by Ali Parker
I drove to the store in silence, giving my thoughts a chance to entertain me. I had so many things to figure out, but something about the serenity of the mountains gave me pause. I didn't need to work through all the shit I was dealing with just yet. I could take a day off from it.
A text from my brother, Leon busted up any sense of peace as I walked into the small grocery store. He wanted me to go see mother. It was my turn.
It was always my turn, but the bad part was that she hated seeing me. I was everything she wasn't. Kind, artistic, giving. I was my father's child for sure.
"Afternoon, Miss." An elderly guy stood at the only cash register in the store.
"Hi there. I'm just going to grab a few things for dinner."
"Absolutely. We just caught some fresh trout. My son should have the fillets ready back there if you're interested."
"That sounds great." I walked to the back and picked up a couple of things before grabbing a packet of fillets. The old man seemed quite pleased with my selection of groceries. It was cute and endearing.
There was something so simple about the type of living he and his family were doing, and I envied him a little. Could I just pick up and leave my life? Head up to the mountains with Matt and live off what we could catch or kill?
I laughed at myself as I pulled out of the store and drove back to the cabin. Matt would be up, or I'd get him up. I didn't want to come off as greedy, but I sure as hell wanted to spend whatever time I could with him.
The chances of us making it out of the Mitch situation still together and unscathed seemed highly unlikely. It was painful to think about what would happen when I told Matt everything that had transpired. Would he see my sacrifice as a true sacrifice?
And if I didn't sleep with Mitch, then what? How would he get me back for that? By lying to Matt? It wasn't like Matt would listen to him.
A million options ran through my mind's eye, each sounding worse than the last. I pulled up to the cabin to find Matt outside, working on a fire as the late afternoon was soon to turn into evening.
I got out of the car and grabbed our groceries.
"Need a hand?" He moved around the open car door and took the bags out of my hand.
"I could have gotten that."
"I know, but I'm here. You don't need to carry anything." He leaned in for a kiss.
Cupping the sides of his handsome face, I took my time thanking him with my lips.
He pulled back, looking a little starry-eyed. "Wow. I'm going to start toting shit more often."
I laughed and closed the car door. "I was going to get hot dogs for dinner, but they had some fresh trout that looked too good to ignore."
"Fish sounds better." He moved back, and I opened the door. "Sorry I fell asleep. Someone sucked the energy right from me on the ride up here."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, Lord. Let the tacky teenage boy jokes start."
"All part of the charm, baby. All part of the charm."
"This is true." I wrapped him in a tight hug and pressed my cheek to his back, never wanting to let him go.
Everything felt suddenly so fleeting.
My phone buzzed, and I released him to walk back toward the tiny living room. "I'm praying this isn't my brother."
"Answer it if it is. It could be about your mom."
"Yeah, cause that's a subject I want to talk about." I picked up the phone to see that it was from an unknown number.
Matt pressed his chest to my back, offering me comfort. "You know you wouldn't forgive yourself if something happened to her and you ignored it."
"You're right." I pulled the phone to my ear and walked toward the door. "Erica Hall."
"Erica. It's Mitch. I just wanted to make sure you were feeling alright for our date tomorrow night."
A cold sweat broke out on my skin. It was a damn good thing I'd walked away from Matt. Sickness swam in my stomach as I opened the door and walked out, closing it behind me.
"It's not a date, but I'm fine. I'll be at the event at seven."
"You'll be here at my place at six-thirty." His tone was still light, but I could almost imagine him with his teeth clenched together. I was a pain in the ass, no doubt. I was trying to be.
"I said I would come to the event. I never said I would meet you at your house. I don't trust you, and you can understand why. Give me the address to the event, or forget it."
"You play hardball a little too often, Erica."
"You haven't seen anything yet." I dropped down on the stairs. "After tomorrow night, you're going to leave me alone."
"Or?"
"Or I'm going to talk with Damon or Kent. Or fuck. Both of them!" My words sounded silly in my ears as if I were a six-year-old girl making threats against a grown man.
"I'll send you the address, but please don't forget your place in all of this. You sold your body for a night. I didn't force you to do it. You eagerly said yes."
"No, I didn't." Disgust for my action threatened to pull me under. "I'm hanging up. Send me the address."
"See you tomorrow."
I dropped the call and stood up, my legs a little shaky. After sucking in three or four deep breaths, I turned and walked back into the house. Matt was in a woman's apron, moving around the kitchen, humming something funny.
He was only wearing the apron. His cute little pale ass flexed as he turned and looked over his shoulder. "You like?"
I laughed, needing his humor more than anything at the moment. "I love it and you."
"Good. Come over here and help me tote the stuff outside."
"You are not going outside butt-ass naked."
"True. There are wild animals out there." He stopped in front of me and ran his strong hands over my shoulders. "But there's a wild woman in here." His smile faded. "Baby... what's the matter?"
"Nothing. I'm just dealing with a lot at work."
He encircled me with his arms. "Like what? Talk to me, and we'll figure it out. You've been closing up a lot lately. Open up to me."
