by Lee Rose
“Is everything okay, Selena? No more calls?” Ryan asked.
“No, sir,” she replied, picking at her salad. “Ed has insisted on driving me to and from work. I worry about him but he is insisting he can handle it.”
Ryan nodded. “Not only do we have our guys making extra patrols but we have a few guys we trust from our classes who are keeping their eyes open.”
“We traced his call and it came from St. Clair so we want you to be alert. You have my cell number?” Harrison brought up. “Call the station or me any time you feel scared.”
She nodded and shuddered. “He is that close?”
Harrison put his arm around her shoulder. She felt butterflies dancing in her stomach at such a simple touch and she tried hard not to blush. It wasn’t as if he was touching her intimately. She wished he was but they were in a public place. “We’ll get him, Selena.”
She tried to put on a brave face. “I know. I really appreciate all the hard work you all are doing in finding him.”
“It’s our job.” Ryan smiled gently. “Make sure Ed locks up tight at night and just be alert. He can’t hide forever and you can bet we will be waiting.”
They finished their lunch and talked about general things like the weather and upcoming activities in town. When he was done with his meal Ryan excused himself to talk to his wife who was in the kitchen.
Harrison caressed her cheek softly and it felt so good. He put a strand of her hair behind her ear and gave her a soft look. “Are you still mad at me?”
She looked down. “No. I’m sorry, Harrison. I was jealous and overreacted. I just really like you and the thought that I was just another notch on your bedpost really bothered me. I don’t have a lot of positive experiences with dating.”
He tilted her chin up with his fingers. “I am being honest, Selena, when I say I really like you and only you. Yes, I dated plenty of women that I never felt more than desire for. What I feel for you is different. I want to know everything about you.”
She smiled and decided to make an effort to be more open. “That makes me happy because I haven’t stopped thinking of you and that kiss.” She picked up a menu and fanned herself.
Harrison threw his head back and laughed. He kissed her forehead. “I am off this Thursday. Going to St. Clair is out of the question but how about a picnic at the park? We can wear our coats and still have a good time.”
“I would like that.” She looked at the clock on the wall. “I better go before my boss gets mad if I am late.”
“Let me give you a ride,” he suggested.
“Aren’t you on duty?” She didn’t want him getting in trouble.
“Not yet.” He paid for her lunch and told Lacy he was giving her a ride to work.
“Have fun, kiddos.” Lacy grinned happily. “Call me later, Selena.”
“I will.” Selena was so glad she had taken Lacy’s advice. She really liked Harrison and she wanted a chance to see if they had something special. How would she know if she didn’t take a risk?
Harrison led her to his Jeep and opened the passenger door for her. Selena felt upbeat and hopeful all the way to the clinic. He parked in the front and looked at her. He leaned over and kissed her lips, lingering for a few seconds. “I can’t wait for Thursday. I’ll take care of the food.”
Selena blushed and scooted closer to hug him. He was so warm and she could smell his cologne. She sighed, wishing she didn’t have to go back to work. “See you on Thursday.”
She entered the clinic and saw Tracy behind the front desk. She looked mad and grumpy so she must have witnessed the hug but at least she didn’t say anything.
Selena just walked past her. She was not letting Tracy’s petty jealousy get to her. She wasn’t in high school anymore and she was not letting anyone intimidate her and cause her to hide out of fear and shame. She had done nothing to be ashamed about and it was time she started acting like it. If people wanted to still lump her in with her mom then that was on their shoulders and not hers. She was climbing out of her shell and living her life the way she wanted to live it.
Chapter 12
Harrison picked her up at work on Thursday. She had changed as soon as her shift was over into the nice jeans she had bought for their first date and added a different sweater. This one was emerald green with a vee neckline. She paired it with a white scarf around her neck. The sun was shining bright today and the temperature was mildly breezy despite it being the last week of September.
Harrison kissed her cheek and she could feel the animosity coming from Tracy. They both ignored her. Harrison led her outside to his Jeep, keeping hold of her hand.
“Ally was nice enough to make us some chicken-salad sandwiches and hot chocolate.”
“I love hot chocolate.” Her eyes lit up. “I’m excited. I drive out to the park once in a while to lie out and tan. It is such a pretty place.”
He agreed with her as they made the drive. He had country music playing low over the radio and she felt relaxed and comfortable with him. They talked about how their week went. He found a parking spot and grabbed the basket Ally had given him. Selena grabbed the blanket.
The sun was shining bright and it uplifted her spirits. Selena pointed to a pretty tree with red leaves. “That tree looks like it is on fire.”
They spread the blanket out and sat down. They could see the large lake in front of them. Not many people were out in the water and only a few people strolled by. It made for a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. They ate first in silence, enjoying the view. Then they sat back and relaxed.
She never in a million years would have believed she would be sitting in a park and cloud watching with Harrison. She had never had so much fun.
“Every cloud looks like a weapon to you, Harrison. You’re just making it up.” She giggled.
He leaned over her and grinned. He brushed her hair out of her face. “Well I am a man, baby. I can’t see hearts and flowers up there. They’ll kick me out of the man club.”
