Sweet on Wilde

by Fabiola Francisco

  He winks and smiles. “You look beautiful.” He leans in and kisses me softly, careful not to ruin my makeup.

  “Thank you,” I say, grabbing my coat and purse. “Ready?”

  “Yes, just one more kiss.” He isn’t as careful with this one, and I melt against his lips. This man is all mine and I can’t wait to show him off.

  We arrive at Luke and Jamie’s house shortly after and walk into the yard through the side of the house. Em and Wes meet us right by the entrance, hugging me like we hadn’t just seen each other the night before. A tent, beautifully decorated with flowers yet still masculine in its decoration, covers the yard. Simplicity in its best form, Jamie has done a fabulous job. Emily leads us to where her parents are, and I smile as we approach them.

  “Savannah, darling!” Jamie gives me a hug and holds me at arm’s length inspecting me.

  “Hi, Jamie. Happy birthday, Luke!” I hand him his gift and hug him.

  “Thank you, sweetie. You didn’t have to get me anything. I’m just happy to see you here along with Em.”

  I shrug. As if I wasn’t going to get him a gift. These two have been the closest thing to parents I have besides my own grandparents.

  “I’m happy to be here. This is Parker,” I introduce him to Jamie and Luke. They say hello and ask him a few questions. The usual–where he’s from, what he does, how long he’s been living here.

  After the short interrogation and Em’s parents’ approval, I feel an arm on my shoulder. I turn and see my grandmother. “Grandma! You’re here already.” I hug her and kiss her cheek.

  “Grandma, this is Parker. Parker this is my grandmother, Caroline.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Parker shakes my grandmother’s hand and smiles at her.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too. I’ve heard wonderful things about you.” Parker glances my way and smiles. “Quite handsome, too.” I blush at my grandma’s observation and pull in my lips between my teeth to prevent from smiling widely.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Parker responds.

  “Let’s get you something to drink, Caroline, and leave the kids to mingle,” Jamie says and pulls my grandma away towards the bar.

  “A drink sounds great actually. You want something?” I ask Parker.

  “Oh, yes! Let’s get something,” Emily chimes in, and the four of us walk towards the bar. Emily and I get a glass of wine and the guys get a beer each. We are sipping and talking like four old friends, and I catch my grandma looking my way and winking. She approves. I wink back at her, and turn towards my friends. Parker wraps his arm around me and kisses the top of my head. I look up at him and he smiles. Perfectly content, I enjoy the evening.

  By the time we’ve had three drinks, dinner is being served. We take our seats at the table with Emily, her parents, Wes and my grandmother. Another couple sits with us and we all talk and enjoy our dinner. My grandma asks Parker more questions and they get acquainted. I love watching her try to act protective and falling short of it and him responding confidently and humorously. His charm wins her over, and pretty soon Luke, Wes and Parker are talking about baseball and his career. My grandmother leans over and whispers, “He’s definitely a keeper. You found yourself a great man, baby.”

  “Thanks, grandma. I think so.” She squeezes my hand and looks at us, taking in the full picture, and smiles.

  After dinner, the DJ begins to play and people start to dance. Luke and Jamie are having a blast moving to the music with their friends. “Let’s go dance!” Emily grabs my hand and pulls me up. Laughing, I join her on the dance floor and we start dancing to the beat playing. We laugh and bump into each other, singing as the songs switch from one to another. When a slower beat starts playing, we walk back to the table.

  “Oh, no. Turn around. You’re not done dancing yet.” Parker meets me halfway, and holds his hand out to me. “Dance with me.”

  I grab his hand, and notice Wes to my side asking Emily the same thing.

  I place my right hand in Parker’s and place the other on his shoulder. He wraps his hand around my waist and holds me close, swaying to the music. He kisses my cheek. “I love your grandmother. She’s a riot. Thank you for bringing me tonight and introducing me to this side of you.” I hold him tightly, hugging him to me, and smile. Now that I’ve met someone worth imagining a future with I wish my parents were around to meet him.

  I look up at him. “Thank you.” I leave it at that, hoping he understands. I give him a soft kiss on his lips as we continue to dance.

