An hour later, I was heading for the airport, a small duffel bag dangling from my hand. Leo would take care of the rest of my luggage and insure it made it to Greensboro. All I had to do is get my ass on a plane and to Savannah; to Steph.
It was five hours later before I finally arrived; taking a cab to the address her mom had given me. I had slept a little on the plane, but I was feeling exhausted and hungry, but more than anything, I wanted to see Steph.
When the cab stopped in front of a Greek restaurant, I leaned forward. “This can’t be right. She lives in an apartment,” I told the driver, but he assured me this was the address I had given him.
I could see a door beside the restaurant that had the address Amanda had given me, and that’s when I realized she had an apartment on the second floor.
Heading up the stairs, the stale odor of onions was heavy in the corridor. I took two steps at a time, my heart starting to pound faster.
I took a deep breath when I was in front of her door before I lifted my hand and knocked.
It was just after 3pm so I figured she was still home, I just hoped I hadn’t woken her.
Finally, I heard sound beyond the door and when she swung open the door and I saw her, I felt my breath catch.
She was beautiful, I thought. I could only see her face, the door blocking her body from me.
In her surprise, she opened the door wider, a look of confusion on her face.
I gazed at all of her avidly. Her hair was down, a wild tangle of dark hair but with streaks of blonde at the ends. Her eyes were free of any makeup, and she looked young; so God damned young, I thought achingly. I glanced down and saw she was wearing a t-shirt loose and baggy, hitting her mid-thigh.
Her legs were bare and so long, my stomach clenched. Her toes looked tiny, painted a pale pink. I slowly looked up and met her gaze.
“What…You’re here?” she stammered.
“I had some free time,” I said huskily. “Can I come in?”
She glanced behind her, and then I could see her agitation. “Yes, of course. Come in.” She sounded breathless and I was having a hard time reading her expression. Was she happy I was here?
I stepped in and saw that her apartment was pretty small; just a small kitchen off to the right with a small living room straight ahead. There was only a small couch and coffee table and a table set up as a desk with a chair in front.
She had filled the area up with plants; lots of plants. Some on the windowsill, others on plant stands and another on her kitchen counter. To the far left was a small alcove with several doors. One of the doors clearly led to her bedroom as the door was open, and I could see her bed, covers pulled back, as if she had recently left it.
It was an old apartment, but I could smell fresh paint and an interesting smell of coconuts, both smells strong.
I dropped my duffel bag on the floor and turned to her.
“It’s cute, but you need more furniture,” I smiled at her, my gaze drawn to her face again.
She looked tired, dark smudges visible under her eyes.
“Well, I thought I would do some shopping at the flea market on the weekend, but I am always too tired to make the effort,” she rambled, her gaze fixed on me. It was like she couldn’t stop looking at me, just like I couldn’t stop staring at her.
It was like I had never really looked at her, and I couldn’t seem to stop. She looked thin, her face almost angular, her jawline taunt. But as thin as she looked, her breasts looked large, even under the oversize t-shirt.
I wanted to touch her, I thought achingly. “No hello hug?” I teased.
When I saw her face contort, I wasn’t sure if it was discomfort or what caused her reaction. Whatever she felt, she stepped forward and I took that as a sign of acquiescence and pulled her to me.
I put my arms around her, squeezing her so that her body was imprinted across the front of me, and my body reacted that fast to the feel of her. My head bent, inhaling her unique sent as I buried my face in hair.
It felt like a homecoming, and I didn’t want to let her go. All I wanted was to put my hands on her ass, and pull her even closer, but I knew it was too soon. And she felt good, I thought in pleasure, her body fitting against mine as if it was made especially for me. When I felt my cock start to harden, I urged myself to slow down.
With a sigh, I released her, stepping back. Her face looked red, like she was warm or maybe embarrassed? Was that a blush?
When she looked down at the floor, her hair shielded her face from me.
God, I just walked into her apartment and already I ached to touch her, I thought in anguish. When she continued looking down, I used my finger to tilt her chin up.
“You Ok that I am here?” I asked her quietly.
She just nodded, and I was sure now she was blushing. “I’m just surprised.”
“Did I wake you up?” I asked.
“Yeah,” is all she said.
I took her hand, and led her into her bedroom. I looked around and saw it was small, but she had a large bed and there was room for a dresser in the corner with two side tables.
I looked down at her, and she looked surprised. “What time is your alarm set for?” I asked.
“Five,” she said huskily.
“Then let’s lay down for a while,” I started to say and she flinched. I pulled her closer, tweaking her nose. “To sleep. I didn’t get any sleep last night,” I reminded her. “I was up talking to a woman that drives me crazy,” I said with a grin.
I pulled my t-shirt off and knelt on the bed, kicking my boots off, and then laying down and scooting over. I looked at her, patting the empty space beside me.
She hesitated a moment, and then slowly followed my lead, lying beside me. Reaching down, I pulled the blanket up over both of us.
Rolling on my side, I looked at her as she lay on her back, her head turned toward me.
“Can I hold you while we sleep?” I asked in a voice that had gotten husky.
