The Swear Jar (12 page)

He placed a finger on her lips. 
“Shhh, I told you we had all the time in the world.  There’s no rush.  I don’t expect
anything from you but your company.  I’ve been thinking about us making love. 
Haven’t you?”

“Did you just shush me?” she asked,
astonished.

“Yes.  Yes I did.  Don’t you think
about us together?  If not, maybe I’ve been wasting my time and you aren’t
interested in me.”  He pulled away.

She pulled him closer.  “No,
Duncan, no.  You haven’t been wasting your time.  I’m interested in you.  I do
think about us, together.  I haven’t…dated…in five years.”

“Let’s see where this goes then,
nice and slow.  And I haven’t…dated…in ten years.  I’m not interested in casual
relationships.  You’re not the only one who is old-fashioned.  Good things are
worth waiting for.  I was waiting for you.  I promise you, Meara, I want us to
make love, not have sex.”  He held her face, kissing her.  “You just have to
remember I find you irresistible.  I might get a little carried away.  Tell me
when you want me to stop.”

“Okay,” she said, breathless.

“Do you want me to stop?” he
growled.

“No,” she whispered.  “Don’t stop.”

He carefully placed her leg behind
him.  The leg with the bad ankle remained on the floor.  He cradled her head,
slowly pushing her down on the couch.  He positioned himself between her legs,
careful not to press down on her.  He kissed her.  He nuzzled her neck.  She
panted.  He found her breast, slowly massaging her nipple with his thumb.  He
gently rolled his hips towards her.  She let out a low moan.  She moved her
hips closer to his waist.

He kissed down from her neck to her
breasts, licking between them.  She arched her back and he rolled his hips
towards her.  She gasped.  He thrust towards her.  She became more aroused. 
Her breathing came in short rasps as she ran her hands along his sides.  She
suddenly went rigid, stopped breathing and let out a low groan.  He was afraid
he had hurt her, but she went wild in his arms.  She thrust her hips and ran
her hands over him.  She kissed him deeply, probing his mouth with her tongue.

All he could do was hold onto her. 
She was making him lose control.  He wanted her.  She panted and moaned in his
ear.  He thrust again and she arched her back.  She went rigid and let out
several shuddering breaths.  She grew quiet in his arms, but continued to press
against him.  His head clearing, he stopped although he didn’t want to.  He
wasn’t sure what had happened, but he had a good idea.  Carefully withdrawing
from her, he pulled her to a sitting position.  She had a confused look on her
face.  He held her close and kissed her forehead.

He whispered in her ear.  “You
could have warned a guy.”

“I’m sorry.”  She pulled away from
him, tearing up and squirming.  “I’m so sorry.”

“Wait.  Stop.  What are you talking
about?” he asked, holding her tight.

“I’m sorry,” she said, not looking
into his eyes.

He lifted her chin, forcing her to
look at him.  “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Meara.  I don’t mean to be
vulgar, but all we did was dry hump and you had two orgasms.”

“I know.  That’s why I’m sorry.  I
couldn’t help it.  I ruined it.  You have…had…you know.  Do you want me to…to…help
you?”  She blushed.

He pulled her close, breathing in
her ear.  “What do you mean?  Help me?  Meara, not to be vulgar again, but are
you offering me a hand job or a blowjob?”

She buried her red face in his chest. 
“Which one do you want?”

She could be innocent and sexy as
hell at the same time.  He felt a little dizzy thinking about her offer.  If he
nudged her back down onto the couch, he would not be able to control himself.

He exhaled audibly.  “Meara, I’m
extremely turned on by you.  If I hadn’t stopped, I would have stripped you
naked and had sex with you right on this couch.  Why would you think you ruined
it?”

“Because I…I shouldn’t
have…distracted you.”

“Distracted me?  You’re a
multi-orgasmic roller coaster ride.  It was all I could do to hold on to you. 
I stopped because I was losing control.  You didn’t ruin it at all.  It’s just
the opposite.”

“Really?” she asked quietly.

Tilting her chin up again, this
time he was angry.  “Someone told you being the way you are isn’t right, is
that it? Tell me.”

Chapter Thirteen

“I was told having multiple orgasms
was irritating,” Meara whispered.

Taking a few deep breaths, Duncan
growled.  “Hank?”

“Yes.”  She looked miserably
uncomfortable.

“Hank was a fool if he didn’t know
what a fantastically sexy woman he had in his life.  There is absolutely
nothing wrong with being the way you are.”  He wanted to pull her back into his
arms.

