I laid my head back on the seat, content to just see her. For now.
"I could stand some of that food I'm smelling," Steve muttered.
"Any drive thru services around here we can hit later?"
"I'm sure. I mean I hope. If not, there's a grocery store. That works for me. Cold cuts, sandwich spread and white bread. Mmm-mm, sounds divine."
Somebody was apparently starving. I didn't care if I ever ate again or not, as long as I could look at Tara.
Tara finally moved out of the booth and my body tensed with anticipation. What next? Where to next? I was eager to watch her, see her. I could do this all day. It would give me plenty of clues about the inner workings of her mind, plenty of fuel for figuring her out.
Chapter Two
We followed her out of town, but not for long. She turned into a driveway and we drove on past. I stared down the long winding drive and eyed the white country house at the end. "Must be her grandmother's." I said. "Turn around as soon as you can. Find a place to park out of sight."
"Will do. I'll need to find a remote place, though. I need to relieve myself."
Relieve himself. Of course Steve wouldn't just say he needed to take a leak. "What time is it?"
"Two-ish. I'll need to eat soon. Wouldn't want to have a diabetic emergency on you."
He was diabetic? I glanced at him. "Of course not." I sighed, trying to come up with an option that would take care of both needs. "I'd say go back to town but she might leave."
Steve nodded. "Well, there're only so many places she'd likely go."
No, I didn't want to take the chance. I looked around at the lightly forested area. Would she sleep at her grandmother's house? The thought sent my imagination off on a tangent wondering about her room. Had she updated it, or was it still the bedroom of teen girl? Either way, it would be neat and organized, I was sure. "How about you go into town and get something to eat. I'll hang out here and stay out of sight. I have my phone, I'll call you if I need rescuing."
"Are you sure?" Steve looked all around. "Pretty remote it seems."
"Yeah, I'll be stealth. Keep your phone on."
"Yes sir."
I got out of the car and looked around at the surreal scenery. Rolling low hills stretched into the distance, broken by forested patches and at least one road. Nearby, fat cattle grazed in a lush-looking pasture, and I recognized several varieties of cultivated crops interspersed across the landscape.
Feeling eyes on me, I looked around, trying to spot anyone who might have discovered my presence. At the cow pasture, a scruffy looking donkey had approached the fence and stood staring at me, big ears pricked. I'd heard somewhere the little beasts were often used by farmers to keep predators from livestock. The thought made me glad to be on the other side of the fence. The donkey shook its head and switched flies and stared.
A slight breeze stirred and the smell of fresh-mown hay wafted from a field that probably lay waiting to be baled. It all hit me like a drug, bringing the heavy longing for things I never entertained. Shit, I needed to get out of sight. I turned to find the best route to take.
A shrill growling/bellowing erupted, scaring the hell out of me. I dropped to the ground in panic, raising only my head to look for the threat. Shit, I was idiot to be out there, defenseless, where anyone or anything could come across me. As soon as the thought cleared, I spotted the donkey and recognized the sound simultaneously. The thing stood there, lip curled up and forward, neck outstretched, and brayed its guts out. Fucker was loud, I needed to hide.
On full stealth mode, I picked my way through the trees leading to her house, keeping to cover, and the entire time thinking how fucking dangerous it was for her to be there alone. I could easily be a stage five sadist, I mean look how fucking easy it would be to just walk right up and take her.
God, take her. Just the thought sent hot tongues of fire to lick my cock and balls, before turning into desperate searing fingers that squeezed my heart and ruthlessly flayed my guts.
I finally made it to the edge of the yard and watched for signs of her. The screen door opened and she came out, sending my heart into my stomach. She'd changed her clothes. White shorts and a light pink t-shirt. Fuck. Getting comfy? My cock throbbed as she bent over, ass toward me. I wanted to be pissed she didn't have more modesty, but excused her since she thought nobody was around. Still, my hand itched to spank her beautiful ass for it. Spank her for anything, really. And everything.
