by Hazel Parker
“I understand, and you know I’m behind you one hundred percent of the way, girl. It would have felt like lying to you if I didn’t let you know though.”
Amanda smiled at her best friend. This, she thought, was why she loved her like a sister. “I know…and thank you. Now, let’s start figuring out when and where I can meet up with Mr. Lonestar.
Chapter Six
Blake almost couldn’t believe he’d actually gone through with it, but he had. After Amanda had left his place last week, he’d wanted her so bad he could hardly see straight. He’ d gone inside and placed the bid, knowing that it wouldn’t be topped. Then he had waited through the longest week of his life, feeling more desperate for Amanda’s touch by the hour. Now, the day had finally come that he would arrange when and where he would claim her, and he was about to climb out of his damn skin.
They were meeting at Little Italy, an Italian restaurant that was the only one in town that could even come close to fine dining. It was, he mused, a very romantic setting for what was actually happening. Still, he couldn’t blame Amanda for wanting a public setting. She could have ended up with a real psycho, selling herself online the way she had. So the public venue was smart. He secretly wondered if she didn’t crave some semblance of the romance that should accompany every young woman’s first time. If so, he didn’t mind doing his best to oblige.
He had, as agreed, brought a single yellow rose to replace the usual red ones in the crystal vase on his table. The entire town had known of the arrangements from Amanda’s webpage. Everyone had been avoiding eye contact with him, but that wasn’t the case at all when Amanda walked in. Every eye in the place was on her. The women, for the most part, looked on her with the snide disgust that is reserved only for the most beautiful and carefree of women. He knew without a doubt that they either envied her or hated her because they knew that the men they loved lusted after her just as badly as he did. The men either tried to purposefully ignore her or looked her up and down with bold, condescending leers. Every single gaze was filled with lust.
Amanda took their looks in and held her head high, her eyes challenging when she made eye contact by chance as she scanned the room for him. He saw the moment her eyes found the yellow rose. He watched as she focused on his face and her jaw dropped with shock. He couldn’t hold back the crooked smile that rose to his face.
She recovered her composure and made her way toward him. Her strides were purposeful, but she still oozed sensuality. You couldn’t walk without looking like sex with curves like hers. He waited until she was close enough that only those closest to them could hear them conversing.
“Surprised, Amanda?”
“You know I am. Not the beginning I’d hoped for, having to pick my jaw up off the floor…I felt like one of those cartoons. You know, the ones where they have to roll their tongue back up and put it away before they close their mouth…I’m babbling.”
He’d moved around the table to ease out the chair for her—the situation wasn’t going to negate the good manners his mamma had worked so hard to instill in him—and now he was once again sitting across from her.
“It was cute.”
“It was humiliating, and decidedly unsexy.”
He couldn’t help laughing at her dry, self-deprecating tone. “Nothing you do is unsexy, darlin’. You’re turning every man in this place on right now just by breathing.”
It was true. The men still couldn’t keep their eyes off her. The women couldn’t either for that matter. It made sense, really, considering that the entire town knew what was happening here tonight. He could see that the comment made her uncomfortable, though.
“Ignore them. They’re either turned on, jealous, or both.”
“Okay…why did you bid on me?”
“You told me to; remember?”
Amanda just looked at him. Damn, but she was cute when she was flustered.
“You told me to, and I’ve wanted you since way before this. I just was trying to be a gentleman and refrain from seducing the perfect preacher’s daughter.”
“Okay…why did you bid so much?”
It was a lot, he could admit that. But he hadn’t been able to handle the idea of anyone outbidding him in the final seconds. He’d never admit it to her, but he didn’t want to think of Amanda with another man, period.
“I always get what I want, Amanda. Whatever it takes.”
“Right…right.” Nerves were making her voice shake now. “So, on that note, how do you want to do this?”
“This?”
“Yeah. How do you want to take my virginity?”
“How? You didn’t mention that I was going to have to teach you, but since you asked…when a man and a woman want each other very much—” He felt like a jerk when the man at the next table started laughing and Amanda turned beat red.
“I’m sorry. That was in poor taste. Look, honey…it’s obvious that you aren’t very comfortable with this situation yet. Why don’t we just take it slow, get to know each other first. The other can wait.”
If he was a better man, Blake would have offered to withdraw his bid and let her walk away from a decision she was obviously close to regretting, but he wanted her too damn badly to let her go that easily. Besides, then she would just go to the next lowest bidder, and Blake couldn’t stomach the idea of her giving her first time to anyone but him.
The tension between them eased after that. They made comfortable conversation for the rest of the meal as they got to know each other better. Blake was surprised to find that Amanda was warm and witty, with a dry sense of humor that complemented his own quite well. If he could just forget what brought them together, he could almost see himself breaking his ‘no strings’ rule for this lovely woman.
