Dare to Dream

by C. J. Welles

  Jace leads me to my room where he strips down naked and hops in my bed, as I stand there. I am sure I am drooling. My drunken ass can’t seem to move or take my eyes off him.

  “Are you gettin’ into bed, Angel?” He asks.

  I slowly nod my head up and down. I’m just about to take my dress off when I come up with a brilliant idea. I know in the back of my mind that if I was sober, I would do it so much better, but I’m drunk. And well, I can do anything when I’m drunk. I slowly amble across the room so that I don't fall flat on my face and grab my iPod. I know there is a good song at the top of my list that Jace should like.

  I press play and Strip It Down by Luke Bryan starts to play.

  “What are you doin’, Angel?”

  “Well, I was going to give you a show,” I mumble. I reach up and untie the halter neck straps and the dress falls away from my body and lands on the ground.

  Strip it down, down, down

  Strip it down, down, down

  It takes some time, but I eventually get my bra undone and fling it towards where Jace is sitting in bed. Well, where I think he is sitting. Right about now I think I can see three of him. I just picked the middle one.

  I just want to love you so bad, baby

  So, let’s close our eyes.

  I slide my thong down my legs slowly, more so I don’t face plant, but also to make it sexy, and I shake my hips at the same time. I hear Jace groan and look at him.

  I see him slide his hand under the sheet and his other hand fling the sheet back.

  Oh, my gosh.

  Hot!

  Jace, slowly moving his hand up and down his cock, with his other hand behind his head as he watches me.

  It’s smokin’ hot.

  The sight of his rough hand rubbing over the piercing in the end and the bead of pre-come that he smooths down his length. It is enough to make me drool and make me explode on the spot. I’m sure I need tissues for the drool on my chin.

  I hear him chuckle, and I pull out of my hot Jace haze, slowly making my way to the bad.

  As I make it to the end of the bed I hear Luke singing.

  Everything I need in them white cotton sheets

  Dirty dance me slow in the summertime heat

  Oh yeah, everything I need is in my cotton sheets, but mine are red.

  “You are so fuckin’ sexy.” Jace rasps out, “You’re my sexy Angel,” he says as he grabs my hips and pulls me to him. He smashes his lips down onto mine and his kiss is like a fire that makes my body want to melt. Slowly he lowers me onto my back, as he kisses down my neck. I moan at the gentleness he is using.

  It feels like heaven.

  I close my eyes and listen to the music and feel every inch of my body as Jace hums against it and makes his way down my chest. I could just stay like this forever. Jace making love to me is pure heaven.

  *

  Jace

  IF I DIDN’T know that I could give Callie orgasm after orgasm, and if I didn’t know that she was so drunk, I would be very bloody offended right now.

  Or I’d feel like I needed to give up my man card.

  Just as I get to her sweet little pussy, I hear a snore come from her.

  I groan and look up at her face. She’s got her eyes closed and is asleep. She has me turned on from her sexy little dance and now she’s asleep.

  I slowly get off the bed, turn off the iPod and the light before getting back onto the bed next to Callie, pulling the comforter up over us both.

  She does it all the time, falls asleep so easily, but never during foreplay or sex before. Usually, she’s too busy screaming. I pull her into my arms and she snuggles into my side. She mumbles something about being sorry.

  Oh, she will be sorry when I give her payback tomorrow. I will get her so worked up she won’t be able to speak, then I’m going to leave before I give her any release.

  Just as I am falling asleep I hear her mumble some more. She’s never talked in her sleep before. She must have had shit loads to drink tonight. I’m way too out to it, but I swear she says something about me not hating her.

  ∞∞∞

  Chapter 13

  Jace

  I FEEL LIKE I am on a major high. I’m buzzing with excitement. Callie is coming down to stay this weekend. We have been seeing each other for five months now and every day of those months have been amazing.

  When I first met Callie, I was looking for a distraction to make me forget. In the end, she has made me feel more.