  After a few hours of dancing and a couple more drinks, we leave. I say goodbye to Luke and Jamie and offer to drive my grandma home, but she refuses, saying she’s very capable of driving herself. “After all, I’m not that old yet. Don’t try to age me,” was her response. I laughed and hugged her goodbye, promising to stop by some time next week. She told me to bring Parker with me for dinner. Emily and I make plans to have breakfast before she needs to drive back to Atlanta so we can have some girl time.

  The drive back home is short, and I look over at Parker when he stops his truck.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow. Have breakfast with Emily and enjoy time with her. I know you haven’t had any girl time alone. We’ll hang out after.” He grabs my face and pulls my lips to his, kissing me ardently. “I’m really falling for you, Savannah Gardner.”

  I close my eyes to take in his words and come down from that kiss. His tongue playfully runs along my lower lip and my eyes snap open to look at him. I know lust is written all over my face and he laughs.

  “Not tonight. I don’t want our entire relationship to be focused around sex,” he says, understanding my expression.

  “You’re missing out,” I joke and he chuckles.

  “I know. I still dream about you riding me like a cowgirl.”

  “Oh god,” I blush and look away.

  “I’m joking. Well…partially. It was sexy and I wouldn’t mind repeating that position.”

  “Hmmm…neither would I.”

  He sighs and says, “I’m going to walk you to your door now, and then leave before I change my mind.”

  “Okay,” I mumble, feigning annoyance.

  I unlock my door and before I open it, Parker pulls me in for another kiss. His tongue forces my lips open, conquering my mouth and moving along my tongue, licking every corner while his lips mold into mine. I clutch his shirt and his hands hold the sides of my face firmly, devouring me. We finally separate, breathing heavily, and his eyes are dark. I give him a peck.

  “Not tonight,” I mimic him and he groans.

  “Me and my big mouth. You’re going to kill me, Savannah. Goodnight, baby.”

  “Goodnight,” I swoon at his nickname. Who would have thought I’d be that girl to swoon over a guy calling me baby, but hearing Parker say it is endearing.

  “I totally approve of Parker!” Emily says loudly.

  “Shh…No need to let everyone know you do.”

  “Oh, whatever. You should let everyone know you’re dating him.” She disregards me shushing her.

  “I really like Wes, too. He’s perfect for you.”

  “He is, isn’t he?” I laugh at Em’s honesty.

  “Yeah. He’s a great guy, Em. I’m happy you met someone like him in Atlanta.”

  “I am, too. We talked about moving in together. I think we’re ready.”

  “That’s awesome!” I’m excited that she’s found the perfect guy and I hope they do take that next step.

  “It is! We’re going to talk more about it once we get back home.” Hearing Emily call Atlanta home sounds weird, but it also opens my eyes to her reality. I’m grateful that despite the distance, my best friend hasn’t changed. We are still the same two girls who met years ago in kindergarten and instantly clicked.

  “Will you come visit me soon? Please!” I laugh at her persistence.

  “I guess I do owe you a visit. I’ll plan for some time soon. I promise.”

  “Good! I can’t wait to show you around.”


  We finish eating our breakfast and say goodbye before we head our separate ways. Emotional about saying bye to Emily, I call Parker to see what he’s up to.

  “I’ve got the perfect place to take you if you’re sad. I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes.”

  Curious about where he has planned, I get home and wait for him. Emily is like a sister and it’s been hard having her so far away, but every time she comes to visit and leaves, I feel the way I did the day she moved away.

  Punctual as always, Parker knocks on my door. I open and smile sadly. “Hey.”

  “Come here.” He pulls me into a hug and kisses my forehead. “Ready to release your emotions?” I nod and head out.

  Parker pulls into a parking spot and I look at him scrunching my eyebrows.

  “Trust me.”

  We get out of the car and walk into the building. Once outside again, the swooshing of bats swinging against the air and bangs of hitting balls fills the space.

  “The batting cage?”

  “Yeah. It will definitely help you feel better. This is where I come when I need to disconnect.”

