by D. D. Larsen
“Does this pull between us not concern you? I feel as if something is pushing us together and I don’t like my life being dictated by anyone other than me. I need wine. Where is your corkscrew?”
Wren chuckles. Mr. Serious is laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
Wren walks by on his way to the kitchen, brushing his body against mine. I think intentionally. “Your dad always talks about his stubborn daughter. Apparently, it extends to destiny’s plan as well.”
Destiny’s plan? Wren had better start talking because I always feel he knows information that I am not privy to.
As I walk inside, Wren opens the bottle of wine and pours two glasses.
He hands me mine and motions in the direction of the living room. “Since you seem to want to talk so much, let’s go sit and talk.”
Wine in hand, I nod and follow him to the sofa, determined to get some of my questions answered. I start simple. “Why do you live here? How can you live here?” I motion with my hands to the house he lives in.
Wren readjusts so that his calf brushes against mine. “Why are you questioning me so much? Do you interrogate everyone you want to sleep with?”
The sip of wine I had just taken sputters gracelessly out of my mouth. Who does he think he is? Trying to gain some composure, I wipe my chin and say, “Maybe I just know nothing about you. I like to know stuff about my friends. We are friends, right?”
No, I’m not letting this go, so you’d better answer.
He harrumphs and shrugs. “I don’t really like talking about myself, but since you just won’t drop it, I’ll see if I can please you.” He leans back with his glass of wine.
“I moved back up here two years ago, and work with your father to help track and tag animals in the park. To answer the other question you haven’t asked yet, yes, that’s how I found you in the forest. Your movements left a very clear path.
“When I have time, I help out at The Academy when they need me. And I had an uncle, who took me in when my parents died. They all had money—quite a bit of it—and now it’s mine.”
Wren stares straight ahead, that same serious expression on his face, but now it seems even more so. Great Jamie, you dug until he answered and now you have upset him. Why are you like this?
“Oh.” I don’t know what else to say. I notice his wine glass is empty, so I start to stand so I can fill it.
Suddenly, Wren grabs my arm. “Where are you going?” His eyes are almost panicked.
“I was just going to go get more wine.”
He slowly releases my arm and lets me go. In a daze, I head to the kitchen and pour two more glasses. There is a lot more going on in Wren’s head than he likes people to see.
When I return, I sit next to him on the couch and hand him his glass.
“You told me about yourself, so it’s only fair I tell you stuff about me. I—”
“I know.”
I stare at him. “What?”
“Your father. He told me.”
“Oh, right.”
He suddenly reaches over and grabs my hand, “I’m sorry to hear about your brother. Just remember sometimes things aren’t as black and white as they appear.”
A little strange. My father told Wren about Jacob? He never talks about it to me. Never.
He makes slow, small circles on my arms as he drains his glass. I had more questions, but my mind goes blank as his finger continues to circle. I can’t deny the attraction I have towards Wren. Who wouldn’t be with a guy like him? But the pull seems deeper, more dangerous somehow.
I look over at his shaggy brown hair, broad shoulders, and nicely defined arms. I know how strong he is because he carried me for over a mile out of the forest. I remember the feeling of his hard chest against my body.
My heart rate increases, and my palms become sweaty. As if he can sense the change in me, he gazes straight into my eyes.
How can my body be pulling me towards him and sending out warning signals at the same time?
He sets his wine down, grabs mine, and puts it on the table next to him. He moves so I am caged below him on the couch. The warmth and pressure of his body melts against me, waking up the need I have been trying so hard to push down. His eyes are heavy and dark with desire.
His body vibrates with need and my own body begins to match it. He pauses, hovering over me, as if waiting for me to say it’s okay. I try to sort through the fog in my brain. The friends, friends, friends chorus in my head is so weak now. There’s a warning signal there, too, but my body doesn’t seem to care.
He grinds himself into me and I can feel how much he desires me.
What the hell, Jamie? It’s just a hookup. Maybe it will even help to reduce the desire you feel for him.
All it takes is a small nod of my head and he closes the remaining distance between us. His lips connect with mine, shooting sparks through my body. My body molds perfectly to his. My desperation soon meets his and I press back with the same force he is giving.
I feel a slight nip from his teeth, and it drives me insane.
All thoughts are gone. There are only feelings now.
I need to feel him. I want to run my hands over his hard chest.
As I pull at Wren’s shirt, it rips as I shred it off his body. My hands start to explore as my lips continue to stay busy with his.
His hands move below my dress, feeling and pleasuring as they go.
He pulls back and I feel cold without his touch. “Jamie, there are things I need to tell you …”
I cut him off with my mouth and murmur into his lips, “We can talk later, I need you now.”
He rips my dress open, buttons flying everywhere as I’m exposed. My need intensifies and I yank at his pants. He kicks them off and dives back into the kiss.
I’m on fire as the pleasure ripples through my body. The last barrier of clothing disappears, and we come together. We are one, meshed together. It’s fast and hard and an overwhelming need pools in my stomach.
As I begin to soar over the edge, I feel Wren tense, ready to follow. The intensity increases until I can’t stay quiet. I scream and moan. We lie together, breathing heavy and still reveling in the ecstasy.
