by Nicole James
Summer walked in and set her painting and package down. Steve followed her in, closed the door, and leaned back against it. She turned, looking at him, and slowly let her bag slide off her shoulder and hit the carpet with a thud.
Steve pushed off the door and came toward her. His palms cupped her face and he tilted it up as his mouth settled over hers. He kissed her, over and over, and then he was sliding the thin straps of her sundress slowly down her bare shoulders. His eyes bore down into hers with intensity and held them. Reaching around, he undid a couple of buttons at the back, and the dress slid to the floor. His hands glided down her arms, and he stepped back. His eyes slid down over her. She stood before him in nothing but a pair of lacy panties.
Steve could feel his heart pounding. God, she was beautiful. “Baby,” he growled.
She stepped toward him, closing the small space he’d created. She reached up to undo the buttons of his denim shirt, one by one. Then her gentle hands slid inside and pushed the shirt back over his shoulders and slowly down his arms. He watched her eyes move over him. The shirt dropped to the floor and her hands slid over his biceps, his shoulders, then down over his pectorals.
His eyes locked with hers.
With every touch of her fingers on his skin, he was growing more aroused. Her hands slid down over his abs, her eyes following their trail, and she reached for his belt buckle. Her fingers brushed against his lower stomach, just below his navel, and he sucked in a breath as the muscles tightened.
At his reaction, her wide eyes came back to his, searching.
“Keep going,” he encouraged.
Her hands pulled the buckle free, and then moved to the fastening of his jeans. Their eyes held as she undid his jeans and pushed them down. She knelt and pulled his boots off. Steve kicked his jeans off. She rose, holding his gaze. Her hands reached down hooking in her panties and with a shimmy of her hips, he watched them slid down to the floor.
And then he was done with letting her lead.
One big hand settled on the small of her back pulling her forward until her soft curves were pressed up against the warmth of his heated skin. His other hand smoothed up between her shoulder blades, his fingers threading into her silky hair until he cradled the back of her head. Staring down into her liquid eyes, he felt his cock jerk as it brushed against her soft belly, and he knew she felt it, too. His hands slid to her waist, settling on the curve, his fingers tightening, and then he was lifting her and tossing her onto her back on the bed. His weight came down on top of her, and his hard muscles slid over her soft curves. His knee pushed between hers, and his biceps boxed her in as he poised above her, supporting himself on his elbows. Looking down at her, he took in the beautiful flush on her cheeks, her slightly parted mouth, her soft full lips, and the way her breath was now coming in soft pants. Brushing the hair back from her face, he dipped his head and kissed her slowly, again and again.
He bent his head and kissed a trail down her neck as his hand slid over the silky skin of her upper arm. “Your skin is so soft.” He nuzzled below her ear. “You smell so good, baby.” His mouth continued a trail down to the curve of her neck where it met her shoulder, across her collarbone. The tip of his tongue trailed along the soft skin of her upper cleavage as he climbed to her nipple. His mouth opened and latched on, tugging deep. Her back arched, moaning and she ran her fingers through his hair, holding him to her. His eyes lifted, watching her as his mouth continued drawing deep. Her head was thrown back exposing the feminine arch of her neck to him. It drew him and he released her nipple with a pop, and his mouth latched onto the soft skin under her jaw. At the same time, his hand slid between them, his thumb stroking between her legs.
He felt her hands slide up his biceps to his shoulders, clutching at him as her hips thrust up into his touch. “Oh, yes,” she breathed, then groaned, and he felt it vibrate through her throat under his mouth. He lifted his head and brushed his mouth against hers, once, twice, and then whispered, “Hey. Look at me.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and he stared down into them as he slid two fingers inside her. He watched her eyes dilate, darkening with desire. He stroked her until she was thrashing, trying to pull him closer. “Please, honey.”
“You ready for me, sweetheart?”
“Yes. God, yes.” Her calf hooked around his thigh urging him on.
Keeping his hips pinning her to the bed, his upper body twisted and he reached over the side of the bed as he dug around on the floor. A moment later, he was back, having retrieved a condom from his jeans pocket. Tearing the packet open, he quickly rolled it on, and then he moved over her, settling in the cradle of her thighs. His palm slid up the inside of her thigh, spreading her further. “Open for me, baby.”
She moved, offering what he demanded.
His hand hooked the back of her knee and he wrapped her leg around him as he slid inside her, his hips thrusting against her. Settling his weight on her, he brushed the hair back from her face tenderly. Then his hand stroked down the side of her breast, along her ribs, the curve of her waist, the flare of her hip, the length of her thigh, and then slowly back up. “Ah, sweetheart. Your sweet body wrapped around me like this is heaven.”
He glided in and out slowly, watching her eyes slide half closed. Dipping his head, he brushed her lips with a kiss. “Talk to me, baby.”
“You feel so good.”
“What feels good? Tell me.”
“I like the weight of your body on me.”
He grinned. “Good. I like your body under me. Pinned. Not going anywhere unless I allow it.”
“I like that you’re taking your time. Going slow. Seducing me.”
“You deserve to be seduced. I want to kiss every inch of this sweet body.”