  We grab bats and Parker leads me to one of the cages. He instructs me on how to stand and swing, while taking advantage of holding me close to him. I allow his hands to roam down my body, putting me in the perfect position. I make it sound so dirty, but we’re just getting ready to hit balls with a bat. Ha!

  “Keep your eye on the ball. When it approaches, swing as hard as you can.”

  “Got it.” I focus on the ball that will shoot out of the pitching machine. I hear it before I see and swing when it comes close. I nip it but it doesn’t go anywhere. “I suck.”

  Parker laughs and composes himself.

  “Not like that!” I look back at him.

  “Sorry. My mind wandered to the dark side,” he shrugs.

  “Again,” I say, determined to hit the damn ball.

  “Yes, ma’am. It does go automatically though.”

  I puff and wait. Another pitch, another swing. A miss. “Fuck!” Parker stifles his laughter and I glare at him.

  “Sorry, but hearing you curse is cute.”

  I smile and get in position for the next pitch. I swing and hit. Finally! The ball flies over the pitching machine and against the back of the cage. After getting the hang of it, I hit more balls than I miss.

  “You were right. This totally makes me feel better.”

  “Told you.” Parker smiles proudly. “My turn.” He grabs the bat from me and gets ready to swing. I’m impressed at Parker’s batting skills and feel drawn to watching him. Every muscle flexes and moves with the pressure he hits the balls and for a slight second I’m nervous he’ll hurt his shoulder.

  Thoroughly enjoying the view, I lean against the fence and watch him swing.

  He stops and turns towards me. “You look good hitting those balls.”

  “You like what you see, huh?” He shuts off the pitching machine.

  “Oh, I really do.”

  “Good. You feel better then?”

  “I do. Thank you.” I walk towards him and kiss him softly. His arms wrap around my waist lazily.

  “I’m glad I could help. This is my go to place when I need to clear my mind. When my ex-girlfriend left me, I spent quite some time in the batting cage.”

  I stiffen. I know we briefly discussed our past dating record, but I never expected him to mention an ex-girlfriend. I guess I didn’t put thought into it. How serious were they? How long ago did they break up? Am I a rebound? No, we have something deeper than a rebound relationship.

  “Sorry,” Parker mumbles. “I just…I… it helps.” He’s at a loss for words, which makes me think there’s more to this story.

  “It’s okay,” I lie. It’s starting to eat at me, but I don’t want him to think I’m some jealous girl who can’t handle someone with past relationships. I’m definitely not that girl, it just caught me off guard. He’s witnessed my dates for goodness sake.

  “No, I shouldn’t have said that. I wanted to show you a fun way of relaxing. Yes, I have an ex-girlfriend, but we broke up a while ago. It was just the way it ended that was messed up.”

  “Okay,” I say quietly.

  “Savannah, look at me.” Parker grabs my chin and makes me look up at him. I know I seem scared. I know doubt is shadowing my face. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” I grab my bat. “Ready?” I get in position to hit more balls.

  If I need a release, now is the time.

  The machine pitches and I don’t flinch when I hit the ball with all my force. “Again.” I hit the next ball. One after another, I hit the balls with as much strength as I can muster. After the fifteenth pitch, my arms are sore. I drop the bat and turn around. Parker is staring at me with compassion and sadness mixed together.

  “How long did you date?” I might as well get this conversation over with, or it will drive me crazy.

  “Two years.”

  “So it was serious.”

  “Yes.”

  “How serious?”

  “Pretty serious.”

  “Did you want to marry her?”

  “At one point I did. I thought about proposing. She left me when I got injured and they declared my baseball career over. Honestly, she was a bitch. I’m not sure what I saw in her. She wasn’t the kind of person I ever imagined a future with, but I thought if I had already built a relationship with her it was easier to stay than go. I felt relieved when she left, but that doesn’t mean it was easy.”

  I nod in understanding. I can get that, but does he still have feelings for her? Does he wonder what could have been?

