by Anne Kyle
“I do—I can’t say why, exactly, but I don’t want this to be over, either.”
“Look, if you want, you can stay here until I get back. It will be late three, maybe four in the morning depending on how bad the mess is. You can look through my stuff, eat my food, and drink my liquor, then when I get back, we can pick up where we left off.”
“You know, Alex, that’s really sweet. But I don’t sleep with dishwashers.” We both laughed and broke the hug.
“How about tomorrow then? Can we have dinner? We can go someplace nice and get to know more about each other.”
The pleading look on his face melted my heart, and I just said, “Yes.”
He started to put on his clothes as I dug through the pile on the floor to find mine. When we were dressed, we walked to the door, and before he opened it, he took me in his arms once again and we shared a deep long kiss that made my toes curl. We walked to our cars in the humid night air, the smell of the marsh wrapping around us like a blanket.
Just before we climbed into our separate cars, I called out, “Mr. Westfield, I forgot to thank you for the best job interview I’ve ever had.”
CHAPTER 3
I woke up the next morning with a huge smile on my face and a delightful tingle between my legs. In my mind, I replayed everything that had happened to me the day before. My immediate attraction to, Alex was something I wasn’t used to and certainly didn’t expect. I had gone to get a job and wound up naked and in bed with a gorgeous man who I had only known for a few hours—man who had given me the most pleasure I had ever experienced. A man that said he felt the same way I did and wanted to see me again.
But there were things I had to tell him about myself and my situation.—things I didn’t want to tell him because I was ashamed. Still, there was a part of me that trusted him, and even though I didn’t want to, I needed to explain my circumstances.
He would understand or he wouldn’t. However, if this thing that we had, this connection, was going to go anywhere, it couldn’t be started by holding anything back.
I could still feel the ghost of his lips on mine. The way he lingered on my breasts with his mouth filled me with a memory I would never forget. As I thought this, I realized my hand was circling my nipple through the thin material of my T-shirt. What the hell; it felt too good to stop.
I slid my shirt up until my breasts were exposed to the cool air circulating from the ceiling fan. Alex seemed to like them, and I thought about his gentle touch as I brushed the tips of my fingers over the now-hard peaks. I exhaled slightly as I rolled my nipples between my thumbs and forefingers. The heat between my thighs caught my attention, so I slid my right hand down my stomach and into my underwear. I was wet—not as wet as Alex had made me, but more than enough for a little morning fun.
I stroked my clit back with my fingers until I could feel my orgasm building. I pictured the way Alex moved his tongue over me and increased the rubbing to match my memory. I could almost see his face perched between my thighs, those beautiful blue eyes almost begging me to climax. I pinched my nipple and watched my hand dance faster in my panties until I came with a small moan as I thought about Alex plunging his finger inside me.
Well, that’s a great way to start the day. I climbed out of bed, got in the shower, and wondered when he would call. I hadn’t given him my number, but I had written it on the application—the same application I saw him slip into his pocket when we got up from the booth.
While I was drying my hair, I realized that the entire time I was with Alex, I hadn’t once thought about my problem. It was the first time that had happened since I’d been. It was a nice feeling.
I checked my phone to make sure it was charged and to see if I had any messages. My heart jumped a little when I saw I had one message; I couldn’t help but hope it was Alex. Then I saw my attorney’s number pop up, and the thrill was gone. I just felt too good to listen to his message so I saved it and finished getting dressed.
It was time to go see my parents. This was a pretty simple, thing since I was living in a small guest house in their backyard. When my trouble started and I couldn’t afford to live on my own any more, my parents, who I adore, took me back in and agreed to let me live there rent-free until things could be resolved.
It’s a small one-story cottage, but it has everything I need. A nice galley kitchen with gas heat for all of the cooking I don’t do, a living area that’s open with large windows on three sides and a really comfortable sofa that faces the flat-screen TV and a tiny stereo. When they found out I was coming back home, my parents put in cable and Internet, and I bought a wireless router so I can use my laptop. The bedroom is filled mainly with a very soft queen-size bed. I wish there was more closet space, but beggars can’t be choosers. There’s a full bathroom with a shower and tub and lots of counter space next to the sink. Most of that counter space was filled with lotions, creams, and gels that my mother had given to me over time. I’m not sure what a lot of it does, but it looks expensive, so I thank her and never open it.
I walked out into my parents’ backyard and down the paving stone path that leads to their back door. The yard is well, let’s call it bountiful with plant life. My father is a retired doctor. He was a family practitioner with a very successful practice. He still does some consulting, but after he sold his practice, the majority of his waking hours had been spent filling the yard with vegetation—and fill it he has. Monkey grass lines the well-tended St. Augustine lawn, and there are several tall pine trees. A magnificent live oak fills the middle of the yard, and next to that is a nice magnolia tree. He’s planted azaleas, camellias and beautiful hydrangeas with fat, puffy, multicolored blooms.
His pride and joy, however, are the roses. They consume him. He reads books about them, goes in chat rooms to discuss them, and constantly posts updates about how well his babies are doing. As far as obsessions go, I guess this one is relatively sane. At any rate, it’s all very lovely to look at and it keeps him out of Mom’s hair.
