Crushing (The Southern California Wine Country Series)

by Smith, J Gordon

  Kyle’s lips left her thigh and bounded up her body to her lips. She ran her hands down his body from his abs and to his pants. He moved. One of his arms ran behind and across her, his bicep hard and knotted against her side. He crushed her against him and it was right. She wanted more than she could express to be smashed against him. Her body knew the words she could not place next to each other. Her hips lifted into him. She could not think. She did not care. She pushed and pulled at him. His hands moved again, wonderful dexterity that played touching tones, arranging and plucking that only needed a chorus and the burn of desire from her.

  His touch molded her as her breaths came rapid and her increasing heartbeats pounded in rhythm to his. Her moans became uncontrolled, animal-like as she surrendered to each kiss. His touch light and intense. Stroking along her body. Never really getting to any target but getting achingly and passionately close – purposefully and knowingly teasing her body into higher states of desire. He became too much. Her body agreed and crashed her passion against him. Golden energy radiated out of her as his lips alighted on first one nipple and then the other. His teeth pinched them nearly to pain that glittered along her arms and legs and rippled with energy through her core. His silky chest pressed hot against hers as their lips touched again.

  “Shit!” she gasped, “Enough teasing. I want you inside me.”

  “You’re not ready for that yet,” his sounds spoke in her ear but she felt the rumble of his voice all down the front of her naked body.

  “The hell I am.” Amanda tipped Kyle with her hand against his shoulder and rolled him over. Her hair draped down and brushed his chest. Her nipples felt every ridge in his stomach as she slid down his body. Her eyes keeping his gaze. Her fingers unhooked his pants and freed him. Amanda looked at the glowing hot brand that she so unceremoniously released. Kyle wiggled and pushed his pants from his hips. She watched how his dick hinged from side to side. She pressed her breasts around it. Feeling Kyle’s concentrated body heat. She slid her tongue along its tip and down its length, sucking his length into her mouth.

  Kyle groaned.

  She could not believe how much she wanted him inside her, to fill that raw need that splay open. She climbed forward on him.

  Kyle tucked her leg and rolled her to her back on the blanket. He edged down and licked between her legs, spreading her. “Oh!” A pair of his fingers penetrated her. “What are you doing?”

  Kyle rumbled, “I found your little wrinkle. Right here.” Kyle pressed firmly with his fingers and moved them ever so slowly. “I can stop if you like –”

  Her voice growled, “You better not stop.” Then Amanda squealed, “Oh, God!” What chord would he strike next? She would unravel already. Who was this man? His ear lay against her abdomen, listening to her heart beat course through her. Her body wanted to explode. Kyle halted. When her heartbeat eased of its sprint, he moved his fingers again and she forgot everything she might have thought. He wound her body up again. “Oh, God!” A flash of understanding the loss of his hand and what it would mean for him. She cracked her eyelids between bursting runs and saw Kyle did most of this with his damaged hand. She had heard the advice to find a man that was good with his hands but did not know what they truly meant. “Oh –” She gripped the blanket and the ground cover directly below with her uncontrolled hands. The grass roots were the only things that anchored her to the world – she feared she would drift away. She tried to narrow the focus of her mind that burned forward and back with wide pleasure. “Stop … stop … stop, stop, stop!”

  Kyle said, “I think you like this, no?” He breathed on her inner thigh and then licked at her.

  “No. No. No!” Her hands flopped beside her. “It’s too much. TOO MUCH!” She mumbled, “Please stop.”

  “I don’t think you want to stop here.” He licked her in a swirl. “Or stop here.” She moaned, her hips rising. “But maybe here? Should I stop here?”

  “Oh! Oh, God! You can’t stop THERE.”

  He stood up, cupping her hips with both hands and holding her upside down. Her legs swirled around until they hooked over his shoulders. He lifted her slowly and ran his tongue into her, his lips briefly caressing the rest of her.

  Her body ripped open at every seam.

  Amanda’s arms wrapped backward around Kyle’s legs. Her body bucked and her legs flailed. When the wave finished crashing through her from side to side and up and down and swirling in the tempest that Kyle had created – he lay her limp body down on the ground. She could barely lift her hand to touch Kyle’s chest. Her eyes slid half open and her mouth fell slack as her mind tried to order itself after the destruction of every sense she had.

  Kyle ran a finger along her spine. Goosebumps rose on her arms and her breasts puckered. “No, I need to rest.”

  “I know women don’t need a rest. For some of us guys it’s a myth too.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Kyle licked a nipple that held itself together, “You’re mine.”

  Amanda brought her hand up to her chest and squeezed the fullness of her breast as Kyle licked it again. Her body stirred. Like picking itself up out of the dirt from one battle and charging forth for the next. Each step her body gained strength, sureness, and the will to engage in full-on conflict again.

