“About a year.” He plays by my rules and provides the simple response, but it’s not enough.
I push for more, “That’s your answer?”
“You didn’t ask why or for me to provide a reason,” he mumbles through a chuckle.
As we continue to pick at the food and drink the questions become more of a game of trying to outwit the other. It’s supposed to be a fun way to learn about the other person, it’s making the afternoon feel care free and we’re both laughing a lot. It’s enjoyable and nibbling whilst we’re doing it means we can have some time to think up the best answers and better questions in between bites. So far he’s only passed one of my questions which was when I asked him how long he was going to be in Hawkstown for. Whereas I’ve passed on him asking me what the current case is that I’m working on, passing on that one was definitely a necessity.
I think it’s time to turn the heat up. “My question,” I whisper, “Do you want to kiss me?”
Straight away he comes back with, “I’ll let you answer that.”
I don’t ponder for long, but test the water with, “Yes, I think you do.” He responds with a smile. “Do you want to kiss me now?” I ask.
“Apart from the fact that it’s not your question turn, I was wondering whether we could have a rule change and include a demonstration response?” he asks quietly as he leans into me and lets his lips touch mine gently.
“I think I’ll approve of a mid game rule change in this instance.” I reply looking at him trying to convey that I really do approve.
Ross then takes hold of me and encourages me to come to him, he’s sitting on his ass and as he helps me move into him he leads me so that I’m seated in his lap straddling him. There is no room between his huge chest and my breasts as I get closer and feel his hands on my back push me into him. He feels powerful and his firm thighs make me feel like I weigh nothing. After a few minutes of us just breathing and taking each other in, he frames my face in his hands and then smoothly runs his thumb over the bruise on my jaw. It’s so alarming that this beast of a guy can be so gentle. His actions and his gaze tell me that he feels guilty about how I got it.
When he leans forward this time to kiss me his lips feel firmer and less tentative and surrounded by his goatee they feel like they have an abrasive edge. His tongue darts out once and then twice seeking access to my mouth and I comply. I let my tongue tease him gently and slant my head just a little, his hands lock my face to his, giving him complete control of my mouth.
Liking what I’m feeling, a lot, I bring my hands into play and grab a fistful of his tight shirt encouraging him to get closer, which is crazy because we can’t get much closer.
“Fuck Neely, you’re hot. I never expected to find someone whilst I was here,” he shares between kisses.
“Question,” I moan, “Do you want me?”
“I think I’ll invoke the new demonstration option. Find out for yourself. Feel.” He takes one of my hands and moves it from his t shirt to his crotch.
“Yeah, you want me.” I confirm for both of us.
“Absolutely,” he leans away from me and looks all around us to check and make sure that we are all alone. When he seems satisfied that we are, he undoes the top button of his cargo shorts and lowers the zipper. My eyes don’t leave his as he does this, I don’t want to spoil the surprise, not yet anyway and the anticipation is unreal. I feel his cock spring out of his shorts towards me and hit my waist, he’s not wearing any underwear and it’s clear it needed to be free of its confined space.
He takes my hand and wraps my small fingers around his thick shaft and the tips of my fingers barely touch as we both groan in unison. “Yeah you want me.” I whisper as I start to rub up and down his length and smooth my thumb over the bulbous head.
“Fuck, yeah I want you,” and quickly he flips us over so I’m on my back on the blanket and he’s hovering over me, taking his body weight at the side of me on one arm. We start to kiss again and I continue the hand motion I know he’s enjoying because he’s started to move with my rhythm and is pumping his hips into me.
Our kisses get more intense and he stops long enough to raise my vest top over my head and unclasp my bra. He breaks his kisses with me to look down at my breasts and his breathing becomes heavier when he takes in my nipples, I love that I’ve caused that reaction in him and it makes me groan. What we’re doing together feels amazing and as his fingertips breach the waist band of my shorts I hear someone shout, “Anna put that stick down. Don’t you dare hit your sister!”
