by cross, kali
I love it when he gets so excited.
“You’re kidding, right? I love barbeque. I don’t know anything about Texas barbeque, but I love southern barbeque. Chicago has tons of b-cue joints.”
“Really? What kind of sauce do you like?”
“We have sweet sauce.”
“Oh Darlin’. I am so sorry. Sweet sauce is for amateurs.” Enclosing his huge hand around mine, he walks to the door, “You better grab a jacket and some shades. It gets kinda nippy on the bike.”
Pulling my jacket from the closet, I say, “What’s Texas sauce like?”
“I’ll show you.” He pulls me into his arms, kissing my lips. “Let’s go.”
As we walk out the door and make our way down the hall, Jerrod is stepping out of Karen’s door and into the hall. Wearing the same clothes as last night, he smiles sheepishly, “Hi Amber.”
Yeah. Busted.
“Hey Jerrod.” I smile with a tiny wave.
Karen opens the door, with a huge grin and properly just-fucked hair. “Jerrod, I didn’t get my-” Looking completely mortified when she sees Tommy and I standing in the hall, she closes her robe and falters, “Uh, hey, Amber.”
“Hey Karen.” Smiling, I turn to Tommy saying, “I forgot my shades.” Tommy follows me back to my room, and I stand, waiting.
“What are you doin’, darlin’?” He tilts his head to look at me. “I thought you needed your shades.”
Patting my pocket, I say, “Nope, got ‘em right here. I’m giving them a minute to say goodbye without an audience.” I circle my arms around his neck and say, “Wanna make-out for a few?”
“Darlin’, I could spend the day kissin’ you.”
We take our time macking on each other for more than a few minutes, and I say, “Ok, let’s go.”
“Give it a sec,” he says in a low raspy voice.
“What?” I ask looking up at him. “Give what a sec?”
“Wood, darlin’,” he says, smiling down at me.
“Wood?” I ask. What the hell is he talking about? The light bulb goes on, and I look down, admiring a formidable erection.
“If you’re going to be kissin’ on me like that, rubbin’ those sweet tits all over me, it’s gonna happen.” He shrugs, grinning.
“Oh.” I smile and walk to the fridge for a bottled water. Taking a few sips, I walk back and draw my eyes up, “Maybe we should stay here.”
“Food, woman. Food.” He sighs. “Give me your jacket.”
Opening the door, he pulls me down the hall, my jacket draped strategically over his arm, and into the elevator. Leaning against the wall, he smiles. “You love this don’t you?”
“A little, yeah.” The edges my mouth curves up in a silent delight as I study the elevator panel.
We cross the lobby and step outside. The weather is totally cooperating. It’s a sunny, crisp day, not too hot, not too cold. A small breeze is blowing. The sky is a wonderful clear blue, not a cloud to be seen. Handing my jacket to me, he hops onto the bike. I swing my leg over, snuggle into his back, and he pulls out.
The drive to the restaurant whizzes by. Filled with winding roads, sunshine, and wild flowers. It is the perfect ride, snuggled into Tommy’s back, enjoying the wind in my face, and the warmth from the sun.
The restaurant is nestled in a bunch of trees, at the bottom of a hill. The rustic building spouts a sign reading “It’s Bar B Que Time” and an American flag, the Texas state flag and the school flag. We walk in, and the smell of spicy barbeque hits us right in the face. My mouth waters clearly out of reflex. It smells unbelievable.
The hostess greets us, “Hey, y’all. Table for two?” She blinks rapidly, smiling up into Tommy’s face.
What is it with women and batting their eyelashes at him?
We get a buzzer, and Tommy walks me out to a redwood deck with trees growing literally out of the wood. Not tiny scruffs either. The trunks were strong and twisted, reaching to the skies with full branches, thick with leaves. The deck has big cutouts to accommodate them, giving the platform an organic feel, almost like it’s an extension of the tree. The restaurant is right on the water. A creek wide enough for boats runs under the deck, stretching down and around a corner. Tiny turtles feed on the food tossed by some little kids.
We take a seat at a black iron table and Tommy orders two beers. As the waitress walks away, he says, “Normally I wouldn’t order for you, darlin’, without asking you first, but you can’t drink a martini or anything like that, with good barbecue. Beer’s a must.”