“Is there a man club?” She used her fingers to make air quotes. He grabbed her fingers and kissed them softly.
“You’d better believe it,” he assured, leaning down to place soft kisses on her cheek and neck. She shivered and he asked if she was cold. His grin told her he knew just how much his touch excited her. The rat. She gave him a flirty smile and caressed his cheek. She could feel his stubble on his chin. “No, but I am very turned on by a certain member of the man club.”
He chuckled and kissed her lips lightly. His tongue leisurely traced her lips and then demanded entrance to her mouth and she gave it to him. She loved how he kissed her. As if he couldn’t get enough of her. She could feel his growing bulge beneath his jeans and it thrilled her. She caressed his back and she felt his hand on the bare skin of her stomach under her sweater. She hoped his hands traveled to her breasts but she remembered they were in a public place. It wasn’t crowded but a few people walked or rode bikes on the trails nearby.
“I could ravish you right here but we might get arrested and I would never live that down,” he admitted. His eyes looked heavy with desire and she felt so needy, so desperate for his touch.
Selena took a deep breath. There was nothing more nerve-wracking then being open and honest. She wanted nothing more than to be somewhere private where they could explore this attraction. Already she could feel the dampness between her legs and her pussy throbbed. “What if we were at your place? Would you still want to ravish me?” She held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t get angry at her forwardness.
His eyes widened with surprise as he looked at the desire shining in her blue eyes. “Hell yeah.”
She sat up and started packing everything away. If this was her one and only chance to experience desire and hunger then she was taking it. “Well what are we waiting for?”
“Are you sure, Selena? I don’t want to rush you,” he said seriously, almost hesitant, and she felt her heart drop to her toes.
She kissed his cheek. She knew m
ost men would’ve had her in the car by now. “I have always been attracted to you on a physical level but now that I know you better it has grown deeper. I want to know what it feels like to have you hold me in a passionate way. I want more than a kiss at the end of the night.”
She looked down at the blanket, not meeting his eyes. “Does that make me a bad person, Harrison? I swear the rumors about me are not true. I had one lover back in my stupid teenage days. Then I found out he bet his friends he could get me into bed. That’s when people started saying I was exactly like Della. I started avoiding all social events after that. I understand if that turns you off.”
He pulled her onto his lap and tilted her chin until she was looking at him. She blinked back a few tears. If he was going to reject her he might as well do it now.
“You are a beautiful woman who has the guts to be honest about what she wants. Never be ashamed of that, Selena. There is something refreshing about having a woman who wants to be with you because they really like you and care about you. No games, no bragging rights, just pure desire.” He linked their fingers together and she felt her pulse pick up speed. “Some people are born assholes and that stupid guy in your past obviously was. Tell me his name and I will go kick his ass for you.”
“He moved away.”
“Lucky him,” Harrison muttered. She sighed with relief and let him hold her for a bit. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone held her. Della had never been the affectionate type of mom. His arms around her felt good and she loved hearing his heart beating.
“I told you I grew up in the rough neighborhood of Chicago.” He hated talking about his past. It was a painful memory he had buried deep in the back of his head and never brought it out. “My parents drank every day. That drinking led to huge, loud fights. My little brother Lucas and I stayed outside most of the time. He was four years younger than me and so much smarter than me in school. I hated school but he loved learning new things.”
He stopped and took a breath as if he had to gather his emotions before continuing. “I wanted away from my parents so as soon as I turned eighteen I joined the army. I promised Lucas I would be back for him as soon as he turned eighteen and we could see different places of the world. Unfortunately he turned to drugs while I was gone, to help him deal with our messed-up family life.”
“Oh no.” She gasped and hugged him harder.
He basked in her comfort for a minute. “I tried to get him help so many times when I was home on leave. I put him in rehab over and over and he promised to stop but he couldn’t. He couldn’t even join me in the military because of the drugs. The last time I saw him he had overdosed and was in the hospital. I was disappointed he had not kept his word and when the doctors came out and told us he was gone my heart shattered.”
“Oh god, Harrison. I am so sorry,” she whispered and he could feel her tears against his shirt. Tears he couldn’t cry because he was out of them.
“My mom started screaming in front of the nurses and doctors that I should have been a better big brother and not have been so selfish to leave. She never understood that I wanted a better life for me and Lucas. He had just turned twenty. He could have had a bright future ahead of him but the drugs ruled his life.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Harrison.”
“I yelled back at her and my dad and told them they should have been better parents. All they cared about was drinking and themselves. My mom slapped me and told me I was no longer her son. My dad looked at me with such hate and told me to leave. I never saw them again. I sat at the back for his funeral and went back to the army. I buried those memories so deep inside of me because it hurt so much.”
“They were wrong, Harrison. It was their responsibility to be the adults and take care of you and Lucas. Just like it was Della Mae’s responsibility to take care of me. She never did. My grandpa always made sure I had food to eat when I was little.”
“Why didn’t he take you away from her?” Harrison wanted to know. How could anyone not see that Della was not the kind of person who should be caring for a child?