She suddenly straightened and looked around, and I jerked fully behind the tree I stood next to. The screen door banged and I carefully peered out. A light shone through a small window upstairs and I made a quick dash to the front door. Unlocked. Was she fucking nuts?
I listened for several breathless seconds and jerked the door open the second I heard noise upstairs. I hurried inside, greeted by the smells of a home well lived in for more than half a century, the overpowering aroma of vanilla conquering the mild odor of "old".
I crept toward the stairs and heard water running. Fucking bath? With the fucking door wide open?
Fast steps on the stairs sent me running for cover. I slipped inside the nearest room and listened. Shit. I looked around me and discovered I was in some sort of sewing room. Footsteps pounded up the stairs and I slowly exited. I locked the front door and made my way to the stairs, listening.
Water still running. I headed up quickly, wishing I could stop and look at the pictures along the way. At the top of the stairs, I found the bathroom door, shockingly shut. Why was she bathing at this time? I crept up to the door, listening. I eyed the door at the end of the hall, slightly ajar. The lavender and white interior drew me.
I peeked inside of what had to be her bedroom and was immediately sucked into a past where fingers of awe slowly embraced me. I looked around and saw it everywhere. Years of a sweet little girl, longing for things never realized. Raw needs so basic it stole my fucking breath. Everywhere, it screamed, I'm simple, plesae love me. Somebody love me. Anybody.
I slid my finger along the scarred curio cabinet hanging on the wall filled with…bits of…simple nothings with pretenses of significance. I walked through the webs of her past, to the small twin bed. I stared down at the raggedy porcelain doll with matted auburn hair. God. It was a frozen image of an innocent Tara. Childhood hopes frozen in time. I sat down on the bed, confused by the overwhelming emotions tearing me apart. I stroked the worn yellow cover with the tiny purple flowers and gazed at the lamp with the smiling ballerina on top. Had she been a ballerina? When she was younger? I looked down on the nightstand at the happy pad of paper with the scribbled hearts and the fat pen laying on it. I picked it up and smiled. Hadn't seen one like it in years. It had several of the little tubes, multiple colors of ink, inside. I turned it and saw she had the pink one pressed down. All little girl. All my sweet girl.
I laid the pen gingerly down and put my head in my hands. God, please. Please let me convince her I am the one. The one she longed for all these years. I will take care of her, I'll make it all worth it. All of the dreams, the wishes…the tear-filled prayers choking her room... I was here to answer them, make them come true. Me. It was fucking me
My heart jolted at the sound of a door opening. I dropped to the floor next to the bed and slid under it just as she came in. I held my breath and watched the floor on my left.
She gave a snickered giggle. "What are you doing, Scott?"
My stomach knotted and my heart slammed my chest as I waited for his response.
"Meow."
"Meow? Is that all you know how to say?"
I let out my breath and closed my eyes in relief. Fucking cat named Scott.
"Of course that's all you have to say, yes it is." The bed creaked with her sudden weight. "Did you miss me? I know you did, I've been worried about you, yes I have."
Exaggerated kissing sounds seared my muscles with wicked jealousy. Couldn't stand for her to kiss even animals.
"But you're a smart boy, aren't you? You took car
e of yourself all by yourself?" The purring cat jumped to the floor. "No, no, don't leave, don't… ugh." The bed creaked with more weight as she lay back. "Fine, leave."
I listened in the silence, waiting.
She took a deep breath and sighed and I imagined her staring at the ceiling. By the steady creak of the bed, her foot was rapidly shaking. "Should I call him? Should I not call him? Should I call him? Should I not call him?"
Fear froze my body. Call me? Fuck. I struggled to get my phone out of my pocket. Damn thing was half-twisted, making it nearly impossible to free.
Whatever she was using to determine the answer landed on, "I should call him." Followed by a grateful, "Yes!"
Dear fucking God. I fought to get to the volume button on my phone.
"Lucian, Lucian…sweet…sexy, Lucian." Her whisper sounded as if she needed to bolster her courage and convince herself to go through with it.
Phone finally in hand, I found the button and held it down until the vibration signaled the ringtone was silenced, then let my breath out slowly.