“That’s ok, beer’s good.” Looking out on the lake, I sit and admire the beauty. The river is tree lined and hills surround us. Tree branches kiss the water. We sit, enjoying the view, comfortable in the silence and the peace.
Our buzzer goes off, and we head back to the front of the restaurant where the petite hostess shows us to our table, chatting away, and looking back over her shoulder as much as possible, trying to catch Tommy’s eye. She is not successful. After seating us, she walks away a little less peppy.
“You know what, why don’t you order for me? You know what’s good here,” I say with an encouraging smile. “No chicken and no ham. Although I have no idea what ham is doing in a barbeque joint? Yuck. I like chicken but I don’t waste my time on barbecue chicken. Anything other than that’ll be good.”
He smiles, and says, “Ok.” The waitress introduces herself, and Tommy orders platters for us and a beer for me.
“So, how is your dad’s hip?” My brows rise as I give him a questioning look. “When did he have the operation? I remember you mentioned in when we were driving in.”
His eyes brighten as his lips curve into a sweet smile. “You remembered that?” He pauses. “Well, he’s doing ok. He can get around, but he’s got at least five months to go until he can get back to work.” He shakes his head and chuckles. “He’s about to jump out of his skin.”
“I don’t know anything about demo work, but isn’t your band going to be pissed that you are away for so many months?” I glance at him trying to look cool and apathetic while inside I’m waiting for the shoe to drop. For him to tell me he’s going to leave anyway in a few months. I sit and wait, ready to construct my infamous emotional wall to defend myself against yet another person leaving.
“Oh, they’re fine.” He shrugs, his eyes filled with a total lack of concern. “They have a guy who’s fillin’ in. They’re a good group of guys. Any of them would have done the same if their family needed them.”
“What about the studio work? Do you have an agent or something?”
“No, darlin’.” His patient smile makes me nervous. Am I that transparent? “No agent. Don’t need one for studio and demo work. I have a few engineers and studio managers that know me, and they call me in when they need me. I met most of them before I moved to Nashville. They know me and so they knew I had to come back and help Dad. When I slide back into town, they’ll hook me up with something. I’m not too worried about it.”
“But what about your place there? Don’t you have to pay rent? What if you get back and you don’t get anything for a while? What would you do?”
“Why do I think your questions are more about your situation than mine?” He studies me with a skeptical, playful expression. His dimples have come out to play. Shit, he’s adorable. “Amber, honey, you can always get a job. Work at a clothing store, be a waitress, ring up groceries at a grocery store. If you work hard, you can always make money doing something. You don’t have to let your mother hold you hostage with her money.” His eyes light with mischief. “Me? I get by just fine. I save money when I make it for the lean times. I spend money on the things I want, and I don’t want for much. I don’t need a lot of fancy crap. You haven’t been out on your own yet, and your mother has used that to scare the shit out of you. Make you think you couldn’t do it; wouldn’t survive.” He chuckles and his eyes turn almost a pure blue color. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”
“But, I’ve never save
d or paid any attention to money.” I sigh, looking away with a shrug. “I buy what I want, and the bills go to my mom’s accountant.”
“Like I said, get a job.” He smiles, his eyes twinkling. “Any job. Save your money for when you finally tell your mom you don’t need her money. Build up a nest egg. It won’t be much.” He nudges my arm with a smirk. “Hell, it will probably be about what you spent on that jacket. But, it will be yours.” He lays his hand on my arm, his smile is reassuring and comforting. “Your mom doesn’t need to know. Go to a bank and open a savings account and have your checks direct deposited. That way you never see the money. No reason you can’t work part time somewhere while you go to school. I did it, and I had excellent grades.”
“You did?” My eyes widen. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that he went to school. On the outside he’s this hot biker, musician guy, but then he opens his mouth and I see so much more. I look away, sighing. Damn it, I’m fucked.
“Four point GPA.” He straightens his back and smiles proudly. “I played at bars while I went to school.” Lifting his chin, he says, “You should check out the local studios here. Start learning your craft. It won’t be anything big, probably answer the phone, and fetch coffee but you would be surprised what you pick up being around other producers and musicians. And, you make connections. You get to know people who do what you want to do. You can ask them questions. Learn about the work. And, when you graduate, you know someone in the business.” He leans in squeezing my hand. “You should do it.”