She bowed her head.  “It happened a
few times in the beginning.  It bothered him, so I stopped.  After a while, he
and I weren’t intimate very often.  I shouldn’t be telling you this.”

He waved his hands.  “Wait…What? 
You stopped having multiple orgasms or orgasms all together?”

“Duncan, I don’t feel comfortable
talking to you about this.”

“Meara, if we’re going to have a
romantic relationship, I need to be your friend too.  As your friend, you’ve
told me something I find disturbing.  I’ve heard of women who fake orgasms, but
I’ve never heard of women who suppress them.”

She sighed.  “At first, I stopped
myself.  Then it didn’t happen at all.  Being intimate wasn’t high up on Hank’s
agenda, so when he lost interest, it was a relief.”

She put a hand over her mouth.  She
had never told anyone what had happened with Hank.  She felt so comfortable
with Duncan.  She wanted to tell him everything.

He cradled her against his chest
and kissed her forehead.  “Talking about Hank upsets you.  I can understand. 
If we’re going to have a relationship, we’re going to talk about Brenda and
Hank.  You’ve let me talk about Brenda.  When you’re ready to talk about Hank,
I’ll be here.”

She whispered, “Thank you.”

“For the record, you didn’t ruin
anything.  When, and I do mean when, we become intimate, I expect you to be
yourself.  Understood?”  He was still angry about Hank.

“Yes, Duncan.”

“May I ask an awkward question?”

“I’ll see if I can answer it.”

“Was it me or just a physical release?” 
He held his breath.

He loved her.  He hoped she would
love him too, in time.  He needed her to want him as much as he wanted her.  His
heart was aching for her, but he could wait for her.  He wanted to be whole
again and he didn’t want it to only be about sex.

She whispered shyly.  “It was you. 
I know it sounds cliché, but please believe me when I say I’ve never felt this
way before.  When I’m with you, I forget everything else.  There’s only you and
me.  If you hadn’t stopped, I wouldn’t have stopped you.  It’s not very
old-fashioned of me.”

His heart soared as he decided to
tease her.  “Were you serious about helping me?”

“That’s two questions.  You’ve hit
your limit.”  She hid her bright red face in his chest.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“DUNCAN!”  She giggled.

Hearing that giggle, he groaned. 
If he didn’t leave soon, he might do something he regretted.  He wanted her to
say she loved him before they became intimate.  He was going to need a cold
shower tonight and one tomorrow morning.

“I should go,” he whispered, not
sounding too convincing.

“All right,” she murmured,
disappointed.

“May I call you tomorrow after you
see the doctor?”

“No.”  She shook her head.

Hurt, he asked, “Why not?”

She stroked his cheek.  “I don’t
know when the appointment is.  I’m not sure when you should call me.  May I
call you?”

Grinning, he nodded his head. 
“That’s a better plan.  I’ll go in the morning and pick up the paint
equipment.”

“I feel terrible you have to spend
part of your day cleaning up my mess.”

He kissed her once.  “It’s our
mess.  If you call me, it’ll be worth it.  Who am I kidding?  One kiss is not
enough.”

He kissed her deeply.  She ran her
fingers through his hair.  He rubbed his thumb over her dimple.  He really
didn’t want to leave.  She really didn’t want him to leave.

“Will you be all right by
yourself?” he asked.

“As soon as you drive away, Anne
will be here.  Or are you offering to change me into my pajamas and tuck me
into bed, Sir Duncan?” she smiled wickedly.

“That’s a mighty tempting offer,
Lady Meara.”  He gave her one last kiss.

“I’ll call you as soon as I’m
back,” she said.

“I’ll be waiting,” he said as he
left.

She sat on the couch.  It was
lonely without him.  She listened for his car, but it was quiet.  She silently
cursed her ankle as she worried about him.

Racing in, Anne sat next to her. 
“How’s your ankle?  How did your first date go?”

“Anne!  Where is Mr. Phillips?”

“You’re dating him and you’re still
calling him Mr. Phillips?”

“Anne!”  Meara was outraged.

“He’s talking to Mom and Dad about
you.  He’s finding out when they’re going to get your Jeep.  You left your
purse in the library.  He’s making sure you get the Jeep and your purse.”

“That’s very sweet of him.  I
didn’t even think of it.”

“Are you dating Mr. Phillips?”

“I’m not sure.  I don’t know what’s
going on yet.”

“Do you think this is a big change
for you?”

“A big change?  Remember how I said
it was complicated?  If I think too much about it, I may talk myself out of
something.  I don’t want to do that.  I like him.  Why do you want to know
what’s going on?  Don’t you like him?”