Chapter Seven
Blake’s hand was on Amanda’s back as he expertly guided her to the front of the restaurant so that he could pay the check. The touch sent shivers up and down Amanda’s spine. She could hardly believe her luck. Blake was so hot, and she was thoroughly enjoying his company. He was being an attentive gentleman when he had every excuse to treat her like nothing more than the easy lay that she was.
The thought reminded her of the check for fifty thousand dollars she’d tucked in her purse. Well, maybe not that easy. There was a line at the register, and Amanda decided to take advantage of the wait to call Aimee and let her know that she was okay, and that the winning bidder hadn’t ended up being a total creep.
“So, is he short, shriveled? Older than dirt? Fill me in, girl!” Aimee was making jokes, but Amanda could hear the tension in her friend’s voice.
“None of the above. Aimee, it is Blake Daniels.”
There was silence for a moment while her friend tried to place a face with the name. “The guy that owns the hardware store?”
“No, the rancher…the one we were ogling at the county fair last week.”
“Shut up. He is seriously hot. Damn. I gave my virginity away for half a bottle of Boone’s Farm and a date to McDonald’s to a guy who wasn’t half that yummy. You get him and fifty thousand? Life isn’t fair. Forget internet dating. I’m about to start an online prostitution ring…you got the money from him yet?”
Amanda couldn’t help laughing. “Yes, I did. Let me know how that goes for you. I have to hang up. He’s just coming out of the restaurant. Don’t wait up.”
“You know I will. I’m going to want details. Bye!”
Amanda turned just as Blake was pushing the door open. She had to admit he was amazingly good looking. His hair was brown, but this late in the summer it had lightened almost to blond, presumably because of hours spent working outdoors on his ranch. His skin was tanned, and there were faint laugh lines at the corners of his eyes when he smiled, like he was doing now. His eyes were a warm brown, and at the moment they sparkled with mirth and bit of lust.
“You, ma’am, are undressing me with your eyes.”
“Oh! I’m sorry.” She flushed.
“Relax. Under the circum
stances, I’d say it’s a good thing. What do you say we head down to the river for a little while?”
“Sure. I’d like that.”
“I was hoping you’d agree. I even already have the fishing poles in the truck.”
“Do you now?”
“Of course. I’m pretty sure it’s a requirement. It’s one of those man rules…if you live below the Mason Dixon line and own a truck, there must be either a fishing pole or a shotgun in it at all times. Didn’t you know?”
Amanda rolled her eyes, but she was laughing. “I had no idea. Well then, lead on, you pinnacle of manliness.”
The shadows faded into evening. Blake was sweet and attentive. She’d spent countless hours fishing growing up, and the familiarity of it put her at ease in a way that a fancy restaurant never could have. Considering the dread and nerves that had filled her belly at the start of the evening, this wonderful ending was nothing short of miraculous.
“I never pictured myself ending this evening smelling like a creek with my hands covered in worm guts.” Amanda laughed and wiggled said fingers in Blake’s direction.
“I don’t know why not. They make the best bait…cheap and affective.” His eyes were warm with laughter.
“Ha, ha. You know very well why…thank you. For treating me like I’m a prize to be won instead of a foregone conclusion. It means a lot to me.”
“Oh, Amanda…Never doubt that you’re a prize worthy of a king.”
Her smile was sad, but she just couldn’t bring herself to smile with genuine happiness. “Thanks for saying so…”
Soon darkness overtook the sky and they were forced to pack up so that Blake could bring Amanda home. Blake grabbed Amanda’s hand as they walked back up to the truck, and the sweet gesture warmed her heart. He was so sweet, and such a gentleman. She thought in that moment that she could honestly see herself falling for him, but no.
She couldn’t allow herself to follow that line of thought. That way lay only heartbreak. He wanted her only for sex, bought and paid for. She couldn’t allow herself to forget that and fall for him. She vowed in that moment that she would keep her heart encased in armor, that she wouldn’t let herself care for this sweet, sexy man who looked at her like she was something precious even though to him she was only a brief distraction.
Chapter Eight
When he’d left the house, Blake had burned for Amanda. He’d wanted to sink inside her more than he wanted his next breath. The same could be said for him a few hours later, but the want had gotten deeper, more potent. Upon getting to know Amanda a bit better, he wanted to make her smile, to make her laugh. And to make her scream his name while she came for him—that hadn’t changed—but he couldn’t lie to himself and say that he was only here to get his rocks off. Not now. This had become something more.
It couldn’t last, and he knew that. That wasn’t going to stop him from enjoying each and every moment he had with her. He’d originally offered to get to know Amanda with only her comfort in mind. He’d thought that the waiting would kill him. As it turned out, though…he wanted the wait. He wanted to just enjoy being with Amanda for a while before he made love to her and then had to let her go.
“What are you thinking, Blake?” He’d climbed into the truck after helping Amanda into the cab, but now he sat with the keys in his hands, making no attempt start the engine as he stared at the fragile beauty beside him.
“You’re beautiful. You know that, right?”
A sweet, tempting smile flitted across her lips. “Thank you.”
“I think I’d like to kiss you now. Is that okay?”