The cat came back in, tail swishing, and headed straight under the bed to rub up against my leg. God, please don't let me sneeze.
"Shit." Her feet suddenly hit the floor next to me. "No answer."
"Meow."
I pushed the cat away only to have it press its face harder into my leg, almost like he was trying to push me.
"Hey you came back?" She reached under the bed and got the cat and the damn thing snagged its claws on the bedspread. "Whoops, sorry." She worked his nails out of the material and laid back down it sounded like.
I released a slow breath and a super nova itch hit my nose. I clamped my fingers over my nostrils and my phone chirped in my pocket. Dear fucking God.
"Oh? Do we have a message? Did he text us?" I waited with clenched eyes. "Hmm. I know I heard it. Is mommy hearing things? Dreaming things up?" More kissing noises and then a sigh. "Must be." I listened in the silence, wanting to just come out. I mean why not? Why hide? "I'm a dreamer, you know I am. You know all my dreams don't you?"
I cringed inside. It didn't feel right to eavesdrop on her most intimate thoughts. And yet… I'd never craved to hear and know anything so much.
"The wise cat lady has many dreams, don't I?"
"Meow."
She giggled. "Yes! Of course you know that. And did you know that one of them has come true?" The bed creaked as I listened, waiting. "I met somebody you know. A…" She did that snicker. "Not sure how to put this, he's not your average kind of guy. But…" I held my breath, my heart hammering. "I…really, really, like him." There was a slight pause. "No, not like Justin." Like the cat was asking questions. "God, nothing like him. Lucian is…really different."
The soft way she said really different made my heart ache with the need to hold her while looking into her eyes.
"Oh very different, everything about him. I mean for one, he's…dear God he's so. Sexy." The words were gasped and sounded pained. "I mean his body, sweet Jesus, I can't think about it without…yes, which leaves me very frustrated all the time."
I grinned and bit my lower lip.
"But that's not the worst of it. The man is…he's a freak, I mean he's got some kind of power over me. He just has to look at me and my brain is scrambled eggs. And God help me, if he adds touching to that, I'm about as dumb and useless as tits on a boar hog. Oh God, touching," she whimpered. "The things he does to me." She gave a frustrated moan that got my cock so fucking hard. "I have masturbated twice since I left! That is…outrageous for me. You know I'm like a once a…year kind of girl with that. I mean thank God I'm a woman, or I swear, I'd be tripping over a hard on all. Day!"
Oh fucking priceless. My heart hammered in my cock at the idea of her masturbating. God, please masturbate. Do it, baby. Right now.
"I can't help it," she groaned. "I need him so bad. Like…I'm seriously addicted to him! I know that's crazy, trust me, I am…very aware. Wait, where are you going?" She huffed as the cat ran off. "That is rude you know," she called out. The bed creaked as she maybe flopped onto her back.
"God, I wished he'd call me."
Brilliance hit me and I pulled my phone up and opened the text box. "What are you doing baby? I'm laying here thinking of you. My cock is so fucking hard. I hope you don't mind that I think of you while I jack off."
I hit send and waited in the silence, my dick ready to explode.
Her phone erupted in monkey sounds and she gasped. A few seconds of silence then another bigger gasp. "Oh my God. Oh my God!" The second God was loaded with sexual agony.
I typed again. "Baby can you please touch yourself for me? I can't finish without you. I need you."
I hit send and waited.
"Oh God," she whispered again.
I stared at the screen, waiting for her text. "Is that all you think about?"
I rolled my eyes, hoping she didn't want to talk a whole lot. "Yes. You are. I need to lick your clit, baby. Can you play with it and pretend it's my tongue?"
She whimpered above me.
"I just showered."
"Perfect. Where are you?"
"Laying in my bed."
"At home?"
"Yes."
"I want to eat you there. Do you want me to?"
"Yes."
I stifled a groan.
"Are you naked?"
"Yes."
Dear. God.
"Can you open your legs wide for me?"
"Are you touching your pretty cock?"