Ross stops immediately and tries to tuck himself away, this is a challenge because forcing his hard self back into his restrictive shorts is something that looks painful and he doesn’t look best pleased.
“Shit! That’s Dolly. What the hell is she doing out here?” I whisper at him sharply as I scramble to put my own clothes in order.
“Dalton for fuck’s sake, take that stick off her, she’s using it like a bayonet and it’s not going to end well.” I hear Jonas command as the girls come running around the corner into the area we’re using as an outdoor bedroom.
“Nee Nee,” screams A, who is speeding up even though the stick she is wielding is big enough to use for pole vaulting and keeps catching on the bushes and tree trunks. “What the fuck?” is the next thing out of Jonas’s mouth, who stops abruptly which then causes Dolly to pile into the back of him. “Ross, Neely, fancy meeting you two here,” he says and then turns to look at his wife. He realizes we’ve all been set up by her because them taking a stroll in this exact place is no accident and he doesn’t look impressed as it all clicks into place.
“Yeah fancy that,” I direct back to my best friend sharply, very sharply.
She knows she’s going to feel some back lash from this, from both Jonas and I. “What? We’re just having a family walk on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Anyway, now we’re here we could sit and rest for a bit.”
“No. We could not,” thank God Jonas is thinking rationally, “Girls say bye to Nee Nee and her friend.”
“But...”
“Girls, cake time. Lets head back and see Jo,” he tells them, discussion over and with the girls being tempted with extreme energy inducing treats she has no chance of winning the argument. His gaze flips between Ross and I and his eye squint at Ross tells me that he’s less than impressed with the direction our friendship is taking. It’s time to call this awkwardness to an end.
“I will see you soon Dolly.” Oh, I sure will. She knew what she was doing and executed her timing to perfection to disrupt us.
I’ve taught her well.
Bitch.
She waves bye to us and Ross is still quiet but manages a nod to both of them and we both listen to the Drakeson Family crash back through the trail for a good five minutes. Dolly and Jonas get into it a bit until we hear him ask her, “What the hell are you playing at?” we don’t get to hear her answer, just Jonas saying, “For fuck’s sake we’ll talk later,” my friend is in for a telling off tonight.
I take another glance at Ross and it seems my pal has succeeded in her attempt to disrupt us, he looks well and truly over it. Her interruption has had its desired effect.
“Question, I’m getting the feeling your girl doesn’t want us together? I’ll let you answer that,” he says trying to move the awkwardness back into game mode.
“Shit. I’ll be having words,” is the honest answer I give him without agreeing or disagreeing with his assessment.
“Don’t fall out with her on my account she did us a favor really, we could have been caught by anyone and getting busted by kids mid thrust would not have been fun. I didn’t expect the afternoon to play out this way, I didn’t even bring anything with me.”
“Me neither and you’re right as much as it pains me to admit that.” I really am disappointed.
“Listen Neely, I should be getting back, I’m expecting a call.”
“Oh. OK.” My disappointment turns into suspicion and I can’t figure out wh
ether he’s lying or not, which just makes my thought process even more confusing. Either way, heading back now means I’m still in the mood to rip Dolly a new asshole. I begin to pack up all the stuff and Ross just watches me for a few seconds before he helps, I get the impression he wants to say something but never does until I hear, “Maybe we can get together again soon?”
I try and make things more light hearted, but it carries the sentiment I’m after, “I’ll let you answer.” I’m not really sure where this is going, there are areas of his life that he’s steered clear of today and he has his reasons for that. Letting him decide if we go forward seems the safest option.
“Cool,” again a response which satisfies the game criteria in some ways but leaves everything else unclear.
We head back to the jeep, load up the trunk and make the drive home. He parks up outside our apartment block and then comes to open my door for me to climb out. “Thanks for a great afternoon, even with the crazy game and interruption, I had fun.” He leans over and pecks my cheek then moves to the trunk to grab the back pack, he waits for me to catch up so he can carry it to my apartment.