Amanda blushed, but her eyes dropped to Blake’s lips, making him think that she wanted the kiss as much as he did, before she nodded.
Kissing Amanda was heaven. Her lips were soft and full. The way she moved them beneath his told him that she didn’t have a lot of experience with men at all. The lack of experience only made the kiss sweeter. This side of her, for now at least, was his and his alone. He groaned at the thought and gently probed with his tongue, seeking entrance to her mouth.
When she shuddered and opened for him, he thought he might lose his mind. She pressed a hand tentatively to his chest, like she wanted to touch him, to deepen the embrace, but didn’t have the experience to know how to proceed. He threaded his hands gently through her hair. It was as silky as he’d imagined it would be.
Eventually, Amanda pulled back and drew in a shaky breath. “That was…wow.”
Blake couldn’t agree more, but he didn’t say so. It was, he was fairly sure, her first real kiss. So why was he the one who felt like something life altering had just taken place?
“Let’s get you home, Amanda.”
******
If Blake had realized who was standing in the driveway, he never would have pulled into it. He was fairly sure that he was about to give in to the urge to punch a man of god right in his righteous nose.
“Get away from her, you devil bastard!”
Amanda cracked her window and said in a voice that was shaking with anger, “Daddy, please…”
“Shut up. Don’t even speak to me until you’re done acting like a whore.”
Blake saw red. “I’m going to have to leave, Amanda. If we leave this truck, I’m not sure—”
A rock bounced off the hood of his truck, followed by a brick that had lined the flower bed.
“Get away from her, you filthy sinner. Give me back my daughter so that I can purge the demons from her immortal soul!”
“My god, he’s lost it…”
Blake had been trying to let Amanda make a decision so that she could feel like she had some control over the situation, but he had to put the truck in reverse and get out of this driveway before he put it in drive and ran over an asshole minister instead.
Amanda’s phone rang, and she listened for a second before thanking someone shakily and hanging up. He pulled out of her drive and started toward the main road through town with no specific destination in mind.
“Aimee called the police, but she said she’s going to give him a warning, a chance to calm down and leave before they show up. I’m so sorry Blake. I honestly didn’t think he cared enough to react this way.”
Blake couldn’t believe she was apologizing for that bastard’s actions. With a father like that it was no wonder she’d gone to such lengths to hurt him, or that she had self-esteem so low that she’d decided it was perfectly okay to sell herself to the highest bidder. He quit the train of thought before he decided to go back and run her father over after all.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for, sweetheart. I can understand that he’s upset given what he probably thinks happened tonight, but he had no right to act that way towards you. None at all.”
“I don’t know…what I did really humiliated him.”
“That shouldn’t be the most important thing on his mind in this scenario. You should be…never mind. Just tell me what I can do to make the rest of this day easier for you. You have to be exhausted.”
He took her hand, hoping to comfort her with the simple touch.
“Well, I can’t go home, and I really can’t afford a hotel…not until I cash your check anyway. Would you mind too terribly if we went back to your place? If you don’t want me in the house, I could sleep in the barn or something.”
“You’ll do nothing of the sort, Amanda. You’re welcome in the house. And I don’t want you to feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to tonight. I have plenty of spare bedrooms, and you can have your pick of them.”
“Thank you, Blake. I appreciate this, so much.”
******
He’d barely closed and locked the front door behind them when Amanda launched herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body close to his as their lips met. All the passion he’d restrained earlier came rushing back to him. They were in his house, alone. Lust and possessive affection crowded all logic from his mind.
He growled low in his thr
oat and deepened the kiss before sweeping Amanda off her feet to carry her to the couch. She immediately straddled him once they were seated, and he could feel the heat of her core against him. It nearly drove him mad with wanting.
He kissed her again, deep and slow, a kiss of complete possession, before he trailed his lips to Amanda’s neck. She shuddered in reaction to his touch. He smiled. She was so damn responsive. He reached to cup her breast through the material of her shirt. Her nipple was hardened with lust and she started instinctively moving her hips, searching for the fulfillment her body craved. It was almost enough to make him cum on the spot.
He wanted her, more than he’d wanted anyone ever before. Some remnant of sense reminded him that this was her first time, and he was about to take her on his couch like some randy teenager only minutes after her father had berated her. He slowed the kisses, but Amanda would have none of it. Finally, he had to ease her off him and stand, though pushing her away was going against his every instinct.
She looked up at him, her lips swollen from his kisses and her eyes heavy with lust, and he said words that he was pretty sure he would regret when he went to bed horny and alone later. Hell, he was cursing himself for fifteen kinds of fool and the words hadn’t even left his mouth yet.
“I want you, Amanda, but not like this.” Yep. He felt just as much like an idiot as he’d thought he would. More even. She just looked at him, her expression confused and slightly hurt.
“I want your first time to be perfect, special. I don’t want it to be after a crappy, stressful day. We have plenty of time. Let’s just take it slow, take a little more time to get to know each other.”