Oh fuck. I was going to orgasm in my fucking pants. "Yes baby. Stroking it slowly, imagining your pretty mouth all over it. Are you touching your clit? Is it hard for me?"
She moaned above me and the bed creaked. "Yes. My legs are wide open and my clit is so wet and hard for you."
"Baby put your finger in your pussy while you play with your clit." I waited in the silence, listening. "Are you baby?"
"Yes."
It was a double affirmative, texted and gasped. But I couldn't hear what I needed to hear. "Finger your pussy fast, baby."
The sound of her finger moving in and out of her wet pussy hit my cock hard. Fucking yes. "Baby are you rubbing your clit? Don't text, just let me talk to you. Do what I say. Rub your pretty clit and call for me baby."
"God, Lucian," she whispered.
"I love to hear you call my name, you know that?"
"Yes, yes I know, I love to do it."
"Is your pussy wet baby? God I can almost hear the way it sounds as you slide your finger in and out. You wish I was there to fuck you?"
"Lucian! God yes, yes."
Fuck she was coming?
"Are you close baby? Are you right there? Come for me baby."
She gave a sharp cry followed by loud non-stop moans while the bed shuddered above me. Good fucking God, I was going to die under this bed.
My phone slipped from my hand and clonked on the wood floor, sending Tara flying off the bed.
"Shit," she gasped.
I watched her feet run to the bedroom door and shut it. I heard a lock then her feet hurried to the right followed by the sounds of drawers opening and being shoved shut. She hopped around on the floor and I assumed she was dressing.
I froze at a low knocking sound below. Who the fuck?
"Oh God, I hope that weird Jack didn't decide to come now. Jesus." She padded to the left. "Oh my God, he did! Creepy bastard! Why wouldn't he call first?" I craned my neck as she hurried to the closet and slid on grass green flip flops then hurried to the door. "Maybe I should pretend I'm not here."
Yes, good idea. Just stay put. Let him leave.
"Ugh, he'll just keep coming back."
The second she left the room, I hurried out from under the bed and crept down the stairs. An annoyed huff was followed by her unlocking the door. "Hey, Jack, I didn't expect you so soon. You should have called."
"Aw, nah, it's okay, no need to make a fuss, Tare, you know that."
Tare?
"Well, I ap
preciate that, let me get the key to the tractor."
"You wouldn't happen to have some of your gramma's famous lemonade?"
"Umm. Sure. Come in."
What the fuck? Bastard. I thought quickly and removed my t-shirt then waited midway on the stairs for my cue.
"Been missin you around these parts since you left to go to that out of town job. Where is this job you said you was doin?"
"Ummm, I didn't. And here are the keys. I'll get that lemonade."
"Mm-mm girl, you sure are looking nice."
"Oh hush."
"Nah, I'm serious. You always did have a fine ass."
Motherfucking cue.
I walked down the stairs slowly and made my way through the hall and into the kitchen.
"Didn't realize you had company," the dickhead said.
I stared at Tara's huge eyes and winked. "Baby, you almost done?" I walked up to her and took the drink she made for him and drank it down with loud gulps like a boss on a lemonade ad. . "Mmm." I leaned and gave her a lingering kiss. "So fucking good," I whispered before putting my arm around her shoulder and nodding at the dude. "We done here?"
"Oh uh, yeah. I'll just…get those keys."
"Good. You should really call first Jack. People do have personal lives."
"Yeah, sorry man. Well, I'll see you Miss Tara."
"Probably not. I'm rather jealous." I gave him a level stare that any male with half a brain would recognize.
He gave a big awkward laugh and I saluted him.
The front door shut and she shoved me away with a huge gasp. "What! Are you doing here!" She gasped again. "Where were you?" Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God, where were you?"
I slid my jaw slowly to the right. "Right where you're hoping I wasn't."
"Oh. My. God." She covered her face with her hands.
"Nothing to be ashamed of."
"What are you doing here! We're not supposed to have contact!" She hissed the incredulous words.
"Who the fuck will know?" I leaned my hip on the counter, looking around. "I had to see you."