Exposed: An Anthology

by Brooke Cumberland

  She smacks me on the side. “Well, I’m sure there’s only one type you’d prefer.” Laughing I drop my arm and grab her hand blending our fingers together as I lead us down the stone path.

  Once we make our way to the destination, I lead Jesika to the stone bench my grandpa had made for my grandma many years ago. I keep a firm grip on her hand as we sit down. The look on her face is amazing. I can tell by the sparkle in her eyes and the way her mouth is slightly opened as she looks around and takes in the surroundings, that she is in complete awe. Just like I knew she’d be.

  “Derek, this place is…” She continues looking around, taking it all in.

  “Beautiful,” I finish for her. I’m looking right at her when her head makes its way back to my direction. Her cheeks start to flush when she realizes I was meaning her.

  Keeping eye contact with me she says, “Beautiful isn’t good enough. This place is…”

  “Mesmerizing,” I say still meaning her.

  Her blush deepens. “Yes, it’s mesmerizing.”

  “This was my second home growing up. My grandpa left this land to me and Seth knowing how much we cherished it as children. When we weren’t playing music or baseball, we were here. I find myself coming here when I need to clear my head. Playing the drums and writing songs are a good form of therapy as well, but there’s just something about this place.”

  Letting out a calming breath I take in my surroundings.

  My grandpa had called this area of their land, Granny’s Nook. He worked hard and designed it just for her to have her own special get-a-away. Often times I’d find her out here reading in her hammock that was near the larger than life Koi pond; which has the most amazing waterfall built into it. The sound of water flowing over the rocks and into the lily pad filled pond is the most calming sound. After our grandma died, the place started to disappear in the overgrowth of weeds. My grandpa didn’t seem to want to preserve it. He only did it for her anyways, so he didn’t see any reason to pay attention to the area if she wasn’t alive anymore.

  I loved this area just as fiercely as my grandma had, and it pissed me off to see that my grandpa didn’t seem to give a shit that everything was starting to over grow around it. So, I made it a point to keep up with it. I even added more to it over the years, mainly the lanterns and solar light fixtures throughout the path and around the pond.

  “This place is very tranquil; it has this amazing calming effect.” Jesika says breaking me out of my train of thought. I look over at her as she has now turned her body completely sideways with one leg bent resting on the bench and the other one dangling over it.

  “I bet this place holds many precious memories of your grandma and your childhood. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  Turning towards her, so I’m mimicking the way she’s sitting I let go of her hand and slowly caress the side of her cheek until she rests it against my palm. Taking my other hand, I move it to the other cheek and I look her straight in the eyes.

  “There’s so much I want to share with you Jesika, so much. If you’ll just let me.” She agrees with a nod and that’s all I need before claiming her sweet mouth.

  I’ve never been one to believe in out of body experiences, but right now, in this moment, I’m having one. I have waited to feel these lips for so long that I feel like I’m dreaming, the most amazing dream ever. Her lips are so soft and just the perfect plumpness to mold together with mine.

  It’s crazy to even admit it, but this is the most intimate kiss I’ve ever experienced. The way she’s kissing me back, I know she feels it too. Maybe the reason why it feels so intense is because we both feel the pull that is between us. Maybe, just maybe, I haven’t been crazy the last two years and that I was drawn to her even back then for this moment in time. In this perfect moment, even though I am very needy right now and I’m sure she is as well, I make sure to keep kissing slow and steady.

  Slow and steady wins the race alright. Truth is I’m not trying to push my boundaries; I want her to lead the way or at least to where I can read what she truly wants and then I’ll take over if need be. Giving her one last soft peck, I pull away and I know she felt what I did. We both have that ‘wow’ look in our eyes.

  “It’s getting late. Are you ready to go now?” I hate having to sound all grown up.

  “No.” I laugh at her honesty. “But you’re right; it’s getting late so we should go.”

  I stand up and extend my hand to her which she happily grabs.

  “Come on pretty lady. I got to get you home before my hot black truck turns into a pumpkin.”