I opened the backdoor and saw my mother sitting at the kitchen table eating toast, drinking tea, and reading The Post & Courier, the local newspaper.
“Hi, Mom. How are you this morning?” I said as I made my way to a plate of toast.
“Good morning, honey,” she answered without looking up from the paper. “There’s toast and coffee. I can scramble some eggs for you if you like.”
“Thanks, Mom, this is fine,” I told her as I pulled a chair out and sat down. “Where’s Dad?”
“He left about a half an hour ago to go to his other home. There’s some kind of sale on mulch or potting soil, dirt of some type. Then he was going down to the dock to get some shrimp for dinner,” she said.
My father’s other home is the Garden of Eden nursery. My mother says that he spends so much time there that it’s where his mail should go.
“Speaking of dinner,” she continued, “We missed you last night.”
Okay, here we go. I swallowed a bite of toast and followed that with sip of coffee and said, “The interview went a little long, so I just grabbed a bite there and had a couple of drinks.” Whew.
“I’ve never eaten there. What did you have?” she asked as she took off her reading glasses and turned her eyes to mine.
Damn. “Uh, I just had a grouper sandwich and a salad.” I hoped to God that there was a grouper sandwich on the menu, because my mom would check.
“I’ll have to try that. How did the interview go?” she asked.
“It went okay,” I told her. “The owner was very nice, and the place has a great view.”
“Alex Westfield—he’s the owner, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he said that he would call me today. But I don’t think I got the job. My application wasn’t very impressive,” I told her.
“Did anything come up about your situation? I imagine that would have some bearing on his decision.”
I looked out the window and said, “No, we didn’t really get to that.”
“
Honey, do you really think it’s a good idea to get a job right now? Waiting tables isn’t going to bring in much money, and you’re on your feet all day. You know your father and I aren’t going to pressure you. We understand how stressful the whole situation is for you.”
“I know, Mom. You and Dad have been great, and you know I appreciate it. I just want something to take my mind off of things.”
She stood up, then rinsed off her plate and teacup and put them in the dishwasher. Then she turned and leaned on the sink. “We’re just worried about you. If you want to talk, we’re here for you anytime. I hope you know that.”
I got up and put my dishes in the sink, then gave my mother a big hug. “I know, Mom. I love you both. Like I said, I don’t think it’s going to be an issue, since I’m pretty sure I won’t get the job.”
“If that’s the case,” she said, “I think it’s just as well. Now, will you be joining us for dinner?”
I hope not, I thought to myself, because that would mean I wasn’t having dinner with Alex. Trying to seem casual I said, “I don’t think so. I was thinking of going out. Maybe to a movie, I’m not really sure.” That’s wasn’t a lie, since I really didn’t know what was going to happen. “But I’ll probably be late, so don’t wait up.”
“Suit yourself. I’ve got to go get ready for bridge with the ladies. There’s sandwich stuff in the fridge, so help yourself,” she said as she left the kitchen.
I put my dishes in the dishwasher and went back to the cottage to wait for Alex’s call. I was sitting on the couch flipping through Vanity Fair and not really reading any of it when my phone finally rang. I looked at the screen and didn’t recognize the number. My heart was fluttering as I pushed the talk button and said, “Hello?”
“Kat, I don’t know if you remember me, but we met yesterday and seemed to hit it off,” Alex said with a playful lilt to his voice.
I matched his tone and replied, “Yesterday was very busy; could you be more specific?”
He laughed a little. “I was the guy who took off all of your clothes and put his face in your lap. Does that help?”
When we were done laughing, I said, “Hi, Alex, I was really hoping you would call.”
“I would’ve called sooner but I just got up. I didn’t get home until 4:30. From now on, I’m just going to throw the dirty dishes away and buy new ones. It might get pricey, but my sanity is worth it.”
“That sucks; you must be exhausted.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty tired, but it’s nothing that an evening in the company of a beautiful young woman can’t cure.”
I wished he could see me smile through the phone. “Well, then, what do you have in mind?”
“Do you like oysters?” he asked.
“Of course I do,” I told him. “I’ve loved them ever since I was a kid.”
“Have you ever been to Bowen’s Island?”
“Yeah, but I haven’t been there in years. I used to go every time I came home from school. I’ve even been to a couple of wedding receptions there.”
“Would you like to have dinner there tonight? The weather is supposed to be beautiful, and we could eat before the bugs get too bad.”
Bowen’s Island is a rustic shack near Folly Beach that specializes in roasted oysters. Most people think of oysters as the big selects that come in the half shell, but in the Low Country we have clusters, big chunks of shells stuck together that you open with an oyster knife. You can get five or six oysters in one cluster. It’s a little more effort than just slurping them down, but once you get the hang of it, the work is well worth it.
“I would love to,” I told him. I longed to tell him that what I really wanted to do was skip dinner and go directly to fucking his brains out, but I didn’t think acting like a ho was the best thing to do on our first date. Maybe on the second date.
“Great,” he said, with genuine joy in his voice. “Should I pick you up or do you want to play it safe and two-car it so you can leave if I turn out to be a dick?”