His words had her squirming and writhing with need. “Honey, please.”
He pulled back and slid in again. His mouth trailed kisses from her mouth to her ear. “What do you want, baby? Just ask.”
“I want to watch you lose control.”
He grinned again. “Oh, baby, you will. You will. But not until I feel you come all over me.” His thrusts picked up tempo until soon he was slick with sweat and gritting his teeth against the pleasure swelling, determined to hold it at bay until he’d kept his promise.
She thrashed and writhed beneath him as the waves built inside her. Through it, he never lost her eyes. They stared up into his with trust. Unguarded, undisguised trust shining up at him. And everything in him settled into a rightness he hadn’t felt since he’d lost his wife.
With a renewed passion and need he drove into her, his hand moving between them, stroking her. “Give it to me. Give it all to me, sweetheart.”
Her body bucked higher, higher, and then her limbs were clenching around him as she came hard. He grabbed her legs pressing them forward to deepen the angle and after a couple urgent powerful thrusts, he followed her over the edge. His body locked rigid above her, and he groaned deep as he sank down onto her.
He felt her mouth pressing soft kisses along his throat. Sweet, so sweet. Her gentle hands stroked his back, and he relished in the soothing touch. He gathered himself and nuzzled her neck. “You okay, baby?”
“Oh, yes.” He felt her smile against the side of his face and made a move to pull off her, but she stopped him. “No, don’t go.”
He rose up, looking down into her face. “Don’t want to crush you, sweetheart.”
“Please. I like the feel of your body on me.”
He stayed where he was, but came up on his elbows so she could at least breathe easier. He stroked the hair back from her face, smiling down at her. “I like being here.” He flexed his hips, knowing she still felt him planted deep inside her. “You gonna be up for another round or two later?”
“Are you?” she asked back, saucily.
He grinned. “I’m gonna make sure you still feel me tomorrow.” He flexed his hips again, letting her know just where she’d be feeling it.
She giggled. “Is that a threat
?”
“Baby, that’s a promise.” He smiled and then dropped his mouth to hers for a soft kiss. When he lifted up and looked down at her, he murmured, “Gotta take care of this condom. Gonna move off you now, okay?”
“Okay,” she replied softly.
He slid off, got up and moved to the bathroom. When he returned, he settled her against his side. His hand stroked her naked back and she snuggled against his chest. He stared at the ceiling. “This morning I told you some things, but I’m not sure you got how important they were.”
She rose up and looked at him, frowning. He saw he had to clarify. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like this.”
“Like what, honey?”
Her hand was on his chest. He picked it up and interlaced their fingers, keeping his eyes there. “Wanting to let someone in again. I’ve closed myself off, pushed people away, pushed you away.” He huffed out a short laugh. “I thought I’d let her go a long time ago, but I never really did. I don’t even know why. It’s been years, but I guess in some ways I’ve hung on to the hope that Rita would somehow miraculously come back. I know it’s crazy, unrealistic, didn’t make a lick of sense, but there you have it. I know I have to let her go. I guess what I’m saying is, I’m hoping you’ll be patient with me as I work through that.”
He looked at her then and watched her eyes fill. “Oh, honey.” She kissed him and then she pulled back. “I think we both have some issues to work through.”
He nodded, thinking about all the stuff she had to deal with. “Yeah.” His hand came up to her face, his thumb brushing away the tear that leaked out. “Tell me about yours.”
She laid her head down on his chest. “It’s a lot to take in. What that lady said, you know?”
“Yeah.”
“There are people out there, maybe looking for me.”
His hand slid up her back, his arm tightening. “You’ve always known that, babe. You’ll find them. You have to believe that.” He stroked the back of her head. “You hear me?”
She nodded.
“Get some sleep.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
He held her, stroking her back and hair, until they finally fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms and slept soundly for hours.
Steve woke up first. It was dark out now. He glanced at his wristwatch and pushed the button to light it up. It was twenty minutes to ten.
They had climbed under the covers sometime during the night, and Summer was facing away from him. He quietly reached over on the floor and pulled his cell phone from the pocket of his jeans. He flipped it open and made a call.
When he disconnected, he set it on the nightstand and turned back to Summer. He reached over, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her back up against him. She moaned and nestled closer, drifting back to sleep.
He leaned over, kissed her on the neck just behind the ear and marveled at how good it felt to hold her like this, to sleep with her soft, woman’s body pressed up against him. Until she’d come along, it had been a long time since he had slept with a woman in his bed.
Steve lay there, listening to the music and voices of the people down on the outdoor patio drift up through the sliding glass doors that led out onto the balcony. The room faced over the river. He could see through the window the stars in the sky and a full moon.
His mind drifted back to the one thought that kept nagging at the back of his mind. Ms. Allen had mentioned something about a man that Summer had told her about. Could it be she was married? Engaged? He glanced again at her left hand, lying on the pillow next to her face. There was no ring, but Steve thought he could barely discern a tan line where maybe a ring had been. He was driving himself crazy with these thoughts. If there was a man, what had they just done? How would it affect her life?