  Chapter Nine

  Jesika

  I started my weekend and ended it with Derek on my mind. Saturday morning I was woke up bright an early with the ping of my text message alert. Reading “Good morning beautiful” had me cheesing. All the other cute flirty texts he kept sending just kept the goofy grin plastered on my face for the whole weekend. He had told me how he was working all weekend to cover for his buddy Nick who was sick. He also told me how he’d much rather be seeing me. I felt the same, but really enjoyed the back and forth texts we were able to send. It’s a bit easier to flirt and such when the person isn’t face to face with you and especially since I haven't flirted like this in a long time.

  I went to sleep with Derek’s lips on my mind last night…and for most of the weekend. I can’t shake the constant thought of how good they felt, or the fact that I want them back on my lips a.s.a.p. If someone would have told me a week ago that I’d be craving the nearness of a man, a man who wasn’t Jake, I’d have laughed in their face. The idea of that being a possibility had never crossed my mind. I can’t help the attraction I have for Derek. I can’t help what he does to me. I can’t help the freaking pull that he has on me. As I’m sitting in this line to pick up Jaxon three days later, all I can do is think about him.

  Knowing that I’m feeling like a teenager with a new crush has me smiling all silly-like. I forgot what it felt like to like someone. It’s been so long since I first had those kinds of thoughts about Jake. The giddiness accompanied by butterflies is a much welcomed sensation. The tapping on my window scares the shit out of me and causes me to let out a yell. Seeing Derek laughing at me doesn’t calm down my rapidly beating heart. No, actually seeing him period only intensifies the speed. The idea of throwing my door open and wrapping my arms around him flashes through my mind, but I think better of it and just roll my window down.

  “Sorry I scared you,” he says as he rests his hands on my door.

  “Give a girl a freaking heart attack Derek. And I highly doubt you are sorry about it by the way you were cracking up.”

  “Well, I was standing here for a good two minutes waiting for you to notice me, but by the look on your face I knew your mind was elsewhere.” He cocks his head to the side, giving me a sly grin. “Where was that pretty little mind of yours?”

  I love how he just put me on the spot, knowing damn well what I was thinking about. “Umm, you know, work and stuff.” He lowers his head and bends in through the window.

  “Just say it, Jesika. You were thinking about me, right?” I don’t reply. I’m caught in his intense stare. I could get lost in his eyes, and I’d be just fine with it. He doesn’t let me answer before he continues, “Well, I was thinking about you. So much so that I knew as soon as I got here today I’d have to come find you. This damn weekend has been torture.” He wraps one hand around the back of my head as he inches his face closer to mine. I know other parents are surely watching, but I don’t give a damn. “The way your lips felt on mine has been burned into my mind. I will never forget how good they felt, but that doesn’t mean that I want to go that long again without touching them.” He swipes his other finger across my bottom lip. “Can we promise each other that Jesika? That no matter what, we can make time for a kiss…just like this?”

  He doesn’t even let me reply before his scrumptious lips find mine. They are kind of needy and I like it. I love the idea that I make him need
y. That he needs me in some way, because I definitely need him and his lips. He parts my lips with his tongue and I know I moan into his mouth, which causes him to smile against my lips.

  He pulls back, just a few inches, but it seems so far. “So, I take it you agree?” I nod my head in agreement instead of trying to speak, because I’m more than positive that if I did open my mouth it’d be nothing but word-vomit. I’d babble and make no sense what so ever. Don’t need to give this guy another reason to laugh at me. That doesn’t work, because my apparent lack of words is still humorous to him. “Okay. I’m holding you to it.” He places one last gentle kiss on my lips — that are still doing a happy dance — before running back to his truck.

  I watch him from my rearview mirror as he jogs back to his truck in his black sleeveless shirt and workout shorts. The way his shoulders move and his legs flex as he runs is damn sexy. Not to mention getting a sneak peek at his tattoos again only makes me want that shirt to be gone. Off with his shirt. I laugh at myself for that dumb thought, and for the fact that in my head I actually said it just like that damn Queen from Alice in Wonderland. Why do I feel like a freaking horn dog? It’s like all thoughts of Derek end up turning into us being naked and sweaty. I feel like I now have the dirty mind and hormones of a man. I want to think with more than just the thing between my legs. I refuse to just fall into bed with this man, even though my womanly part says differently.

