by Sasha Combs
“Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!” Each time she said the word, her curse sounded louder and louder. Her frustration grew due to her sagging judgment. While she’d raced towards the shower, she neglected to bring a robe or a change of clothes. She also forgot to bring in an extra large bath towel. Hamilton stored these items in the linen closet, in the hallway. She turned, pissed off and angry at herself because there was only one regular size towel hanging on the towel rack. She’d considered putting on the clothes that she’d worn earlier, but that idea didn’t settle well in her head. Precious pulled the towel from the rack; wrapping it as far around her as it would go. When she stood in front of the mirror, she noticed that the essential parts of her body were indeed covered.
She bent low, picking up her dirty pile of clothes, then she headed for the door. Precious turned the doorknob, listening intently as she did this. The house was quiet, and she didn’t hear any sounds coming from outdoors. Well, she didn’t hear much that was unusual. Just the normal woodland sounds. Birds chirping. Birds of prey bellowing out loud cries in the distance. Precious opened the door all the way, then she stepped out into the hallway. She tipped toed, hurrying across the chilled wooden floor. She was mere feet from her bedroom, when Hamilton rounded the corner. His sudden appearance shocked, then stunned her. Her bundle of clothes fell to the floor, while she clutched the towel around her breast.
“Hamilton...” She shrieked. Hamilton wasn’t quite sure what he’d stumbled upon. Her hair was tied up in a messy wet ponytail, and her clothes were piled in a heap, laying on her feet and partially covering her ankles. Hamilton’s eyes made a slow upward trek; starting at one exposed toe, then following the wonderful length of her legs. At the hem of the towel, his eyes lay glued on her shapely thighs. He felt a catch in his throat, because it was then that he realized; Precious wore nothing underneath. The towel was her only covering. He forced his eyes to keep moving up, until he stared at her red cheek face. She was embarrassed by this, so he did his best to let the air out of this tense situation.
He cleared his throat, while stepping to the side, moving pass her.
“Sorry... I was just on my way to take a shower. Didn’t know that you were still in the bathroom.”
As he attempted to squeeze pass her, Precious lowered to reclaim her clothes. She didn’t want Hamilton to be forced to step over a mess that she’d created. Her efforts had been respectful, but her timing had been less than accurate. When she lowered, Hamilton had placed himself in between her and the wall. Without meaning too, her head bumped into his crotch; much like a goat butting its head in defiance. Reflexively, Hamilton cupped himself with his hands; drawing attention to what had just occurred. Precious reached out to help him but when she did this; her hands slipped away from the towel. For the briefest moment and during his mild agony; Precious treated Hamilton to a private sneak peek. A tiny show of her full round pert breast. After this, they both were frazzled. While Precious stood, holding her towel near her neck; Hamilton bent low to recover her clothes. Again, Precious had erred with her towel and this time, his eyes glimpsed an even smaller view of the wonders that lie between her thighs. He didn’t dare linger because already his length throbbed. The swell was especially painful after receiving the unexpected blow.
“Oh, God...” She cried and she was completely mortified. With as much modesty as she could muster, Precious said...
“Hamilton, I’m so sorry.” She looked at him, humiliated. Precious wanted to crawl under the nearest rock but when she looked at him, Hamilton was smiling at her. He stood, reaching pass her to open her bedroom door, while still holding her dirty clothes.
“Don’t worry about it Precious. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He watched her as she walked inside, then she turned back saying....
“My clothes.”
“I’ll put them in the washer with mines, after I’ve taken my shower.”
There was something erotic about that. Her bra and panties mixing with his teeshirt and boxers. Sure, she knew that there clothes were simply sharing the same soap and water. But the idea of it was sexy. The thought made her wonder what it would be like to share a shower with him and the way he was looking at her. Precious could have sworn that Hamilton was considering the same salacious thought.