"I want to, but I hate to bother you with stupid stuff." I leaned in and pressed my forehead to his chest. "Thank you for the apron outfit though. It's brightening my day."
He didn't smile when I lifted my chin and locked gazes with him. "What at work is bothering you?"
"Mitch mostly. I think he has it out for me." A small sense of relief raced through me as I got a little bit of the situation out and on the table.
"I think he has it out for me." Matt laughed and released me. "He was quite the dick at my event last week, and then... all of a sudden, he just stopped bidding. It was the weirdest shit ever."
I bit my tongue and moved around him, grabbing a beer from the cooler he'd brought up with him. It was my chance to tell him why Mitch had stopped bidding. My offer to the asshole had plugged the drama leak that night but had made my life so much more complicated.
"He's going to the event tomorrow, and honestly, I just don't want to be around him." I popped the top on the beer and took a long drink as Matt pulled the apron over his head.
His strong body was bare and on full display for me. An ache resurrected between my thighs as I reached for him.
"You need to talk to my father about this if it's upsetting you this much." He brushed the back of his fingers down the side of my face. "I knew something was going on, but I didn't know what."
I couldn't help but wonder what Damon would have done if it were him and Bethany. Would he have told her to talk to Kent? Or would he have found Mitch and choked the life out of him? Sadness raced through me at my thoughts. They weren't fair to either of us.
Matt was only trying to help with the little bit of information I'd given him.
"I'll figure it out." I lifted up to kiss him again. "Go get dressed and let's get dinner going. I'm starving."
"Alright." His voice lacked excitement. "Give me a minute."
The air around me felt like it had deflated completely. Things got a little better as we cooked dinner and turned the conversation back
to his art. He filled me in on the new contract job a little more, and I encouraged him to take it.
"I don't know. I really hate being told what to paint." He shrugged and leaned away from the fire.
"I can understand that, but sometimes you have to take on a few jobs that pay the bills so that you can fund the jobs or art that you really want to work on. It's just a balancing job." I reached out and touched his arm. "I'm really proud of you, by the way. You did a great job at the show a week ago. It's been so crazy since then that I don't know if we got to-"
He pulled me close and pressed his lips to mine, silencing all my concerns and wandering thoughts. I breathed him in and sunk down into his arm, letting the strength of his hold lull me into a place of peace.
"Don't let me go. Promise me," I whispered against his lips.
He pulled me into his lap and tightened his arms around me. "Never. You have nothing to worry about Erica."
"And if I do?" I leaned in for another long kiss.
"People fuck up all the time." He licked up the side of my throat and gripped my ass, massaging it as he rocked against me. "Just talk to me when shit comes up. I think open communication has to be the answer to everything right?"
"Maybe so." I pulled at his t-shirt. "Make love to me out here."
"Can I fuck you instead?" He smiled up at me before pulling his shirt over his head.
I didn't get yes out of my mouth before he picked me up and carried me to the hammock on the side of the house. The stars twinkled above us as he laid on his back and held onto my hips. I fucked him nice and slow, taking my time to trace the muscles of his stomach and chest.
His grunts mixed with my moans and the world exploded around me as I convulsed with my orgasm. I loved him so much and wanted to bath in the excitement of a future together, but I was too damn scared to just yet.
The moment felt fleeting, like the end was near. As badly as I wanted to shake it, I simply couldn't.
He would find out about my proposition to Mitch and label me a whore.
No matter how good my intentions were.
Chapter 9
Matt
A smile spread across my face as I slipped out of bed the next morning and walked to the kitchen. My heart was full in so many ways. Nothing could tear me down from the high I was on. The woman of my dreams was in my bed, covered in my scent, adorned with my kisses and greedy touches.
My father accepted me for who I was, and scary enough, he always had. It was me that needed to get over my difference to him and Damon. It was me who was trying to live in the shadow of my brother, and it wasn't needed anymore.
I could simply be me, and that was enough. Erica loved me and treasured what we had. She was all I needed to confirm my security in simply being me.
After padding around the kitchen for a few minutes, I decided to make breakfast for her. I was almost done frying the bacon when she stopped at the edge of the kitchen in one of my t-shirts. Her hair was a mess and her lips a little swollen from our kisses.
I stopped what I was doing to take her in. My pulse spiked a little, and I couldn't help but wonder if she would always have such a strong hold on me.
"I smell bacon." Her smile was sweet and youthful. I could almost see what our little girl would look like when we finally got married and had babies.
"Well, looks like someone's nose is working this morning." I walked over and pulled her into my arms, leaning down to kiss the tip of her cute button nose. "Did you sleep okay?"
"I think so." She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her cheek against my chest. "I had a few nightmares, but what else is new?"
"About what?" I pulled back and reached up to brush my hands down the side of her hair. Leaning in, I kissed her lips softly and enjoyed the taste of cinnamon on her tongue. She'd have me back in the bed in no time if I weren't careful.
"About someone coming after me." She let out a soft sigh and pulled away from me. "You want some coffee?"