There has only been one other time where I have felt intensity like this. The Academy boy from high school.
My thoughts are soon forgotten as Wren’s mouth finds my breast and I feel him harden inside me. His words are much calmer than I’m feeling as he says, “Why don’t we continue this in the bedroom?”
Still at loss for words, I can only nod. I have never felt better, and I never want to stop.
Cradled in his arms, he carries me down the hallway. I stare at his lips and can’t help myself from taking a taste.
His lips press back against mine as he deepens the kiss. Wren presses me up against a cold wall. Needing more, I position myself to take him inside me.
Like an animal let out of its cage, he takes me again, my back sliding against the rough wall. My hands roam as if they want to memorize every inch of his body. Locked together, I feel right. I feel at home. What is this man doing to me?
He drives harder taking me over the edge.
As I refocus, I look into Wren’s eyes and swear they are glowing. They make me think of the wolf from the forest.
My need returns and my thoughts return to now. I have just had two rounds of the most mind-blowing sex of my life, yet I crave more.
One breathy word comes out of my mouth. “Bedroom.”
Wren obliges and all but runs the rest of the way. I don’t get a look at the room as my mouth returns to his.
The softness of the bed connects with my back, which is still raw from the wall. My desire hasn’t died, it’s only grown. Every inch of my body craves Wren and his feelings seem to match.
Dinner is forgotten and so is that voice inside me. That silly little voice that only wanted friends.
Chapter 17:
Yes, the plan was to have a friendly dinner, but damn if that wasn�
��t the best sex I have ever had. The intensity, the passion, the fire that wouldn’t die. I lost track of the amount of times we came together. As the first signs of dawn entered the sky, I finally drifted off to sleep.
I look over at a Wren now, sleeping next to me. His face looks so peaceful, and I wonder what he is dreaming about. He always has a shield up, but in sleep he looks like he has found the peace that he hasn’t been able to achieve while awake.
I take in the room I didn’t get a chance to see last night. A wall of windows frames the continental divide’s snow-capped peaks. The giant room is sparsely furnished, dominated by the massive king bed we are on. A black chair in the corner with a reading light is the only other piece of furniture. The colors are dark and neutral, making me feel as if I’m a part of the forest, surrounded by trees.
My shifting alerts Wren that I am awake. He rolls over and grabs me. I’m instantly soothed as his heat engulfs me. Entrapped in his arms, a smile pulls at my lips.
What was I so worried about? Why was I fighting so hard to stay away?
Light kisses trail down my neck. My body begins to stir again as his hand draws slow circles on my hip.
His voice still full of sleep, Wren says, “God, you are amazing. I knew it would be amazing, but that was so much better than last time. I’ve never stopped thinking about you.”
Last time? What is he talking about? The kiss we shared in the parking lot the other night?
“What do you mean, last time?”
“It was like we were tearing at each other because we couldn’t control ourselves. I never forgot.”
My blood instantly chills. The Academy party. The random guy. It was Wren.
Every hair on my body stands on end. I have never been able to explain that night, half believing I made it up. He just left me. Without a word. And I thought I was pregnant.
Oh, God. I should have listened to the voice in my head and stayed away. So many of the things he said make so much more sense now. He has been waiting for me, knowing exactly who I was.
I need to get out of here. I don’t trust my body to think and act normally around him.
I jump off the bed and make it out of the bedroom before he realizes what is happening. I grab my phone and keys from the kitchen counter where I left them, when I planned to have a nice friendly dinner.
What a joke. How could I have been so stupid?
In the living room, I look for my dress and find it under the coffee table, in shreds. Shit.
Wren yells my name, his feet pounding on the floor. I don’t want to talk to him. I find a discarded sweatshirt on a chair and pull it over my head. Leaving my shoes, I rush to my car as quickly as I can.
Key in the ignition, I start the car and peel out of his driveway. Barefoot and wearing his oversized sweatshirt.
After I’ve made it a few miles, I pull over on the side of the road and let the tears flow. The Academy party in high school was the craziest and strangest night of my life. I have tried to push it down but part of me has always come back to it.
After I pull myself together, I almost laugh. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to get my shit together. Craziness just seems to follow me wherever I go.
I can’t go home like this. It must be around noon and I can’t risk one of my parents being home. I may be a grown woman, but they’d kill me if they saw me like this. My dad would probably grab his shotgun and head to Wren’s house, demanding to know why his daughter came home so distraught.
And why am I so upset? Last night was seriously amazing. I’ve always felt that strange pull to Wren, so shouldn’t I be happy that there is only one guy out there that this seems to happen with, not two?
Why did he run away then? And will he do it again? He is hiding much more than this. Maybe it’s good that I got out of there as quickly as I did. I need to keep my distance from him. He is only going to cause trouble.
As if she can sense my dilemma, Tollen’s name pop ups on my phone. I lift it to my ear, my voice cracking. “Hey Tollen! Please tell me you are home?”
She takes a second before she starts talking. “Yes, I am, and Mark has Toby, so I was going to see if you wanted to do something since I know you’re off today. Is everything all right?”
