teresa, dear. He came over to see you and said he’d tend my flowers while he was waiting. I wasn’t sure if you were up yet.” Rose was pottering about in the kitchen with a big grin on her face. Teresa noticed how Rose’s smile got wider when Derek was around.
Teresa could feel the rage rising in her again. She was angry at him, just as much as she was angry with herself. She took in a deep breath and stormed to the door, banging the mesh-wire open so that it swung to and fro.
She stood at the door with her hands on her hips, her hair curly and furious like a halo around her head. She could feel her nostrils flaring and her chest rising up and down.
“What do you want?” she hissed, as Derek turned on his haunches to look at her. He was in a tasseled leather vest, which he wore over his usual plaid shirt. His hat covered his wavy, blonde hair and his boots looked worn. To her surprise, he turned with a smile on his face.
“Morning to you too, Teresa,” he said, and tipped his hat at her.
“What do you want?” she asked again, not taking a step towards him. She was wary of him and trying to struggle against the currents of desire that had been rising up in her from the moment she laid eyes on him.
“To check up on you.” He was still on his haunches as he spoke.
“I don’t need checking up on.” Teresa flung the words at him, her hands still clutching her hips. She knew she was going to quickly lose her resolve if he continued to smile at her.
“I can see that,” he said, dragging the words around in his mouth. His eyes traveled from her face to her full breasts, her soft curves and then down her covered legs. He was undressing her with his eyes, and she felt her face growing warmer by the minute.
“So why are you actually here, Derek?” she asked, shaking her head to push her hair back from her shoulders. He was watching her every movement, and now the smile had disappeared from his face. He stood up and silently took a few steps towards her, looking up at her from the bottom of the steps of the porch.
“I wanted you to give me a tour, like I said yesterday.” A grin was forming on his face again and she could feel herself getting even hotter, if that was even possible. Was he being serious or mocking her? Was this all a joke to him?
They heard a jeep entering the premises and Teresa looked up, as Derek whipped around to look behind him. It was Steve, the Mayor.
He pulled up right next to the bed of Firewheels and jumped out of the car with a cheerful “Howdy!”
“Morning, Steve,” Teresa called out to him, shading her eyes with her hand from the harsh morning sun.
“Are you here bothering the young lady, Mason?” Steve stood at the door of his car and crossed his arms on his chest. Teresa was about to smile but realized that he was serious.
“I’m here to talk business with Ms. Fontaine.” Derek was smiling now, and Teresa was slightly confused.
“Can I help you with something, Steve?” She turned her attention to the mayor.
“No, but you could help yourself, Teresa. Start by not entertaining this man.” Steve took a few steps towards them. Derek’s smile had disappeared and he was watching Steve with narrowed fierce eyes now.
“What do you mean, Steve?” Teresa’s brows were crossed. To say she was confused would be an understatement. She hadn’t ever witnessed
such open hostility between two people before.
“I mean that Derek Mason isn’t a local. He’s running away from something in Austin, which he’s not telling us about. You should not trust him.” Steve came to a halt beside Derek and was looking up at Teresa, too.
“We don’t have a relationship of trust, Steve. I’m only selling my property to him. As long as he takes care of the paperwork and holds up his end of the bargain, I have no other concerns.” Teresa crossed her arms now, more than a little surprised that Steve, who she had thought was a friendly gentleman the previous day, was displaying new colors now that she couldn’t understand.
“I saw him pick you up on his bike yesterday,” Steve said, and this time, when Derek stepped towards him, Steve backed away.
“What did you say?” Derek thundered, his voice was loud and booming. Teresa sensed that Rose had come out of the house behind her.
“I said that the whole town knows that you took her joy riding on your bike yesterday. She’s been here one day and you’ve found yourself a whore,” Steve said, with a mocking laugh. In a flash, Derek had reached out and pulled Steve to him, his fist bunched in Steve’s shirt.
Teresa rushed down the steps of the porch just as Rose squealed.
“Derek, let him go!” Teresa said, through gritted teeth.
“What I do, and what she does, is none of your business or anybody else’s.” Derek was also speaking through gritted teeth, but directly into Steve’s face.
“Mind you, Mason. You’re threatening the Mayor. I can have you arrested for that. You’re assaulting me.” Steve still had a smug smile on his face. Derek slowly released his grip on the other man’s shirt and a wide, forced smile spread across his face.
“You can sleep easy, Mayor. You’d feel it much more if I did actually assault you,” Derek said. He continued to smile as Steve jerked his shirt back into place.