At the apartment door he just smiles at me as he waits for me to enter my place. It’s awkward and I’m a little confused because not long ago we were engaged in some seriously heavy making out and now he’s back to friendly neighbor.
It’s odd, but I don’t have the energy to ask him what’s going on or to try and force him into a conversation. “See you soon,” I simply say and head inside. I drop the back pack on the counter and head for the bathroom to fill my bath tub.
Time to relax, I’ve not got much of the weekend left and I intend to make it mine and enjoy it.
*****
Chris
“Chris,” Jonas barks down the phone at me, “You need to man up and man up faster. Thanks to my conniving wife I’ve just had the pleasure of interrupting Neely and the new rancher on the old Chesters Mountain trail make out spot”.
“What? Fuck, tell me you’re joking?”
“I am not joking, I had my girls with me.”
“Shit, what do I do?” I ask him.
“Man the fuck up and be thankful my woman wants her girl to be with you and not some short term rancher. Catch you later, I’ve got some talking to do with my wife about instigating plans where I’m the innocent party.”
He hangs up and although the call has pissed me off, I still chuckle, I know what kind of talking that will be. I remember Jonas’s mood when we busted Dolly with Tommy, it wasn’t good so I’m thankful I wasn’t the one to stumble upon Neely. Thinking about it though is still enough to make my blood boil.
This shit needs sorting, who does he think he is.
“Time to man up,” I mutter to myself grab the keys to my truck and head out my door.
Chapter Nine
After about forty minutes I hear my front door open and close. I could just ignore it and pretend I’m not here, but then the music from the iPod dock gives my game away, it’s obvious I’m home. When Dolly lived in Ross’s place we had a hiding place for our keys, it seems she’s keen to get her ass kicking out of the way sooner rather than later.
“Not now Dolly, I’m trying to forget your epic case of accidental on purpose bad timing and relax.” My shout comes with an echo that gives my bathroom location away, when I don’t hear a reply I remain where I am.
“Seriously, I’ve got less than ten hours left of my weekend and I’d rather not spend it falling out with you, grab a beer out of the fridge and get me a fresh one would you? I’m in the bathroom.” I still don’t hear a reply and she’s starting to piss me off, which is not a good path for her to be on right now, she’s messing with my relaxed karma. I lean forward to pull the plug and at that moment the bathroom door opens.
“For fuck’s sake Dolls, if you’re trying to push my mood from bad to worse you’re doing a bang up job.” The water starts to gurgle and swirl down the drain and I swing around to look at her.
Only I’m not looking at Dolly.
I’m looking at Chris.
“What the fuck? Get out of my bathroom Chris and how did you get in my place anyway?”
He looks like he’s ready to explode, he’s not in a good mood either then. Well tough, I don’t care.
“Get out of here, I don’t want to see you or talk to you.” Who the hell does he think he is? I’m desperately fumbling with the plug trying to get it back in the plug hole because I don't want to have to get out the tub in front of him.
“Good,” he says, “Glad you’ve decided to stay put and hear me out.”
This just makes me madder and I’m starting to feel like a cornered wild animal. “Oh really, I don’t intend to stay put, now get the hell out of my fucking bathroom.”
“Not this time Neely, I’m fucking sick of your games. Ignoring me, avoiding me, dating other fucking guys in front of me. You’re going to listen. So sit the fuck down.”
“Oh I don’t fucking think so.” I shout back at him and heave my wet soapy body out of the bath in a violent manner. I do it so aggressively that the tiny amount of water left in tub sloshes up and over the sides, soaking the floor. I’m covered in bubbles and my skin is shiny and flushed, partly from the water temperature and partly because the guy who continues to vex my emotions is stood in front of me. On the whole though it’s mainly from the rage I’m feeling.
My bathroom isn’t huge and as soon as Chris realizes I’m heading for the towels on the wall shelves he takes a big sideways step and blocks my access to them. Slamming my hands on my hips I shout, “Really? Mature Chris, really fucking mature.”