  I make my way up to where all the kids are lined up, where I spot Jaxon at the orange cone. I pull up and put my car in park as his teacher walks up beside him, opening his door for him to get in.

  “Thank you,” I tell her.

  “Oh, you’re very welcome Ms. Reynolds.” She gives me a huge smile which makes me blush, wondering if she caught my mini make out session. As she’s about to shut the door she says, “Mr. Jordan is a good guy. Not many guys like him around these days. I’m not giving you any sort of advice…just saying. I’ve seen him over the years and he’d be a good guy to keep around.” I just smile and nod. I don’t know Derek as well as I want to, but hearing that makes me want to even more. It confirms what I’ve been thinking — about him being a good guy and not some scumbag. Sometimes it’s hard to tell these days until you’ve invested too much and then their true colors shine.

  Pulling away from the pick-up spot, I turn my attention to my son. “How was your day?”

  He shrugs as he looks out his window. “Ah, it was good I guess.”

  “You guess?”

  “Yeah, you know, it wasn’t great but it wasn’t bad. It was just good.” When did my son start acting so grown up? I swear time flies by before you know it. “Hey mom, can I play basketball?” I can hear the excitement wrapped up in that question. How in the hell could I say anything but yes?

  “Sure.”

  “Sweet! Our first practice is tomorrow.” He pulls out the sign up paper from his bag.

  “Holy crap son. Did they not give you any more notice?” He shrugs again.

  “Yeah, but I didn’t know if I wanted to play until now.” He says so matter-a-factly. “I just need to take this along with some money when you drop me off tomorrow.”

  “I’ll look at it when we get home. I will be staying at your practice I hope you know.”

  “Fine mom.” That’s what I thought.

  Coming around the circle drive where you have to pass by everyone who is still in line since there is only one way in and one way out, I see Derek’s truck coming into view. I’m nervous all of a sudden, and don’t know if I should look or act like I’m not paying attention. How dumb is this? Of course I should look, because I know he will be looking at me.

  Boy, was I wrong. He wasn’t looking at me. He was staring at me. It is the most damn intense stare of my life. He keeps his eyes on me as I approach him and follows me with them as I pass him. I can’t help it that I keep mine on him as I slowly creep by, every now and then looking to make sure I’m still on the little paved road. Right before I’m fully out of his view, he gives me his killer smile and waves.

  My heart stops.

  Literally.

  That man in that black hot ass truck is going to be the death of me. And what a sweet, sweet death it will be.

  ***************

  “It was one of those insanely crazy intense stares Mal,” I say while pouring us a glass of Cupcake wine. “You know…like the ones you only read about?”

  “I don’t read,” Mallory says as she takes the wine from me and pours more into her now empty cup.

  “Well, you really should. It’s the type of stare that speaks to you without words. There is no cocky smile, no emotion is shown at all, but then none is needed. It’s just so intense and so damn hard to explain.” Letting out a sigh, I take a seat next to her on the couch.

  “So basically he was mind fucking you.” She isn’t asking. She was simply stating what she thinks is a fact.

  “What? No. That is definitely not what he was doing. He wasn’t licking his lips or giving me googly eyes.”

  “Googly eyes?”

  “You know…like when a guy is showing you how much he wants you just through his eyes and half the time it looks corny as hell?” She nods. “That’s googly eyes.”

  “Well, Derek is fucking hot. And you’d be dumb not to give it up to him even if he was giving you those stupid eyes.” She’s right. Derek is pretty damn hot. “But I still say he was mind fucking you. Guys don’t have to look like idiots when they do it. Plus you’re a sexy bitch. I’d mind fuck the shit out of you if I was a dude.”