  “I don’t regret the course my life has taken. Honestly, if I would have married her, I would have been miserable. It’s one of those things in life that you do because it looks like a great idea. My family hated her, too, which was a big battle for me.” He caresses my cheek. “Please don’t let this come between us. I really like you. I love what we have. I can see this working.” He motions between us and I nod.

  “I do, too. Sorry. I’m just surprised. I guess I never thought about you being in such a serious relationship before, which is stupid of me.”

  “Are we okay?”

  “Yes.” He leans in and kisses me, gauging my reaction.

  “Take me home,” I whisper against his lips.

  As soon as we enter my house, Parker’s lips are on mine. This kiss is lazy and zealous. He takes his time to taste me, his tongue teases mine, and his teeth bite my lower lip. I moan into his mouth, returning the kiss. We take our time to devour each other, no rush to where this kiss will lead, simply communicating with our mouths.

  Parker’s hands tangled in my hair tilt my head up so he can better access the depths of my mouth. His tongue brushes over my lips, following the shape of them, before diving back in. I run my hands over the length of his body, gripping the back of his shoulders when his lips leave mine and travel down my jaw to my neck, sucking and scraping his teeth along my sensitive skin.

  “Hmmm…Parker…” I moan quietly into his ear. His tongue trails down my throat to the indentation at the base of it between my collarbones. He plants soft kisses along the length on my shoulder and then back towards my neck, giving my other shoulder the same attention.

  His hands release my hair and move down my arms to cup my breasts through my shirt, tantalizing my nipples through the fabric.

  “You’re beautiful,” he murmurs against my skin and his hands sneak under my shirt, feeling my skin and burning me with his touch. My core clenches with the feel of his hands on my stomach. I tremble under his touch and relax into it. With his mouth still on my neck, teasing me, I have perfect access to his ear.

  “I want you,” I whisper before taking his earlobe between my teeth and gently sucking and scraping my teeth against it.

  Parker growls and returns his mouth to mine, the lazy kiss from before gone, this one is fast and heavy with desire. His hands run under my bra, massaging my breasts in the
confined space. His thumbs flick over my nipples and my breath speeds up. Wanting to feel his skin as well, I move my hands under the back of his shirt, feeling every inch of him as I scrape my nails over his skin. He lets out another growl and I repeat the action, up and down his back.

  Suddenly my bra is unhooked and my shirt is being lifted over my head. Not arguing, I lift my arms to help him remove my clothing. Parker’s lips wrap around one of my nipples, teeth gently scraping and tongue flicking it. His other hand massages my other breast, giving it some kind of attention although not the same as his mouth…his mouth feels divine. I arch my back into his mouth, giving him more and wanting more.

  Kissing across my chest, he moves his lips to my other breast, repeating the same intimate action. My fingers are in his hair, keeping his head in place. When Parker looks up at me, his eyes are almost black and lust ridden.

  Without a word, he lifts me and I wrap my legs around his waist. Parker moves us into my bedroom, kicking the door shut, and kissing me fervently. My body takes over and rubs against his, still locked around his waist, and we both moan in delight.

  I’m dropped on my bed, his eyes staring down on me with a combination of adoration and unadulterated desire. When Parker bends down, I think he’s going to kiss me, but surprises me by removing my shoes and jeans, leaving me completely exposed to him. I pout and he laughs.

  “I want some visuals, too,” I say.

  “You’ll get it, but right now I’m going to please you.” He kneels before me and I squirm.

  There’s only one way this is going. Kissing up my leg, I look down at him, wide eyed and waiting. I might just lose it right now. He plants a soft kiss over my sex and moves to trail kisses down my other leg. Trying to be patient, I keep my eyes on him, watching every move.

  When our eyes meet, I see the emotion there. This has surpassed casual dating. This…this that we have right now has surpassed anything either one of us expected it to be. With that, his tongue trails over my clit slowly.

  “Ahhh…” I call out, my heart leaping out of my body. Again. Another lick. Fuck! That…I can’t…His tongue presses more firmly down on me, determined to please me to that point of no return. He licks the length of my pussy, tasting me in the most intimate way he can, coming back up to my clit with short and quick flicks. Calling out all sorts of incoherent things, I’m lost to his mouth.