  “Oh, God!” Amanda bent her knees away as Kyle’s fingers found her again. Then she pushed him back. She rubbed the flat of her fingers along his knee back and forth feeling the warmth of his leg. She studied Kyle’s expectant eyes, which emboldened her. She pushed Kyle’s chest back so he lay propped up on his elbows watching her. Her tongue compressed her lips, moistening them in a generous arc. Her hand stroked against his inner thigh and she slid her fingers along his smooth skin and stroked her finger along his manhood. It yearned for her fingertips. It lifted and with each pulse, searched for her touch. She kissed and licked him. His pulse throbbed in her mouth with each pump of his heart. She massaged him again, glistening between her fingers while she climbed forward and straddled his hips. She guided him into her so she faced him. Her breasts swayed before his face as she tipped her pelvis up and down.

  “Ohhhgr!” Amanda growled, “You feel so good. So deep!”

  Kyle moaned and sucked on her breast. Amanda’s body rose to bursting pressure again, too rapidly. She slowed and changed the angle of her hips so she only fluttered at the tip of his penis. She could feel him harden yet more and then his hips slammed his length deep into her. So deep, she felt as if he bumped the base of her skull. He pulled back slow until they barely contacted and then he slammed in deep again. She wanted to rip her skin off if she could only locate the buttons and zippers.

  Kyle held the sides of her hips as she moved rhythmically up and down. Her back arched. Rough and slow. Hot and wet. The passion escalated. She grappled the intensity and rolled her hips deepening the motions and their effects. His body bucked against her as they climaxed in pleasure together.

  Amanda tipped over to Kyle’s side and draped her arm and face across Kyle’s chest. The spasms between her legs subsided like the undulations crossing a pond’s surface after a mortar strike.

  Her fingers found his and she laced their hands together. She said, “I really love your hands.”

  “I love the way you vocalize.”

  “It’s embarrassing.”

  “No. It’s too sexy.”

  “How is it too sexy?”

  He coiled into her, pressing her hip back and touching her. “Because we’re ready to go again.”

  “Hmmm. Just like that?”

  Kyle tugged at her fingers and slid her hand down his body.

  Amanda smiled, “I guess we are.” She kissed him and guided them together.

  Chapter 20

  Amanda awoke to the coolness of evening. The blanket wrapped around her while Kyle sat dressed on a small boulder protruding from the earth. Amanda saw what was in his hand, besides his guitar that he seemed to have tuned already, “Hey! That’s my diary notebook. You k
now that.” Amanda reached for the precious book from Kyle, squeezing the blanket to remain covered.

  “I’ve been looking through here –” He spun around keeping his arms free of her grip.

  “I see that.”

  “And these lyrics are really great.” He flashed his perfect teeth, “I really want to meet this hunk of a guy named Kyle. There are three pages of songs about him.”

  “– Give me that!” Amanda reached for her notebook.

  Kyle pulled her to him, sliding a hand on her lower back. He kissed her. Her temper melted into him but not so far that she melted into lust.

  Kyle said, “How you describe morning over the vineyard, how the vines are like lifelines anchored into the world.” He flipped a few more pages. “Or here.” He released Amanda and sat down, swinging the tuned up guitar onto his knee. His fingers struck chords of a driving melody that he matched with her words. He flipped to another page and the music changed, getting deep and rending.

  “How are you doing that?”

  “All those days of healing I kept running music through my mind. I promised myself I’d put music to your words if I could ever play again. So you need to let me borrow this book.”

  Amanda bent down and kissed Kyle, “That’s so nice. But those are just jumbles of words I toyed with.”

  “I’m serious. You have great lyrics here.” He hit other notes that flowed with her words. “You have song structure built in here, there’s the bridge for this other song, the chorus. This one we can break out a little group of words and make a great splash.” He strummed and sang more of her words.

  “You’re just being nice.”

  “You don’t get it. I’m serious.” He put her book in his jeans pocket. “I’m keeping this for a day or two to work out the start of my new songs, what will be our new recordings.”

  “What do you need new songs for? And our new recordings?”

  “I’d have problems with all my other songs because Sardis and Elliot would claim chunks of them. Then I’d need a band to play their parts.”

  Amanda pulled Kyle up from his seat, “Put that guitar away. You can use my words tomorrow. I want to use your body right now.” The blanket dropped in a swirl to the ground and she pressed against him. He let the guitar roll to its side in the long grass.

  Chapter 21

  Julie collected wine glasses and filled the sink. She asked, “I saw the band Zinc Penny up on the entertainment schedule board - what kind of music do they play?”

  Amanda took the clean glasses and put them away. “That’s Kyle.”

  “Oh! He has a new band? That’s great he’s well enough to play again.”

  Amanda nodded, a grin widening over her face as she thought of Kyle and his fingers caressing her skin, “I think he sounds great, even though he tells me he is not fully back. He’s happy. It’s just him in the band. He’s always used a penny for a guitar pick so I suggested the new name.”

  “What happened to the rest of his band?”

  “They left him after he got injured. I guess they are on some bar circuit, traveling around. Kyle has not talked to his brother in weeks. Just like I haven’t talked with my mother.”