  “Hun, you’d mind fuck the shit out of anything with a beef taco if you had a dick,” I tease.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” she agrees. “But I do have standards. Just because I’d screw them in my mind, doesn’t mean I’d actually let my dick touch ‘em. You never know about all tacos these days. My luck I’d order a soft one, and it’d end up being crunchy. Ain’t nobody got time for that shit.”

  Chapter Ten

  Derek

  I see her as soon as they walk in the gym. It’s like something within me is always aware of her nearness. My eyes are always instantly drawn to where she is. It’s fucking crazy, I know. I never said any of this was sane. She’s at the table near the concession stand where a heavy set woman with curly brown hair is sitting. I watch as Jesika bends over, writing out a check. I can’t help but keep my focus on her ass. It’s pretty damn nice — that ass of hers. I want to play ‘grab ass’ with it.

  “Hey dad.” Emma comes running up to me before I can get caught staring. “My practice should be over in an hour. You can leave now.” Who does this little bossy girl think she is?

  “Oh, can I now? Well, thanks for giving me permission, wee child of mine, but I think I’ll hang out and watch the boys practice. That is if it’s okay with you?” I look at her, studying her features as she stands with her pompoms pressed hands against her hips.

  “That’s fine,” she says as she runs off.

  I turn back around to look for Jesika and almost walk right into her.

  “Whoa. Shit, sorry for almost knocking ya down.” I don’t back up or put any distance between us, leaving us to stand mere inches apart.

  “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have been standing so close while trying to pay your ass back for scaring me yesterday.” She laughs, almost looking embarrassed.

  “I’m glad to see you keeping your promise.” She raises her brow, giving me a curious look. I waste no time giving her a reminder of that promise as I quickly kiss her.

  “It’s good to see you too,” she says as I grab her hand and lead us up the bleachers. I find a spot that is pretty secluded, but where we can still see both of our kids. I want to have this time to actually talk with her and for us to get to know each other better. With my crazy schedule and us both having kids, it’s really hard to find time like this.

  We sit there quietly for a moment, just holding each other’s hand. As girly as it sounds, I was loving every minute of it. Ma
ybe it’s the fact that I just like being close to Jesika. So anything I can get, I happily take. I’m not trying to rush things with us. I want whatever this is to have a chance to grow into something. Not just run into it full force and hope for the best. Hell no, I’ve waited too long for this moment.

  “I hate my work schedule,” I admit, breaking the silence.

  “Why is that?” she asks while letting her thumb slide back and forth across mine. I can’t help looking down at where our hands are joined. It feels natural, and she seems perfectly comfortable with me.

  “Because between my job and us both having kids, it makes it that much harder to spend any time together.” She turns towards me, causing our knees to be pressed together.

  “Whatever this is between us, I want it to be slow, but with that being said I can’t help this attraction I have for you. It’s kind of scary Derek because I haven’t felt anything like this in a real long time. So, because of that I want to make sure that this works. I don’t want it getting screwed up because we jumped the gun on any of it. Does that make sense?” I like this straightforward side of her.

  “I feel exactly the same. It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted more from a woman, let alone to actually pursue one. I don’t want to mess this up either…we have a lot riding on it. Especially with our kids. Being adults, we can handle way more than kids, and I don’t want them getting hurt along the way either.” She smiles.

  “Why do you have to be so hot?” Well, that was definitely not the response I was expecting.

  I laugh, “Is that a bad thing? I’m not even sure how to answer that question, but I know damn well I could ask you the same thing.” Her cheeks redden and she turns her head away from me. I place my finger under her chin, pulling her head back to look at me. “Don’t go getting all shy on me now. You know you’re fucking gorgeous.” I kiss her forehead. Then each temple. Finally, I reach her mouth. “I could kiss you all day, ya know?” I keep the kiss simple since we are in public, but that doesn’t keep me from busting out in song. “These lips are made for kissing, and that’s just what they’ll do.” I kiss her cheek. “One of these days these lips—” I kiss the other one, “—are gonna kiss all over you.”