  It’s been two weeks since I last saw her, and I’ve been missing her like crazy. Last weekend she was sick, and I had too much to do around here to spend the weekend with her. I felt like an asshole not being with her while she wasn't well, but I was needed here.

  She should be here in a few hours. It’s the first time she has driven herself here. Usually, I go up and stay the night beforehand and then bring her here.

  I’m in the stable checking over a new horse we had come in on Tuesday with Jackson, when I hear someone come in behind us. My heart flutters when I think it is Callie here early. I turn around but it’s not her. Kaylee is standing five feet away. I jump up still. I’ve barely seen her for a few months. I’ve been keeping my distance since the last time I slept with her. It’s not that I have the temptation to because I certainly don’t. But I still feel bad for doing it the one time.

  “Hey Kaylee, how you doin’ girl?” She strides closer to me. I do feel bad for blocking her out because of my fuck up.

  “Just wanted to come and see you. I haven’t seen you in ages and I miss you,” she says sweetly, as she steps in front of me and rubs her hand up my chest.

  I grab her wrist and halt her movement. No way am I cheating on Callie. No way do I want to. I don’t want Kaylee. We ended ages ago.

  “I’ve been busy. I run this place now. I don’t have much spare time.” And when I do I’m with Callie.

  “You need to take time for yourself. You should come over tonight. Mom and dad are away visiting Ethan. We’ll have the house to ourselves.”

  I groan. Not in a good way. I don’t want to hurt her. We were close friends once. We have always been good friends. But Callie is my life, Callie comes first. “Kaylee, I can’t. I’m with Callie now. I won’t do anything to hurt her.”

  “Who the fuck is Callie?” she all but growls out.

  “Hey, don’t talk like that, it doesn’t suit you. Callie is the girl I have been seeing for a few months now.”

  “Are you serious? How come I don’t know? How come no one has said anything to me?”

  “No one knows. I haven’t been hidin’ her, we’ve just been spendin’ time with us.”

  “But I want you back, Jace. We can make it work this time. We have history and you can’t deny that,” Kaylee says.

  Oh, my God is she serious? We nearly ended up being enemies by the end of our relationship. It’s only been in the past three years that we have actually been able to get along again, for more than just a quick fuck.

  “Yeah Kaylee, history. We have a history. I will always be your friend, but Callie is my future.”

  She moves so quick I’m not prepared. Her arms wrap around my neck as she plants her lips on mine and pushes her tongue into my mouth. I’m so shocked it takes me a second to push her away and move to the other side of the stables. “Don’t Kay, don’t do this. You will ruin our friendship. Don’t wreck what we have. We can walk away as friends as we are.”

  “Just spend the night with me. I can remind you of what we had. We were good together, we can be good together.” She steps closer to me, and I back away.

  “Were. That’s the keyword. We were good together. I thought I loved you once, but it didn’t work out. We ripped each other apart at the end. We’ve only been close again recently. My heart belongs to Callie now. I love her. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. She makes me happy.” I stop. I love her. I just said aloud that I love her. It’s the first time I’ve said it. I hate that it wasn’t to Callie, but I sa
id it without even thinking twice.

  I look over to Kaylee and she has her back to me, her shoulders are shaking. “Hey, don’t cry,” I say as I walk to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder I turn her around and hug her. She wraps her arms around my stomach and cries into my chest. “You will find someone special one day. My heart belongs to someone else though. Someone will walk into your life when you least expect it, and they will sweep you off your feet.”

  She nods her head. “It’s just so hard. Everything is changing. You’re with someone else. Ethan is married to that Nicole bitch, mom and dad are talking about selling their share of the ranch, and Makayla is with Ryan. It’s all changing. I want things to go back to how they were. I miss spending time with everyone.”

  “I know everything is changin’, but it’s all for the better. Well, apart from Ethan. But he will work that out soon enough, when he’s ready. Nicole is too much of a bitch to hide it forever.”

  “Hopefully he does soon,” she says gruffly, and I agree.