Without saying another word, he trailed down the hall, stopping briefly in front of the linen closet. Hamilton pulled down a pile of clean towels, just before entering the bathroom. Seconds later, she heard the sound of spattering water. The same sounds she’d heard earlier when it had been her underneath the spray. But now, the water beat down on Hamilton’s naked body. The idea of this sent a wavering flicker to the reaches of her sexual core. The feeling stopped near her swollen nub; throbbing mercilessly. Precious didn’t want to fight this hunger anymore. The craving was to strong and she’d seen the way Hamilton looked at her. Stared and gawked at her, when he’d thought his appraisals had gone unnoticed. He’d brought her to this house in the middle of nowhere. They were alone and their attraction was undeniable. She’d come to terms with her situation days ago. Precious had admitted that she wanted to be with him. She wanted him to touch her...but she couldn’t figure out why Hamilton had not made a move. Even while they’d been in the hall, bumping and clumsily touching and exposing themselves. Instead of taking advantage of the situation like most men would have done. Hamilton had been a perfect gentleman; pretending not to have noticed her nakedness, especially when she was certain that he’d seen her.
Precious dropped her towel to the floor. She closed her eyes, allowing her hands to explore her body. She ran her fingers over her nipples; pinching and teasing them until they were tight and firm. She pressed her hand flat above her navel; slowly gliding down until she hit her thatch of hair. Her forefinger took the lead, going lower, seeking out her most sensitive spot. When she found it, Precious bit hard on her lower lip. The pain was meant to crush her erotic cry. Her legs buckled, causing her to fall down to her knees. She’d not expected her body to respond so quickly. But why wouldn’t she. For over a week now, she’d been with Hamilton. She’d smelled him, and today she’d touched him. Even though it had been her head pressed into his crotch; she didn’t need her fingers to tell her what she’d felt. Hamilton’s length felt so perfect to her. She felt his shaft, snaking down the length of his pant leg; firm and hard. His body had responded to her and she wanted him to give in to that feeling. She wanted him to lose himself inside of her. But, he’d stepped away, choosing a shower to quench his desires. Whatever burned inside of him; it was apparent to her, that Hamilton didn’t ache for the same things. He didn’t need her as much as she needed him.
Precious forced her body to stand. She looked around the room; reminding herself of the reasons that brought her here. She walked over to the closet, choosing the most simplest outfit. Something that would cover every inch of her body. Even as she did this, she asked herself “Who am I fooling?” Hamilton Gantry could have any woman in the world. But, the most important thing that she needed to remember, was that, she already had everything that she wanted. Or at least she would have it again. Hamilton had promised to help restore her life, to the state it once had been. When she’d graduated from University, Precious had only one thing on her mind. She promised herself, she would be the best in her field, and so far she’d made good on that promise. She couldn’t allow a relationship to derail her ambitions. She’d worked to hard to prove that she was an essential player in the financial game.
She tucked in her shirt, then loosened the tie in her hair. While standing near the window, she brushed out the tangles. In the distance she could see an ax wedged in a tree stump. Hamilton’s ax, she told herself.
“Oh dear Lord.”
The prayer had been a genuine cry for help because pretending that she didn’t care about Hamilton wouldn’t be easy. Yet, a part of her brain insisted that she smother the swelling flames that bellowed deep inside of her body. These were physical urges that Precious knew little about. She’d n
ever yearned for anyone and the feeling threatened to undermine her very existence.