In answer, she rolled on her side pressing herself against me, her head on my chest. My arms pulled her in even closer, as I lay on my back, pulling her slightly on top of me.
My body was humming, pleasure strumming through me, as I held her to me. I bent my head, kissing the top of her head, and burying my nose in her fragrant hair.
My arms clenched around her. I was amazed at how light she was, feeling so tiny in my arms. I closed my eyes, savoring how good it felt. I felt the tension leave me as I lay there. It was the last thought I had before I fell asleep.
CHAPTER 5-STEPH
How could he lie down and within minutes be asleep, I thought in wonder as I listened to the even tenor of his breath? I always had a hard time falling asleep, but once I was asleep, I slept great.
I was certain I wouldn’t fall asleep. How could I when my hands were touching him, my ear against his beating heart and the smell that was all Davis was assailing my senses? I couldn’t even control my breathing, my excitement at having him here uncontrollable.
I focused on my hand, splayed against his upper arm. It felt so thick under my hand, corded with muscle and hard. Yet for all his hardness, it felt satiny soft and I ached to stroke my hand down his arm, but I didn’t dare.
My head on the center of his chest, I slowly raised my chin so I could see his face. His eyes were closed, his expression looked relaxed and his mouth was slightly parted. At that moment, I wanted to feel his lips on mine again.
The one kiss we had shared had been hot and intense, but it had only been one kiss, and it was months ago. I had thought of that first kiss so many times, but the memories were starting to get fuzzy and I was sure it couldn’t have been as good as I remembered.
I wanted to explore him, with my hands and with my mouth. Did he taste as good as he smelled? A pang of longing pierced through me, causing me to squirm.
I must have disturbed him as the arm he had around me tightened briefly, before I felt his muscles relax again, his breathing evening back out again.
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God, how was I going to resist this man, when just lying against him while he was sleeping was causing a liquid heat to start between my legs?
I had to remind myself that he was a love them and leave them guy. He always had been, as long as I had known him. If I thought the last few months had been hard without him after only one kiss, how hard would it be if he left me after more than one kiss?
Damn it, I mean when. When he left me again, which he would do, I told myself angrily. I might be the flavor of the moment, but that’s all this was. I had to stay away from him, or my misery would know no bounds.
But I wanted to take anything he had to offer, just like the groupies he enjoyed. Take whatever he would give me, and savor those for the rest of my life. And why shouldn’t I? I was a fool believing my heart wouldn’t be affected after this visit, and really, how sad was that?
If I was truly honest with myself, I was going to hurt when he was gone anyways. Why shouldn’t I take what he was offering, for as long as he was offering it? It would be all I would have of him. I was already in love with him, so how much worse could it get?
I turned my head so that I could touch his chest with my lips, giving him feather light kisses, before I rested my head again on his chest. I licked my lips, tasting him, salty and musky. I held back a moan, trying to tamp down the desire I felt for him.
Forcing my thoughts back onto something else, I wondered why he had come? I was going to see him tomorrow. Why make the effort to fly out here today? It made no sense. Did something change, and he didn’t want me to go to Greensboro then?
Please, I silently begged, don’t let that be the reason he was here. Sure, I had originally told him I didn’t think we needed to see each other, but that wasn’t what I wanted.
I wanted all he had to give me, even though I knew I shouldn’t. Glancing at my clock, it was after 4:00pm. Less than an hour and I needed to take a shower, and get ready for work tonight.
What was he going to do when I was gone? Maybe I should quietly get ready and leave him a note and let him sleep for as long as he could?
Yes, I would certainly try to do that, but I had no idea if he was a light sleeper or not. Sure I knew a lot about him, but there was even more I didn’t know about him.
I started smiling. I would get to learn more about him, the more time we spent together. Hopefully he still wanted me to go to Greensboro.
As I lay against him, I realized I felt happy. Just holding on to him, having him near, I was happy. Me who never smiles, and I was smiling. I couldn’t stop. I tried to frown, but nope, couldn’t do it. I felt like laughing, but didn’t dare wake him.
A little while later, I extricated myself from the arm he had over me, sliding off of his chest slowly. His breathing changed for a moment but then it resumed its steady rhythm.
Standing beside the bed, I could see him much better. His body was covered with the blankets but his face was exposed. His hair looked thick, with a slight wave to it and sticking up in an adorable way. He lashes fanned his cheeks, dark against his skin.
His skin was dark; so much darker than mine, like he had spent a lot of time outdoors. But when would he have had time to do that? Maybe he was taking advantage of the pools that likely were at all the hotels he stayed at.
With regret, I turned away. I reached for the alarm, turning it to off and then made my way to my dresser. Pulling out a black bra and black panties, I headed towards my closet and contemplated if I should wear something different tonight.
Black was always the best to wear to work, so I pulled out a black top. It had short sleeves, which was a requirement when working, and had a few buttons at the neck that I always left unbuttoned. I frowned at it, knowing it wasn’t anything special, but I was only going to work and I wasn’t trying to impress him. Was I?
With frustration, I tugged an older jean mini-skirt from a hanger and padded to the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed.