  “He will, he’s not dumb, she’s just pullin’ the wool over his eyes.”

  “I know,” she says quietly. “I wish he would leave her bitchy ass and come back. I miss him, and I miss everyone,” she quietly cries into my chest.

  “How about we organize a field party for next weekend, like old times? We can get all us kids together again and Callie can meet everyone. I don’t think Bryson is away and Ethan should be able to come with some notice,” I suggest.

  Callie will love it. She’s said about not being to one before. And she’ll finally get to meet my friends. When she’s been here in the past, no one has been around.

  God, I miss her. I can’t wait for her to get here. It’s been way too long.

  *

  Callie

  DRIVING DOWN TO Jace’s ranch, I am excited. I’ve been there numerous times over the past five months. I’m yet to meet his friends, but I see his mom each time I visit. She is lovely, and welcomed me into her home and life the first time I met her. Well the second time, it was a bit friendlier and less awkward.

  We ain’t an official couple as such, but we are an item. We’re yet to have the talk. We’re just Jace and Callie. On the weekends, you won’t see one of us without the other.

  I still haven't had a client since before I met Jace. That horrid time I went to the hotel to see that regular client and freaked out was the last time I even thought of having sex for money. I can't do it, just thinking of another man is bad enough, let alone anything else.

  I’ve been considering getting a new job. I still strip five nights a week, but it’s not enough to cover the bills. I’ve been eating into my savings I had saved up for a holiday to Australia. Krystal and I talked last week about moving someplace cheaper. Our lease is up in two months and we are going to move house then.

  I pull into the long gravel driveway. Five minutes later I pull up outside his house. Getting out of the car, I start towards the front door but turn when I hear someone in the stables just across the parking area. It could be anyone, but most likely it’s Jace or Jackson. He’s not expecting me for another couple of hours, but I had nothing to do and couldn't wait to see him again.

  I smile when I hear Jace’s voice and stride towards him quickly. When I step through the doors I halt. Jace is there with his arms wrapped around a dark-haired girl and she has her head rested on his chest. He says something to her quietly and she nods her head as she wraps her arms around his waist tighter. They keep murmuring to each other as I stand here. I feel like I am peeking in on a private moment. Shit, I am.

  I feel the blood drain from my head. This can’t be happening. He can’t be with someone else. I see this happen all the time, guys who have a piece of ass on the side. Jeez, I am always the other woman, I usually get paid for it though. I honestly thought things were different with Jace. He doesn't even know what I used to do. Oh, my God, did he assume that since I’m a stripper I would be happy sleeping with him casually.

  I love this man. But I don't think he will ever love me.

  I feel a tear slip down my cheek and I turn to run out of the door but smash into something and I let out a squeal. I look up and Jace’s mom is standing there. She wraps an arm around my shoulder and looks at me with a sad face.

  “Are you alright, Honey?” she asks quietly.

  I nod but don’t say anything as I pull away to run around her. I don’t think I can talk. I don’t think my voice will come out around the lump in my throat. I hold back more tears.

  “Callie, you’re here,” Jace calls out, and I can hear him walking up behind me. I don’t turn, if I do I will break down. I feel as though my heart is already breaking.

  “She just turned up,” Jane says, as she pats my shoulder. “Kaylee, why don’t you come help me inside for a moment,” she tells Kaylee. It definitely doesn’t sound like a suggestion.

  They both leave, but I still don’t turn around. “I was just leaving. I came in to tell you I remembered I need to go home. Krystal asked me to help her with something early tomorrow and I need to go.” I say quietly. My throat is throbbing from holding back tears, and a whisper is all I can manage.

  Jace walks around me and stands in front as he grasps my chin in his big calloused hand. He lifts my head up, so I am looking at him. I don’t look him in the eyes, I can’t because I will cry, and I don’t want him to see the hurt.

  “Callie, what’s goin’ on? Why are you cryin’?” Jace asks.