Not wanting to get into it over the phone, I say, “No. But I’ll be there in ten. Please tell me you have champagne in your house. It’s a mimosa kind of morning.”
As I pull up to her house, I look around to see if anyone is around, then hop out of my car and run up to the door. I knock loudly and slip inside the instant she opens it.
She takes one look at me. “What the hell have you been up to?”
I reply, “Drinks first, then I will tell you everything.”
An hour later, the bottle of champagne is empty and I’ve told her every detail. Including the night in high school. It sounds so bad when I say it out loud. I’m so embarrassed.
She doesn’t say a word the entire time I spill my story. Finally, she leans over and puts a hand on my leg. “First off, there is nothing wrong with you. We are young women and there is nothing wrong with being attracted to or sleeping with men. Especially men that look as good at Wren does. I’m sure he is hiding a very handsome body underneath those clothes.”
I nod because she is right about that. My mind drifts back to his muscled chest and the unique tattoo of a compass he has on his upper chest.
“I was always jealous of you in high school. You seemed to have it all figured out. A great guy, a plan, and drive to make whatever you wanted happen. But I wonder if being attached to one guy for so long has sparked your recent guy issues?”
I stare at her, not quite sure what she is getting at.
“Hear me out. For all of high school, you were with Mark. He is an amazing guy, but that’s our time to explore, try things out, mess up and learn from it. Believe me, I’ve made my fair number of mistakes, too. But you missed out on that. That night at the Academy party was a symptom of that. You were looking for a little adventure to spice things up.”
Her words hit the nail right on the head. I have never come to this conclusion on my own, but as I think back over the last few years, I know she is right. There was a part of me that felt like I had missed out. Hadn’t gotten the true teenage experience.
“And Jamie, as long as you were safe, there is no reason to be worried about last night. It might be best to give yourself some space from him until you can determine your feelings. You never said you wanted to be with him, only that you felt pulled to him and desperate to be together. That doesn’t sound like the making of anything that is going to turn out well.
“Not that I have any guys currently in my life, but if you want to hang out more to distract you, I’m your girl. I’m happy you’re back. And I am starting to understand why you had to leave and couldn’t keep any of the channels of communication open.”
She is right. I need to stay away from Wren. Or at least not be alone with him. I can’t trust myself around him.
At that moment, my phone dings with a text from Liam.
Draining the last of my mimosa I ask, “What do you think I should do about Liam?”
Tollen looks me up and down. “Well, you can’t go anywhere like that. Let’s see if we can find anything in my closet that will fit you. And a shower may be a good idea. You smell like sex.”
I don’t know why, but her last words are so funny, and I break down laughing as reality hits me. Tollen joins in and soon we are both in hysterics.
Getting myself under control, I say, “All those nights we talked about our futures, we never imagined anything like this, did we?”
I fall into another fit of giggles as I look over at my best friend. How did I survive seven years without her?
I didn’t.
Chapter 18:
As I walk into the lobby of the Stanford hotel, the nicest hotel in our small town, I look around for Liam.
Tollen convinced me to at least meet with him and hear him out. Yes, the way
our relationship started and then ended was extremely rocky, but he drove all this way. I feel like he at least deserves a chance to explain himself. Plus, it will be a nice distraction from Wren.
Whatever happens, I plan to take it slow. If it’s worth having, then it’s worth taking the time to grow it. Time to see if I can handle a responsible adult conversation.
Liam is standing by a table in the middle of the room with a phone to his ear. His blond hair is styled, he is clean shaven, and he is wearing a blue polo shirt and grey slacks. Even without the suit he typically wears to the office, his confidence is present every time he moves. He was born to be a CEO and he knows it.
When he sees me, he hangs up immediately and walks over. I wonder who he just hung up on?
I can’t help but compare him to Wren’s wild and dangerous appeal. They’re like two sides of a coin, complete opposites.
When he steps up to me, he kisses both of my cheeks in greeting, the same way he always used to, at least when we were outside of the office.
“Hello, Jamie, thank you for meeting me. I thought about your words and I don’t blame you for being skeptical of me. I didn’t treat you properly when we were together, and for that I am sorry. If you will give me the chance, I would like to start over.”
He puts his hand out and says, “Hello, my name is Liam White. I’m a workaholic, but in my spare time I enjoy traveling, boating, and playing golf. I think you are very beautiful. Would you like to have dinner with me?”
Taking his hand, I follow his lead, “Hello, Liam, my name is Jamie Carter. I am currently working at a coffee shop while I am between jobs. I enjoy hiking, coffee, and books, among other things, and it would be my pleasure to have dinner with you.”
Keeping my hand in his, he walks into the restaurant, only releasing my hand to pull out my chair.
I flash back to all the times we’ve done this before. But this feels different. Before, we didn’t talk much. Both of us used dinner as a prelude to the later activities. This time, Liam asks lots of questions, mostly about my hometown.
I also learn a lot more about Liam. He has an older brother and a younger sister. He explains that Amtika is a subsidiary of his father’s larger company, one that Liam built on his own.