At first he was looking at my face, assessing just how angry I am and I could tell he was concerned about the reaction he was bringing out in me, but then he realizes that I am standing in front of him dripping water and very naked. His face softens, “Neely,” he whispers and I don’t reply to him at all. My rage simmers instantly and is replaced with confusion.
I don’t want to be in this confined space with him, alone and I certainly don’t want to be in this confined space with him, alone and naked. I forget the towel, it’s more important to just get away from him, as I step to the door and pull it open by the handle I see a palm hit it above my head and he slams it shut.
“I don’t want to be in here with you Chris.”
“Yes you do Neely.”
Before I realize what’s happening he’s got me pushed up against the door kissing me with an aggressive hunger. My traitorous body, still horny from my date with Ross gets into the play quickly whilst my mind is still scrabbling to come to terms with what’s going on. Chris nudges my wet legs apart with one of his own and he runs his fingers up the inside of my thigh until he touches the very bottom edge of my lower lips. I gasp inside his mouth during our kiss and he quickly sweeps his rough fingers in between my folds of skin.
My fucking body betrays me and I groan again. As soon as he hears that groan his kisses turn more savage and his fingers play with my sensitive parts, teasing me. His kisses continue as he lowers his lips down my neck until he reaches a nipple and latches on, all the while murmuring sweet words in between kisses. The words he is saying start bouncing around my brain and it’s like I’m with the Chris I was expecting to be with when we had sex the first time.
I can feel my legs quivering and he knows he’s got control of my body and its right where he wants it to be, he senses I’m on the verge of an internal explosion.
“Cum for me,” he demands of my body and it obeys. “That’s how it should have gone the first time we got together.”
The reminder of what he did back then is unwelcome. I don’t want to think about how he treated me. I don’t want to be reminded that I’ve done my best to hide all that pent up frustration, hurt and anger. As this sets in, my body locks up and Chris senses that I’m regretting what we’ve just done. He gives me a little bit of space and breathing room and this is the moment I need to regain control, “Chris, you need to leave.”
>
“But we haven’t talked, we haven’t sorted things out, yet.”
I am hanging onto my calm exterior by a thread. “No we haven’t and maybe you should have said your piece rather than using me again. I’d like you to leave.”
“Please Neely, let’s just...” he’s interrupted by my house phone ringing and I use this as an excuse to finally move into the living room. I grab a towel on my way past him and wrap it round me.
“Hello?”
“Neely, it’s Steven. I need you in the office immediately.”
“What? It’s Sunday and it’s stupidly close to Monday, can’t this wait until I get into the office in the morning?”
“No. It can’t, you need to come in now. We need to sort out those ‘missing files’ and I’ve got the sheriff on his way too.”
“But you told me not to go to the police,” I remind him.
“Yes I did, for good reason. Now if you’re not here in twenty minutes I’ll ask the sheriff to come and pick you up.”
“Fuck,” I mumble back him, “See you shortly,” and hang up the phone.
“Neely what’s this about the Police?” Chris asks me, it seems he’s followed me and finally left the bathroom although I didn’t notice he was behind me. I can’t answer his question, but I’m not going to lie so I start scrabbling around to come up with an evasive answer.”
“Nothing, just a case I’m researching and you need to leave because I have to go.” I push past him and head into my bedroom and start throwing on underwear and clothes.
“Are you in trouble? You need to tell me if you’re in trouble.”
“Just leave it alone, its work and I can’t discuss it with you. Things need to go back to how they were. I’ll avoid you, you’ll ignore me and we’ll pretend what happened a year ago and today’s little mistake was just that, a mistake.”
“I can’t do that, we have to sort this out,” he’s getting frustrated, well, tough shit.
“You’ve had plenty of opportunities to sort things out and you haven’t. Today meant nothing, although I did get my orgasm which I didn’t last time we messed around. Don’t read anything more into this Chris, nothing has changed. Now are you going? Or am I leaving you to see yourself out after I’ve gone.”
Forgiving Love (The Soul Sisters Series Book 2) Page 8