Hamilton cleared the dishes, while leaving Precious to finish off a bottle of wine. She’d been content to drink the Merlot because his choice had perfectly complimented their meal. Then, without any prompting, she broke the silence, asking if he had a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. He stared at her confused but he didn’t have it within himself to refuse her; even though she’d already consumed more than enough. In spite of that, Hamilton left the kitchen, then he headed for the cellar. When he returned, he uncorked the bottle; then he filled her flute close to the brim. When she rose from the table, taking her glass with her; Precious had stumbled to the sofa, refusing to slow her drinking. Finally, Hamilton insisted that she lay down in her bed. From where he stood, it looked like Precious was forcing her eyes to remain open, when all her brain wanted was rest. He’d led her to the bedroom, removing her shoes once he got her in bed. When he closed the bedroom door, immediately he heard deep breathing sounds, then he heard snoring. As he walked back into the kitchen, he heard his mobile ringing. The caller had been Audrey, but when he answered, the connection had failed due to a bad storm. The weather forecast had been dead on. Like clockwork; the clouds rolled in, followed by a world-wind of torrential rains. Buckets fell down on the house. Shortly after that, the cabin went cold due to the drop in temperature. Hamilton started a fire; feeding it logs, to keep the house warm. He’d passed his time, doing this. The hour was late, but Hamilton wasn’t at all tired. His mind worried over Precious. He didn’t like that she’d chosen to drown her.... He stopped short, because he didn’t know what emotion or feeling she was attempting to drown. Precious had chose to get drunk, instead of talking. He could only hope that she wasn’t attempting to drown out sorrows that had been caused by him. While they’d been in the car, he’d allowed his personal feelings to rule his behavior. Even now, his blunt honesty haunted him. When he spoke about Stone Norris, he’d never intended to fuel her guilt. During dinner, he was certain that Precious worried over this. He couldn’t begin to imagine the burden that she carried. Worrying about a proposal and Stone’s pact with her father. He was certain that the agreement between the two men was doomed to fail. After listening to Precious; Hamilton concluded that she would never be forced now the aisle. As he thought about this, Hamilton heard the sound of his phone ringing. He reached for it, pressing the button to connect the call.
Precious smacked her lips, then she rolled her tongue. The roof of her mouth felt like balls of cotton. She pursed her lips, attempting to pool her saliva. She needed the liquid to moisten her throat but she couldn’t form enough spit to accomplish this. Forcing her eyes to open, she tried to recall when and how she’d gotten into bed. As her brain muddled over this, she lifted one elbow to aid in raising her head. The room spun several times, causing her to rethink this move. She wanted to lay flat but her throat was as dry as the Mojave Desert. The feeling was like thousands of tiny scratches itching her throat. She perched up using the other elbow, until finally she eased to a sitting position. She looked down, and she noticed that she still wore her clothes. Good, she thought to herself because she didn’t possess the strength to dress herself if she had been naked. Like a stiff robot, she threw her legs over until both feet touched the floor. She thanked the Lord that the room had mercifully stopped spinning. She inhaled deep, and this caused her tongue to feel even drier than before.
“I need water.” She mumbled the words; willing her feet into motion. Precious leaned forward, then she straightened to stand. As she crossed the room, her steady movements weren’t met with resistance. She opened the rooms door, stepping out into the hall. Her mind told her to go right; straight for the bathroom. Hamilton stored deposable cups there. In spite of that, she heard the mumbled sound of a male voice. Hamilton’s voice, she told herself. He was still awake. So, instead of turning right; she turned left, heading towards the front sitting area.
The kitchen and the sitting room were feebly lit in shadows and part darkness. The fire burned with such intensity; filling the area with its warmth. Hamilton was seated on the love seat; with his bottom perched on the armrest but his posture didn’t appear at all relaxed. When he’d first received the call, he had paced and paced during the conversation, until finally his feet demanded that he take a break. The longer he remained on the phone, the news just kept getting worse. He couldn’t blame his PR team but that didn’t stop his anger from boiling.
“Audrey, tell Milt to forget about Stone for now. Focus on the media. He has contacts. Tell him to work those ends. There has to be at least one network willing to report the truth. Tell him, I don’t care what he has to do. I don’t care what this will cost me. I want results. I don’t believe that the only solution is for Precious to agree to a trial engagement. Besides... If she doesn’t return to the show, we’ll never be in the position to properly repair her reputation. She’ll never be able to work in her current profession, if we don’t clean this mess up. Audrey, I need you to explain this to Milt. Make him understand. Tell him, to put more people on this. I don’t care if the entire department is working on Precious Sinclair’s case. And get somebody over to her house. I’m getting too many conflicting reports about the protesters. On your next call, I want a complete list, detailing everything that has been defaced. It doesn’t sound like anyone has gone back to check on her house since she left the place. When you send someone over there, I want the damages to be repaired; then place a guard there to prevent it from happening again.”