  I didn't realize I was. I lift my fingers to my face, and sure enough, my cheek is wet.

  “Nothing is wrong. I just need to go.” I pull my chin out of his grasp. “I’ll call you sometime,” I say quietly.

  He grabs my elbow and pulls me flush against him, then wraps his heavy arms around my tiny body. I wouldn’t be able to get away from him, even if I wanted to, but my traitorous body melts into him from just having him close like this. My body really is a slut.

  “Callie, don’t be silly. You’re not goin’ anywhere. Is this because of Kaylee?” he asks, as he nuzzles my hair. When I don’t answer, he sighs.

  Pulling away he grabs my hand and leads me to a hay bale and sits down before pulling me into his lap.

  “Kaylee and I dated for three years when I was in senior high and college. She is Ethan’s older sister. There is nothing goin’ on between us anymore. What you saw was sort of a goodbye, not between our friendship, we’ll always be friends, but it was an end to anything more we had,” he pauses “She came over today askin’ for me back. We have not been a couple for five years. We have slept together regularly over the years, but it was nothing more to me.” I flinch, and my heart aches. Hearing him talk about having sex with her. I don’t want to hear it. It hurts.

  “Going back, to six months ago, before I met you, I probably would have said yes to being with her again. But since meeting you, I don’t want anyone else.”

  “Why not? I won’t stop you if you want to be with her.” It will kill me, but I would let him go. I wouldn't want to be with someone who doesn't want me.

  “Because what I have ever felt for her is nothin’ in comparison to what I feel for you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah really, babe.” He kisses me hard on the lips.

  He lifts me to my feet and stands next to me. Wrapping an arm around my waist he directs us to the door. “Come on, mom will have some afternoon tea waitin’ for us.”

  My stomach rumbles. I’ve had Jane’s cooking before and it’s the best I’ve had. My mother never cooked, and I didn’t learn to cook. I thought Krystal was a good cook, but she has nothing on Jace’s mother.

  Just before we reach the porch steps a question I need to ask Jace pops into my mind. I really am shooting myself in the foot by asking this. But I need to ask. I stop on the step below him and he turns to me. “When was the last time you slept with her?” I don't need to say her name, he knows who I am talking about. The guilty and regretful look that slides across his face is all I need to kn
ow. “Actually, don’t worry. I don’t need to know. It’s all in the past.” I say in a calm voice, even though inside I am screaming and crying at the same time.

  He grabs my wrist as I step onto the porch. “I regret it every day. It was three weeks after we met. When I dropped you off and you weren’t talking to me. I thought what we had was over. I got wasted and slept with her.” He sighs. “Then again the next day. I should have fucking well told you. I wanted to, I was going to, but then you were so happy, and I didn’t want to upset you. I also didn’t know if we were actually going to go further and last or anything. I didn’t want to fuck up anything further happening between us.”

  I think I can feel my heart stop beating.

  Twice now he has held back from telling me he slept with someone. I don’t know what to do with this. Will it happen in the future if we have a fight? Is he going to assume we are over and go running to her or some other girl?

  He steps away and leans his elbows on the porch railing and drops his head down. His face is so sad, I nearly want to comfort him instead of myself.

  “The second time I couldn’t even get off. She tried everythin’, but it just wasn’t you. I even tried picturing you, but my body knew it wasn’t you. After it happened, I felt dirty. I felt like an ass for doin’ it.” I think I’m going to vomit. I can’t believe he is telling me this. All it’s doing is stabbing me further in the heart with that hot poker then twisting it around. “I didn't call you because I couldn’t hear your sweet voice knowing what I had done. Please don’t hate me.”

  I don’t answer him. What can I say? He’s just ripped my heart out. He’s just told me how he slept with another girl, just because we had an argument. What am I supposed to do with that?

  It’s not like he can go back and change what he’s done. It’s not as if I am going to welcome it.

  “What about the first night?” I stupidly ask. What the fuck is wrong with me? Am I some sadist or some shit and enjoy hurting myself.