“He did sometimes and I was happy. Then she would straighten up and beg and plead with him for him to give me back and he always did. She was better at hiding her addictions back then or maybe he wanted to believe in his daughter so he didn’t see the signs. Sometimes it was weeks or months before she would start all over again. Then he died and I felt so lost and alone. I should’ve moved out a long time ago but I was too scared of being left all alone. I have no other family, no friends besides Ed.”
“That’s not true, Selena. You have me now and you do have friends.” He looked so sincere she couldn’t help but smile back at him and kiss his cheek.
She wiped her eyes with her hands and stood up. They walked hand in hand back to his Jeep.
She was confident of going with him. She wanted to take a chance. She didn’t want to regret not trying.
* * * *
Harrison was nervous as he opened his apartment door. This was more than casual sex. He had feelings for Selena and it was important for him to please her. The only thing that helped was that she seemed to be just as scared as he was. He placed the picnic basket on the coffee table as she took her jacket off. The sweater looked really good on her but he couldn’t wait to take it off of her. He placed soft kisses on her cheek, neck, and collarbone. She shivered delightfully. He wanted to make this good for her. It had broken his heart when she told him of her one and only sexual experience. She deserved so much more and he was determined to give it to her.
He led her to his room, glad he had straightened up this morning. Harrison removed her sweater and his mouth watered at the sight of her full breasts encased in a plain white bra. She didn’t need sexy attire to entice him.
He fingered the tip with his thumb and watched the tip harden with his touch. She gasped and clutched his shoulders. He removed his shirt and her bra so he could feel her bare skin against his. He pulled her soft body into his and closed his eyes. Her hair smelled like flowers.
“Oh, Harrison. Your touch excites me,” she whispered against his shoulder and he felt her soft lips nuzzle his skin. It wasn’t the practiced, erotic touches he was used to but he felt his cock get hard as a rock. Her soft hands gently roamed up and down his back as if she couldn’t resist feeling his skin.
“Your skin is as soft as silk, Selena, and I can’t wait to explore every inch of it.” He cupped her breast with his hands and squeezed. He used the tip of his thumb to caress the nipples.
She smiled eagerly and looked into his eyes. “Can I explore you too?”
“I might not survive it, but yeah.” He chuckled lightly, how could any man resist an enchantress? She was such a mixture of innocence and sexual temptress.
He removed his jeans and underwear and watched her cheeks flush as his erection became visible. She licked her lips and removed the rest of her clothes, never taking her eyes off his erection. It made him feel ten feet tall.
He placed her in the middle of the bed and caressed her breasts softly. The tips were pink and pretty. Her golden hair looked striking against his dark comforter. “Beautiful.”
He licked the tip of her breast softly with his tongue and she arched her back up. He suckled on it hard and opened her thighs wide to gain access to her pussy. Her pale skin was turning a rosy hue and he loved it.
His body hummed with desire but he felt something else too. An unknown emotion lodged in his chest. He felt affection, admiration and of course sexual awareness.
He touched her folds with his fingers and watched her eyes close and she let out a moan of pleasure. She whispered his name so softly he could barely hear her. He spread her thighs wider until she was exposed to his view. He could see how she glistened with the wetness of her excitement. He trailed his fingers softly through her damp blonde curls then inserted a finger and found her swollen clit. He could feel the moisture increase as his fingers played with her. He leaned down and used his tongue to swipe all the
moisture away. He did it a couple of times and licked his lips. “Mmm, sweet.”
He looked at her face and she opened her pretty blue eyes. She ran her hands up and down his chest in a soft caress and then down to his hard shaft. A bead of pre-cum lingered on the tip of his cock and she used her fingers to spread the wetness around. Now it was his turn to groan with the pleasure he felt at the soft, hesitant touch of her fingers. She squeezed his cock in her hand and he felt his body tremble. He couldn’t hold back a loud moan.
“You are so sexy, Harrison.”
He shook his head in denial. “I thought I was mean and scary?”
She giggled. “Sometimes. Not right now though. You are one sexy, hot stud muffin.”
“Stud muffin?” He pretended to be offended. “No way did you just call me a stud muffin.”
She laughed out loud and he never saw such a beautiful sight. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes sparkled. Right then and there he vowed to see this look on her face often. He tickled her side. “I must punish you now.”
“Okay, I’m sorry, Harrison.” She gave up quickly and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You are hot and sexy, not a stud muffin.
Her thighs were wide open and cradled his erection. His body was anxious to enter her pussy. He had a feeling it was going to be amazing.
“Much better,” he teased and leaned down to kiss her ear and her cheek. He explored her mouth with his tongue and used his hands to explore her body starting with her breasts. He poured all his unspoken feelings into the kiss. He wanted her to know how deep his desire for her went, how different it was with her. Even if he couldn’t put all his feelings into words.
He pinched her nipples until they resembled pebbles, hard and round. He moved his hands down her stomach to her wet slit. She felt creamy and soft. He loved touching her and knowing he was the man who excited her.
“Are you ready for me, Selena?” he asked, poised above her after he put a condom on. He figured she wasn’t on the pill. He was positioned and ready to enter her, hell he was eager.