“I don’t even have a resume.”
“Darlin’, isn’t that what the internet is for? All that information at your fingertips on how to put together a resume.” He laughs giving me an “oh, poor baby” face.
I throw my napkin at him. The waitress brings our platters and I dig in. I am so hungry. There’s a bit of everything. Sausages, brisket, ribs, potato salad, and coleslaw. And the bread…oh my God, the bread melts in your mouth. My eyes float to the ceiling as I hold it in my mouth, soft chewy dough, buttery sweet, the flavor bursts on my tongue. So good. As I come up for air, I realize he’s staring at me again. You would think I would get used to this, but I haven’t. “What?” I sneer at him waiting.
“I’m afraid to say anything. You’re enraptured, darlin’.” He smiles, shaking his head. “You do love good food. I’m simply sittin’ here enjoying the show.”
“I’m so happy I amuse you,” I say, careful to levy sarcasm in every word.
“I wouldn’t say it amuses me.” His sensuous lips curve into a lustful, mater-of-fact smirk. “More like it makes me want to fuck your brains out. Direct some of that joy over here. Calories begging to be burned off and sitting here thinking of ways to do it. That look on your face when you taste something new and fall in love with it? It’s sexy. Looks a little like the face you make when I bite your nipple.”
Shit, my panties have officially melted. His bemused eyes watch me squirm. The blush runs up my neck in seconds. “O-kay. Are you always thinking about sex?” Damn it, I didn’t mean to sound that defensive.
“Darlin, you ooze sex. I hate to break it to you, but it’s hard to look at you and not want to fuck you.” His eyes burn and lock with mine as he speaks each word, weighting each one with need. “Sex on a stick, pure unadulterated sex on a stick.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. You’re smart, funny, and sweet. You like to fuck and you are not afraid to try new things. Do you know how sexy that is? And, your voice is incredibly sultry. It has a real husky quality to it,” his lips curve into a lecherous grin, “especially when you are getting ready to come.”
“Ok, you need to stop now. I can’t fuck you on this table. We would get arrested.”
Laughing, he says, “Like I said, darlin’, like I said.”
The waitress comes to the table leaving the check. Tommy throws down some cash and takes my hand, pulling me out the door and to the bike. I climb on to the motorcycle and his finger grazes my chin. Lifting my face, he kisses me sweetly. “Feel like a ride?”
“Sure.” I slip on my helmet.
Hoping on, he turns the key and roars off down the road as my arms encircle his waist, and I hold on tight. He takes me down roads covered with trees seeped in hills. Over a grand suspension bridge that is unique, in and of itself. We travel through hills surrounded by lakes and dams with breathtaking views of the city. We ride until the sun sinks low in the sky, through miles and miles of country roads and stunning scenery. He pulls into a park and says, “We’re here.”
We park the bike and walk up a slight hill to the entrance to the park. The trail to the top ends at a set of one hundred stone steps surrounded by greenery with blue skies peering through the branches. Once at the top, it opens into a stone pavilion. As we cross the rock floor, it ends and another gradual trail that leads to a ridge is all that separates us from a view of a lake and a majestic view of the city. The sun is setting and we both take a seat on a flat stone. Tommy’s arm slips around my shoulder, and I collapse into him. I feel the weight of yesterday, and all that goes with it, ebb away. The burden of everything has finally become more than I can bear.
“Thank you,”
“For what, darlin’?” His hand holds my chin as he points my face up to his.
“This. Today. Last night.”
Hugging me closely to his chest, his chin rests softly on my head, and I sink into his arms. “You don’t have to do it all alone anymore, darlin’. I’m here.”
The sun sets on the water, and my pain sinks away with it. Drinking in the peaceful silence, we watch as the sun dies, and the night sky comes to life. As we ride back toward campus, I sit back and hold on as the wind whips around my body. Looking up at the twinkling stars, my arms wrapped around this incredibly kind man, I let it all go, finally.
I’ll always love you, Ang. Peace my love.
I lift my silent wish to her, knowing she’ll always be with me.