"Yeah. I knew I forgot something." I turned and crossed my arms over my chest as I checked out the perfect swell of her ass in my t-shirt. It cupped her as she bent over, and my cock pulsed, promising to grow long and thick if he could get some attention. I rolled my eyes at the thought. The bastard had a mind of his own. "Who was after you in the dreams, Erica?"
"I don't know." She glanced over her shoulder, her expression solemn. "I couldn't see his face, but I relived the mugging and then the fender bender I just went through."
"Hmm..." Concern filled me. "You think that someone did those things on purpose or what?"
"I hope not." She turned back and worked on the coffee pot.
I moved back to the stove and finished up cooking breakfast. Something deep inside of me roared to life as I stood there thinking about someone having the balls to come after my girl. Certainly not. We lived pretty simple lives in most respects. Why would anyone want to hurt her?
"I don't like it," I mumbled more to myself than her.
She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her soft tits to my back, her hands sliding down to cup me as she squeezed softly. "You don't like what? This?"
"Oh, no. I like that very much. I don't like the idea of someone messing with you." I fixed our plates and turned as she backed up. "Who do you think it is? Not Mitch, right?"
After taking her plate, she averted her eyes down to the ground and shrugged. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" My voice hardened. "If you think he's the one behind this random shit happening to you, then we need to find out. Period."
"Let it go, okay?" She glanced up and gave me the biggest fake smile I'd seen from her before. "It was just a dream."
"It was just a dream last night, but someone did mug you, and someone else hit your car." I stopped short as she turned and walked toward the door with her shoulders rolled in. What the fuck was happening? "Erica."
"Leave it alone, Matt. Please?" She walked out onto the front porch and sat down. "Thank you for making breakfast."
I wanted to push her for more information, to force her to explain herself fully, but the emotion sitting on her shoulders left me biting my tongue instead. I'd figure out what was up on my own. There was no need to upset her any more than she already was.
"Sure." I put my plate down. "I'll grab the coffee. You want anything else, baby?"
"Just you." She glanced up, and I paused to reach down and touch her cheek.
"You know I'm here for you, right? If something is going on-"
"It's nothing. Just a fucked up dream." She cupped her hand over mine and kissed my palm softly. "I promise."
"Okay." I leaned down and kissed the top of her head before going back into the house for our coffee. She wasn't being honest, but I was alright with that to some degree. As long as she wasn't in danger, and our relationship was solid, we'd work through it.
Whatever the fuck it was.
*
"You sure you have to go to this thing tonight?" I dropped her back off at her apartment and walked her to the door.
"Yeah. I'm sure." She leaned in to kiss me a few times.
I slid my hand into her hair and deepened the kiss, enjoying the way she fit against me so well. I'd wanted to take a shower with her earlier that morning back at the cabin, but the mood shifted a little too much after we talked about her nightmare. Something told me that it wasn't some crazy idea she'd come up with, but rather something she was seriously considering. If someone were trying to hurt her, there would be absolute hell to pay. Some part of me hoped that it was Mitch. Fucker.
"I love you." I moved back and slipped my hands into my pocket. The sound of Zek barking inside the apartment had me smiling. "You want me to take little man back to my place? If you have to go out again tonight, he's going to be alone. Let me have him."
"You sure?" She turned and unlocked the door. "I know he still has accidents in the house."
"He's good training for the kids we're going to have."
She snorted and opened the do
or. "You're already thinking about kids? Where is my ring?"
"Patience woman." I moved around her and walked to Zek's cage, opening it and scooping the little guy up as he wiggled and whined. "It's alright, boy. We're back now. You want to go home with daddy tonight?"
"I like the idea of you being called daddy." She gave me a sexy smile as she leaned down to kiss Zek's face a few times. "You boys behave."
"No problem here. It's this wild ass that we need to worry about." I leaned in to kiss her again before grabbing Zek's stuff and hauling him and it to the car. I put him back in his cage after walking him around the grass beside the apartment complex. He whined and cried, but I turned on the radio and let my thoughts take me somewhere else. To the future. A big house on the bay with Erica and I painting together and three little munchkins running around, tearing shit up.
Bliss.
My phone buzzed, and I pressed the hands-free device. "Hello?"
"Hey, Bro. What's up?"
"Nothing much. I'm just heading back from a night up at the lake with Erica." I reached over and stuck my fingers into Zek's cage. He licked me to death. "Zek's staying over tonight, so it's a guy’s evening. What's up with you?"
"I'm actually flying into Seattle in about an hour. I have a meeting on Monday and figured I would get there a little early. Bethany and her mom are doing some girl's weekend thing and seeing that I have a dick... I'm out."
"Lucky you." I snorted and pulled up to my place. "Come over tonight, and we'll have dinner at the house. I'm tired of wearing pants. I need a break."
"Yeah, I'm not so sure the idea of you being pantsless at dinner makes me want to come over."
"See you at six?"
"Yeah, I'll be there."
"Good, and maybe tomorrow we can go look for places."
"Places?" Damon asked.
"Yeah. I've asked Erica to move in with me, but I want to buy a bigger place and expand the art studio. I thought about it all night honestly. I want to do something big and flashy for her, something she would see and know that I loved her."