Hamilton felt a presence in the room. He frowned, turning his head in the direction of the hall. Standing near the rooms entrance; Precious stood and her stare came close to stopping his heart. Her body was stiff like a statue but her lips trembled uncontrollably. Her eyes were wide and transfixed with a lost expression. But the thing that really jarred him. She was crying. No, he thought. Her eyes were literally wetting the floor where she stood; raining down sorrowful tears. Even as her body wept, Hamilton noticed that she didn’t make a sound. He couldn’t understand how she managed this.
Without saying goodbye to Audrey; Hamilton ended the call, then he switched off the power. That was it for today. He didn’t want anymore reports, giving him nothing but bad news. Hamilton lifted from his seat, making his way to where she stood. He didn’t waste time asking her if she needed comforting. Hamilton gathered Precious into his arms; holding her tight but she didn’t have the strength to take hold. So, he held her tight enough for the two of them.
In a soft voice he asked...
“How much of that did you hear?”
Precious still had not uttered a word, mainly because her mouth was still dry. When she finally spoke, her voice strained, making a harsh, grating sound.
“They hate me. They hate me Hamilton.”
Hamilton knew, standing in the hall wasn’t the place to have this conversation. He guided her over to the sofa, prompting her to sit along side of him. In front of them on the coffee table, Precious saw a half emptied bottle of wine. The same bottle she’d drank from earlier. While she’d been sleeping, Hamilton had corked the bottle and she also noticed that he’d removed her glass.
She pointed at the wine, saying...
“I’m thirsty Hamilton.”
He eyed the bottle, mindful of her excessive drinking. As he chewed on that thought, Hamilton came to a firm conclusion. Wine was the last thing that she needed, so he thought to offer her something else.
“Stay here. I’ll get you a glass of water.”
“I don’t want water. Water won’t help me go to sleep. I need something stronger. I just can’t deal with this anymore.”
Now, came the cry, ushered in by her wailing voice. The sound grew with each passing second. Hamilton didn’t want to leave her, so he stayed at her side. He pulled her in close, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He said...
“Drinking isn’t the answer Precious.”
“It helps Hamilton. It numbs me...and that’s w
hat I want. I don’t want to feel anymore. I just can’t take this pain any longer.”
He stroked the side of her face; using his forefinger to guide her gaze towards him. He smiled, saying...
“You’re not in this alone Precious. I’m here to help you. You can lean on me, for a while.”
She sniffled, allowing her soul to fall into the well of his penetrating gray eyes. It was then that she realized something. Precious didn’t want the false comfort that the wine gave her. She wanted something substantially more gratifying than that. She wanted Hamilton Gantry.
Her eyes lowered, considering the shape of his mouth. She studied his lips, recalling all that she’d remembered. His seductive smile had the power to tempt and tease. Her eyes lowered further still; following his chin to the slope of his neck. When he swallowed, she watched his bobbing Adam’s apple then her eyes fell beneath his neck. She studied dark tufts of chest hair that curled above his shirt collar. Everything about him was a lure, charming her and reeling her in. With a slight dip of her head; in her admiring glances, her eyes caressed him much like a paintbrush covering a canvas. The part of her brain that tried to protect her heart; Precious muted the pleas that called out to her. For tonight, there would be no inhibitions.
Hamilton had watched her slow surveillance, starting at his eyes, then ending somewhere below his neck. Her flattering admiration and fixed stares had triggered his arousal. He felt the tandem movements of her hand and her body; making an unshakable approach. He wasn’t even sure how it happened but in slow motion; Precious had worked her hand beneath the hem of his shirt. Her soft fingers gently caressed the hairs on his abdomen. Hamilton breathed in a quick breath of air. Her touch was like a hot poker, searing him. The fiery burn caused every nerve to sizzle and come to life. The experience was savage and carnal. In those few seconds, Hamilton wanted to rip Precious free of her clothes with his teeth and hands. He wanted to shred every piece of fabric that covered her body. Then he would be free to completely ravish her; taking her any way that he wanted.