***
“Don’t you need to head out?” I ask, as Tommy rushes me across the lobby of my dorm.
Chuckling, he looks at me with mild amusement. “You’re kidding, right?”
“You said the first calf might be born tonight.” I smile shyly. “Don’t you need to get back?”
“Darlin’, this will be our last night together for a while. Do you think I’m going to kiss you on your doorstep and drive home?” He snickers as he pushes the up button of the elevator.
The elevator pings its arrival. As I push the button for my floor, my eyes roam over his body, taking in every muscle. He is so gorgeous. I can’t believe he’s with me. That body is so hot…totally hot. I look away, afraid I’ll be caught ogling his ass. As I study the elevator floors above our heads, he kisses my finger, nipping the pad lightly. I gasp as the shock travels to my clit.
He turns to me with a predatory gaze, “You honestly think I could leave before I fuck your brains out? Shoot, darlin’, I haven’t even broken out my little present.” His eyes darken, filled with some mysterious secret.
“Newsflash, Tommy,” I say dryly, lowering my eyes to his package. “Your ‘present’ is anything but little.”
“Come here.” He pulls me in, his soft lips become demanding upon impact. His tongue thrusts into my mouth, taking possession, as I melt into him. As my heart pounds threatening to push out of my chest, I let him devour me with that long, hot, rough kiss, feeling the elevator rise with my need.
The elevator doors open, and he releases me. My head swims from his kiss, and my body tingles with a promise of things to come. Taking my hand in his, his long legs take quick extended strides as my legs wobble underneath me. Unlocking the door, I say a silent prayer. Please let Sally be out. Please let her be out. I open the door. She’s not here! He scoops me up in his strong arms. I giggle as he shuts the door with his boot. Leering at me, his eyes glide over my body, his long legs closing the distance to the bed in moments.
Tossing me onto the bed, he looks down at me with dep
raved regard. His blue eyes blacken as they roam over my body, enticing me to get out of these clothes…now. I pull my t-shirt over my head. I rip my boots off. Yanking off each of my socks, I toss them to the ground. I slither out my jeans. My eyes rise. “Why are you still dressed?”
“Just enjoying the show, darlin’.” An impure smile tugs at his lips. His husky voice sends chills up my spine as he asks, “Do you want your present now?”
“You’re the only present I need.” I bite my lower lip as my eyes meet his.
“Always in such a rush.” He shakes his head. “Darlin’, you need to learn to take your time.” His voice flattens as he says, “Get naked.”
My breath hitches. I love it when he orders me to do shit. Damn, it’s erotic. My mouth goes dry as I squirm out of my panties and fling my bra to the floor.
He crosses the room to his bag and pulls out something, sliding it behind his back. As he walks over to join me, his elegant stride is gradual and measured. “Sit up.”
I do as I’m told. Leaning back on my hands, waiting, wondering what he has behind his back, the anticipation is killing me. He kneels behind me on the bed and slips a black silk scarf around my eyes, tightening it around my head, blinding me to everything. He whispers in my ear, his voice soft and sinful. “You’ll be surprised how everything feels when you can’t see, darlin’.” His hot breath caresses my ear. “Now listen to my voice…Undress me.”
“But I can’t see you.” My voice is husky, and I realize I’m already getting turned on.
“It’s more fun this way. Trust me. Let your other senses guide you.” I hear his voice in front of me now.
Reaching out to him, my hand makes contact with his t-shirt. The material whispers soft and velvety touches against my fingers. I can feel the hardness of his chest underneath. Gliding my hands down, they pass the end of his shirt and rub the rough material of his jeans. Pulling up on the t-shirt, I strain for enough height to pull it off. It slips away from its obstacle and falls into my hands. I drop it and reach again, my fingers make contact with his rigged abs, and I graze my palms down, stopping when they touch the tops of his jeans. I slide my finger along the top, licking my lips, remembering his response last time and hoping for a repeat. A hitch of his breath is my reward, and my lips curl up with delight. Hmmm, he likes that. I find the button of his jeans, and it feels cool and hard. I pop it open, moving the zipper down one tooth at a time, feeling his erection strain against his zipper. Circling my hands to the back, I pull down on his jeans and discover he’s gone full commando. I have not spent nearly enough time fondling this ass.