I usually put my hair up at work, but I kept it down, adding some styling mousse to give it some body. I added lengthening mascara to my eyes, and outlined my eyes with black eyeliner, but choose a soft pink eyeshadow instead of my usual darker eye shadow. I added pink lipstick, and I thought it made me look softer, more approachable.
Spritzing some perfume on, I tossed my dirty clothes in a hamper, and finished getting ready before exiting the bathroom. I peeked in the room and Davis was still sleeping.
With a smile, I walked barefoot to the kitchen and started to make a pot of coffee. This was the time of the day I saw as my morning, and I needed coffee when I woke up, to help me wake up.
I wished I had gotten more sleep, but I knew it was going to be difficult to sleep, I just didn’t realize how much harder sleep would be with him around.
I slipped on a pair of black flats and checked that my purse had my house keys and lipstick, while I waited for the coffee to brew.
Slipping a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster, I pushed it down while I turned away to get the butter. I turned on the radio I kept in the kitchen, and the sound of country music filled the small kitchen, the volume down low.
I always wanted music on if I was at home alone. It helped to have some noise since I had no TV and no one to talk to. As I pulled down a cup, a song came on from a woman singer, angry about her cheating man.
What made a man or a woman cheat? I suppose there were different reasons, but probably the most popular reason was likely because they weren’t happy. But did that mean if two people were happy, neither would ever cheat? No, I didn’t believe that.
I once worked with a man that couldn’t help but cheat, admitting to me that it was what his father had done to his mom, so he didn’t really view it as that big of a deal. I tried not to judge him, but I believed his reasons were more along the lines of needing that adulation. Having another person or persons desire him; needing that affirmation.
After drinking my coffee and eating my breakfast, I still wasn’t certain what to do with the man in my bed?
Should I let him sleep, and just leave him a note or should I wake him up? If I woke him up, it would be so difficult to leave for work, I knew. Probably best I write him a note. I worked so close that he could always walk over when he awoke.
After I finished the note, I set it on the counter, certain he would see it. As an afterthought, I put an extra house key on the counter with it, in case he needed it.
I reread the note:
Good morning sleepyhead,
I didn’t have the heart to wake you.
You looked way too cute.
If you want, come by the bar. It’s
called Pops Tavern and it is one block
east of here on main street. If not, I will see you
around 2:30am.
Steph
PS I left you keys to my place in case you need
With a last look at my room, I quietly left, shutting the door lightly.
CHAPTER 6-DAVIS
I woke to my phone buzzer going off in my pants pocket. At first I was disoriented, unsure where I was, and then it slowly came to me. Steph.
As I tried to get my phone from my pocket, I glanced at the clock beside the bed. 6:30pm. Damn, I missed her. Why had she let me sleep?
Looking at my phone, a reminder was on the screen to call the radio station. Leo had been great and had gotten my interview rescheduled for me, my change in plans meant I would have been flying during the original appointment.
As I stood up, I did feel rested. I needed the sleep. I thought of Steph. Was she able to get a little bit more sleep? She needed more sleep, the dark circles speaking of many sleepless nights.
Heading over to the bathroom, I was surprised when I opened the door and saw how updated her bathroom was. Where the rest of her apartment had an old, rundown appearance, the bathroom was the exact opposite.
She had a new shower, although it was still pretty small, tucked in the corner. The tiles underfoot were clean and had a silvery blue pattern
that was attractive. The vanity was definitely new, the sticker from the factory still on the side. Someone had added a large mirror with LED lights that ran down each side, producing an abundance of light.
The toilet too looked new, and everything was clean. The picture over the toilet looked like it was painted by hand, and I leaned forward, taking a closer look.
Definitely hand painted, in paint that was sparkly aqua blues and yellows with a bit of green. It was a mermaid, by herself on the sand, gazing off into the distance to a large town. I was particularly taken with her eyes. They appeared to be lost or lonely, as she lay by herself, her posture one of defeat.
It was well done, and seemed to tug at your heart, as if you could feel her pain. Washing my hands, I dried them off on soft, absorbent towel on a rack nearby. I could see a large shelf beside the shower, most of the shelves full of towels.
Figuring I had time for a quick shower before I had to make my call, I opened up the shower and turned on the water. I was impressed at the water pressure as I stepped inside, allowing the water to pelt me. The shower was small, but it actually felt bigger once you were inside, I thought.
Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist, in search of my duffel bag. I found it not far from the front door, and my nose lifted in the air. Was that coffee I smelled?
Turning into the kitchen, I saw her note. Scanning it quickly, I smiled. Touching the pot, and insuring it was still hot, I started going through her cabinets searching for a cup. I was impressed how neat and orderly she had them, with the inside of the cabinets freshly painted and contact paper lining the bottom.
As I leant back against the counter, I wondered how an apartment could look so badly run down in some parts, and others looked pristine and new. Steph was the reason, I felt certain.
Something else I didn’t realize about her, I thought with a smile.
Setting down my coffee, I took my duffel bag in the bedroom, pulling out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and dressing quickly.
Picking up my phone, I sat on the bed, calling the radio station.
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