Steve thought about having to let her go, knowing that one day, perhaps soon, he would have to do just that. That she would walk out of his life and back to her own. And he would have to let her go. God, would he be able to do it? Would he have a choice?
He finally decided not to think about that now. To just enjoy the time they had together, to appreciate this gift he’d been given for as long as it lasted.
He finally drifted off to sleep again.
When Steve woke again, he was alone in the bed. The sliding glass door was open about a foot, and the curtains moved slightly in the breeze.
He sat up and looked at his watch. It was almost midnight. Reaching for his jeans, he slid them on, and crossed the room to the balcony.
Summer had his denim shirt on and was leaning over the railing, watching the moon shining on the river. He admired the back of her bare legs. Coming up behind her, he slid his hands up under the shirt and gathered her back against him. She turned her head, and he kissed her forehead. “You aren’t having regrets, are you?” he asked, praying she wouldn’t say yes.
“No. No, not at all.” Turning in his arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck and went up on her toes to kiss him. When her lips parted under his, his tongue delved inside, and his arms tightened, pulling her up against his body as he deepened the kiss. When they broke apart, she asked, “What about Pop and Jessie? Won’t they be worried? I only wrote in my note that we would be gone for the day.”
“I called home a few hours ago and told Pop we were staying up here tonight.”
“What’s he going to think of that?” she worried.
“What difference does it make? We’re adults.”
“Yes, but-”
“Summer, he isn’t going to think badly of you. He loves you. In fact, he…” Steve stopped himself before he said too much.
“What?” she prodded.
“Nothing.”
“Steve, what were you going to say?” she insisted.
“He was happy. Thrilled, if you must know. He told me it was about time I pulled my head out of my ass, and…”
“And?”
“And realized the gift the Lord dropped in my lap.”
“Really?” Summer grinned. “He said all that?”
“That, and more.”
“What else? Tell me.”
“He said I’d better not blow it again.”
She grinned. “I knew there was a reason I liked that old man.”
“Yeah? Good. Now come back to bed, and show me how much you like this man.”
*****
They arrived back at the house by mid-afternoon the next day. Steve pulled the truck around back and stopped to let Summer out. She climbed out, gathering up the things they’d purchased along with her painting. Steve backed the trailer up to the shed to unload the car he’d bought.
The screen door slammed as Summer walked into the mudroom and through to the kitchen. Pop was sitting at the table reading the paper.
He looked up when she walked in. “Well, hello there. How was your trip?”
She smiled. “It was good.”
“Looks like you bought some things,” he said, nodding towards the things she carried.
“Yes, we did.”
“Nice picture.”
“Do you like it?” she asked, setting the other items down and holding up the painting.
“It’s real pretty.” He nodded.
“I painted it.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a long story. Let me go put these things away, and I’ll tell you about it.” She turned to carry everything upstairs. “Oh, and Steve bought a car.”
“He did, huh? Well, I’ll just mosey on out there and take a look at it.” He set the paper down and stood up.
“Okay, see you later.”
Pop walked outside and wandered toward the shed as Steve was backing the car down off the trailer and into the shed. He parked it in the middle and got out. Pop walked around the car, looking it over. He ran his hand over the roof. “Nice.”
“Not bad, huh? It’ll take some work, but it’s in pretty damn good condition.” Steve walked to the front and lifted the hood. He rested the palm
s of his hands on the frame and stared down at the engine.
Pop pulled out his pipe and a packet of tobacco, and he began to pack his pipe. “Got a light?”
Steve pulled out a pack of matches and struck one. Pop leaned over, and Steve held the match for him. Pop inhaled and puffed a few times. The rich smell of pipe tobacco filled the shed.
“She’s getting her memory back,” Steve announced softly, shaking out the match and turning back to the engine.
Pop waited quietly for Steve to explain.
“We were picking up this car, and I was off with the owner working out the deal. When I came back to the truck, she was white as a ghost. She said she’d bent to smell some roses and had a flash of memory of cutting roses with her mother.”
Pop nodded. “And now you’re worried.”
Steve turned from the engine and looked at Pop. He nodded. “Yeah.” He held Pop’s eyes a moment, and then continued, “We ran into someone…someone in Helen that knew her.”
Pop slowly took the pipe out of his mouth.
“There was an art fair. This woman, she had a booth. We walked by, and she jumped up and hugged Summer. Said she had sold all of Summer’s paintings, but one.”
“So that’s what that painting was that she had…”
Steve nodded. He told Pop the whole story.
When he was finished, Pop puffed on his pipe. “So, now you think there’s another fella, huh?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. What if there is?”
“I guess that will all depend on her, son. You think she’ll leave, is that it?”
Steve straightened up. “I knew eventually, but now…”
“How did the rest of the trip go?” Pop asked.
“I think you know it went pretty good, considering we didn’t come home last night.”
“Pretty good? Is that all?”
“Okay, it was fantastic, is that what you want to hear?”
Pop puffed on his pipe. “And there’s a problem with that, is there?”
Steve smiled and shook his head.
“How does she feel about you?” Pop asked.
Steve didn’t say anything.