  “You haven’t talked with your mother in weeks?” Julie ran the water in the sink, “I talk with my mother every day. Sometimes more than one call a day.”

  “I’ll call her eventually. But not yet.”

  “I can’t imagine.”

  “Did your mother lie to you about your father your whole life? Did your father fear to see you? Fear your mother more than his desire to see you? I have a right to be a little pissed off about that.”

  Julie paused with the bottle of soap in her hand. “I guess when you say it that way …” She squirted a stream of soap into the water. She changed the conversation, “Did Kyle get another car?”

  “No car. I’m still driving him, but at least I have Kyle again. He wants to get a small motorcycle soon, something inexpensive. He found a room upstairs from a store. He trades unloading their trucks in the mornings so he has his afternoons and evenings free to play guitar. The store owners are elderly and they get appliance deliveries they need him to unload and muscle around –”

  Julie looked far off and sighed, “I’d like to be a hot stove that got muscled around …”

  Amanda said, “You’re funny. I’m keeping him though.”

  “Hello, girls!” Kyle said as he walked into the tasting room. His damaged hand held the neck of his guitar. Julie blushed, fearful he might have heard. Kyle lingered before Amanda, “Looks like you two are ready to knock out a lot of heartache. That is a hot shirt you have Julie. And you, Amanda … I –”

  “You’re lucky only a few customers are here and still poke around in the gift shop.” Amanda tapped the top of the tasting bar, a sly smile twisting her mouth.

  “I’ll just be outside setting up. You know, over there, if you want to talk.” He spun toward the great doors and the patio, “Easy setup these days. Especially since I can borrow the winery’s spare amp.”

  -:-:-:- -:-:-:-

  Kyle’s guitar chords first whispered across the patio but they burst through a change in octaves that pulled everyone’s attention away from their conversations and wine. His voice wove through the notes and tugged at Amanda. Her chest heaved while the rumble of his song vibrated down her whole body hitting a resonance she never knew. The music gripped and jerked her. She realized the words in his song were her words, rearranged and packaged in his gritty sound, but so much more fabulous than she could imagine. Her lyrics had power and presence now. She looked at Kyle and saw his eyes on her, his beautiful eyes along with his beautiful voice and his beautiful music. Those fingers that effortlessly moved across the strings and up and down the frets touching perfect pitch.

  The gathering of wine tasters migrated to the patio and seemed to forget their prior minor conversations to listen to his music. Not until he took a small break did the customers draw away for refills and chatted around the torches that gave both light and heat about the amazing music. Women surrounded Kyle to inquire if he had any music disks he might be selling, or an Internet site where he offered his music. Amanda could see him shaking his head and saying he just started with this new material and how flattered he was of their interest.

  -:-:-:- -:-:-:-

  Kyle said, “I’m planning on selling music but I’m still writing it. Amber Mountain will be the first place I put any recordings for sale. So watch the gift shop.”

  Martin walked up to Kyle, “We are ready for the grape crushing activity.”

  Kyle said, “Sure, Martin. Are they bringing everything up here?”

  Martin turned to point at the far end of the patio, “Victor and Walter are bringing up the materials now.”

  Both of them had returned from working in the field. Still sweaty, Victor wore a threadbare flannel shirt and rough-worn contractor’s boots while Walter had his blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled above his elbows. They pushed a heavy wheeled trolley until pausing near Kyle’s stage. They set the bottom quarter ends of wine barrels in a row on the patio. They laid down mats in front of the barrels and then disappeared. They brought over another cart full of grape bins fresh from the morning’s harvest and stacked the bins behind each of the barrels. Several of the winery staff came out carrying big fresh towels and placed them on the corners of the mats.

  Martin took the microphone from Kyle’s stand and said, “At Amber Mountain Winery we have an old tradition,” He smiled, “For those that are not regulars, we’ve been open a year now.” He turned and waved at the tubs, “During our harvest we stomp a portion of our grapes in the old ways – with our feet!”

  Everyone watched as Victor poured grapes into the bottoms of the open barrels.

  Martin said, “Some of our lovely staff has not participated since they were newly hired, being their first harvest with us. Amber? Julie? The others will cover the tasting bar.” He turned back to the audience, “If any of our gu
ests are curious about trying this, come right up. Plenty of space and we have many grapes. Don’t be bashful.” Martin surveyed the guests. “Friends and spouses, nudge them a little. We have stickers for you that say,” he held up an example, “Be nice to me, I stomped the grapes in your wine.” Everyone laughed. Martin gave the microphone back to Kyle.

  Kyle started a plucky dance tune from the thirties while Martin put the microphone back into Kyle’s stand. Martin kept the beat with clapping that the other guests picked up and soon barefoot women of all ages surrounded the barrels. Martin held Amber and Julie’s hands to help them balance as they stepped into the first barrel, giggling as they sank into the soft berries. Kyle leaned into the microphone, “Don’t be shy.” The women stepped into the barrels laughing and shrieking when the berries burst under their toes. Kyle increased the volume of his playing and everyone danced, spinning and laughing.