I let out a big laugh and said, “I’ll take my chances. But why don’t I meet you at your house?” I didn’t want to have to tell my parents about Alex just yet.
As if he could read my mind, he said, “Not ready to introduce me to the folks, huh? I understand how it could be a little awkward at this point. I was thinking of hiring a car, since it’s a decent ride out there. We could have a drink and talk on the way. Why don’t you come over around six, and I’ll have the car get here around seven.”
“What are we going to do for a whole hour?” I asked with as much false wonder as I could muster.
He giggled and said, with a lust filled voice, “I’m sure if we put our heads together, we can come up with something.”
“I was hoping we could put two other things together, but whatever floats your boat.” So much for not acting like a ho, but he started it… kind of.
“Look, I can’t wait to see you. But right now I better take a nap, because it sounds like I’m going to need all the energy I can get.”
“Rest up, Mr. Westfield, I’ll see you at six.”
Wow! I have never, in all of my life, felt this kind of chemistry with a man. Alex seemed too good to be true. I was nervous about what I was going to do next, but I knew I needed to do it. So, I did what any self-respecting woman in the age of the Internet does I Googled him and watched my screen fill up with hits.
Two hours later, I leaned back on my sofa and took a deep breath. There was a lot more to this man than meets the eye. We were going to have more to talk about than I thought. I closed my computer and started to get ready for our date. I just hoped that Alex hadn’t had the same idea and Googled me.
CHAPTER 4
I called my mother and told her that I was going out and wouldn’t be able to have dinner with her and my father. She told me to be careful and not to drive if I had too much to drink. Thankfully, she didn’t ask for details about my plans, but there was something in her voice that made me think that she knew what was going on. But that was impossible, wasn’t it?
Bowen’s Island is the definition of casual, so I wore a simple, light yellow summer dress and matching flats. I also brought a thin, darker yellow sweater in case I got cold. I did, however, have on much nicer undergarments to show Alex this time. And in a wild burst of optimism, I put a few things in a small bag in case I stayed the night. A girl can dream, can’t she?
I was absolutely giddy when I pulled into Alex’s driveway. I couldn’t believe that I was here just last night. There was a nervous flutter in my stomach (and a little further south) as I rang his doorbell. He opened the door before the chime had a chance to fade.
“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to stand at the door too long,” he told me as he gave a sweep of his arm and ushered me in.
“Are we a tad eager tonight, Mr. Westfield?”
He closed the door and wrapped me in his arms. “You have no idea,” he said, as we held each other.
We hugged for a long and comfortable time, just feeling the delight of being this close again. Then, while still hugging, our heads leaned back and our eyes met. We both had big, stupid grins on our faces. I don’t know which one of us started it, but our mouths met in a passionate kiss that I could feel all the way into my toes.
I could feel my breasts pressed against the muscles of his chest as my nipples hardened in my bra. Our breath was coming in short, sharp bursts. It felt like we were one body. The hugging turned into squeezing, and my hands moved to his tight ass. I could feel his erection against my stomach as his hands slid down my back and cupped my cheeks.
Our lips parted, and I rested my cheek on his chest. I exhaled slowly and said, “You sure know how to make a lady feel welcome.”
“I’ve been thinking about kissing you ever since I had to leave last night. And it wasn’t easy washing all of those dishes while I had a raging boner.”
I laughed and told him, “I’m sure that was quite a sight. I hope you didn’t break any plates with it. I
can’t believe that it was only yesterday when we met. It feels like a week since I saw you.”
He sighed, “I know, me too. Are we going too fast for you? I love the way we feel together, and I don’t want you to think I’m in this for a quick screw.”
“For some reason that I don’t understand, I feel the same way. I really hope it’s not a quick screw, though. I like to take my time,” I almost purred.
“I guess there’s only one way I can prove that to you. Are you tired of standing up? I know I am. Maybe we should talk about this in a more comfortable position.”
I faked like I was unsteady on my feet, “You know, I’m not sure what it is, but my legs do feel a little wobbly. What kind of position do you have in mind?”
“How about lady’s choice? I don’t want to have to make all of the decisions,” he said, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
“There are so many options, let’s just see what comes up. Other than this, I mean,” I said as I ran my hand over the bulge in the front of his pants.
Alex caressed the outside of my arm with his hand, then gently moved it to my breast. He circled my stiff nipple through the thin fabric of my dress, and I let out a small moan. “Come with me,” Alex told me and took me by the hand, leading me to his bedroom.
“That’s what I’m hoping,” I said laughing. We didn’t run, but it was far from a leisurely stroll. We stood next to the bed, and our lips met in a kiss that had just as much passion as our “hello” kiss, but with less frenzy. We were taking our time, savoring what was about to happen.
Alex moved his mouth to my neck and licked from one side to the other. He whispered, “You’re amazing; I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a woman so badly.”
He was wearing a loose T-shirt, and I grabbed the hem to pull it over his head and reveal the chest I so fondly remembered from last night. I ran my hands over his pecs and brushed his nipples with my fingertips. Alex began undoing the buttons on the front of my dress. When he had enough of them undone, he ran a finger under each of the small sleeves and my dress dropped to the floor.