“I do like him.  I want you to be
happy.  I wonder if you have big changes coming in your life.”

“If anything BIG CHANGES, I’ll let
you know.”

“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”

“Yes I am.”

“So you’re in a good mood?”

“Yes, I am.  Did you do something
you need to tell me about?”

“No.  I was just wondering.”

“You’re freaking me out.  You’re up
to something, but you’re not telling me.”

There was a knock at the door.  It
was Diana.  Raising an eyebrow, she shook her finger at Anne while Meara
couldn’t see.  Anne frowned, but kept quiet.

“How’s your ankle, Ems?” Diana
said, using Meara’s nickname.

“It’s better.  The Tylenol’s wearing
off.  Where’s Duncan?” asked Meara.

“Ben’s helping him back out of the
driveway,” Diana said.  “Anne, it’s almost bedtime.  I’ll take care of Aunt
Ems.”

They heard a car start.  Anne
kissed Meara good night.  Diana and Meara were left alone.  Diana sat next to
Meara.

“It’s been a while since you called
me Ems,” said Meara.

“It’s been a while since you acted
like Ems,” said Diana.  “I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.  I know
you don’t like to talk about things, but give me a clue here.  What’s going on
between you and Duncan?”

“We met at the supermarket back in
June.  He interviewed me and I got the job.  I’ve been working there ever
since.  And today I twisted my ankle.”

“And now you’re holding hands and
giving each other goofy faces.  Yes, don’t deny the faces!  I saw you watching
him.  That didn’t start today.  What’s going on, Ems?”

“At the supermarket, I looked up. 
There he was with his beautiful, smiling green eyes.  He offered me a quarter
for the shopping cart.  When I got the job, he took us to Maple Tree Farm.  He
kissed my hand.  My first day, he gave me flowers and chocolate.  He’s been so
supportive and attentive the past few months.  Then today, I twisted my ankle. 
He rescued me.”

“You like him.  And he likes you. 
How did he get the paint out of your eye?”

Meara’s ears turned bright red. 
“It’s our secret.”

“Fair enough.  Where does it go
from here?”

“I don’t know.  It’s very new.”

“But this is a romance, right?  A
mutual one?”

“I think so.  Why?”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.  Are
you sure he’s serious?”

“Yes, he’s serious.  He wants to be
my friend and in time, a relationship.”

“And what do you want?”

Meara longed for him to be there. 
“The same.”

Diana hugged her.  “Let’s get you
drugged up and put to bed.  Your appointment is at eleven tomorrow.  Ben and I
are meeting Duncan at the library at nine tomorrow morning.  He wanted to make
sure we got your purse and car keys.  He’s very sweet on you.  Ben and I like
him.”

Meara awoke to knocking on her
front door.  She didn’t want to get out of bed.  She had been thinking about
Duncan all night.  There was a small ache in her chest.  She had pulled the
extra pillow close and hugged it like it was him.  She wished the knocking
would stop.  It had to be Anne.

“Aunt Meara!  Are you awake?” called
Anne as the front door creaked open.  “Aunt Meara!  Is it okay to come in?”

She pulled the blanket over her
head.  Her ankle throbbed.  Her head had a bad bump.  Anne would stand at the
front door all morning until she answered.

“Aunt Meara!  Are you okay?  Mom
sent me over to get you up.  They left to get your Jeep.  Aunt MEARA!” Anne
howled.

“Okay, come in!  I’m still in bed!”
Meara grumbled.

Anne bounded into the room and
landed on the bed.  Luckily, she missed Meara’s ankle.  Anne squirmed, making
Meara feel seasick.

“Anne!  Please, I’m going to throw
up.  Is it that late already?”

“Time to get up, slug-a-bed!  You
need to eat breakfast, take some Tylenol and take a shower,” Anne said, using
her fingers to count off, as if Diana had rehearsed this speech with her.

“Yes ma’am!  So what’s for
breakfast?”

“Can you make it out to the kitchen
counter?”

“I think so.  The ankle still
hurts, but not as bad as yesterday.  What are you going to feed your starving
Aunt Meara?”

“Cereal.  The healthier, the better.”

“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t
you?”

“Maybe.”

“Let me see if I can walk on my
own.  Get ready to catch me or call 911.”

“Mom told me if you fall, I should
let you lie on the floor.”

“Your mom’s evil.  I taught her
well.”

“I’ll go set up your breakfast. 
Let me know if you need help.  I’ll listen for a big thump.”

“Thanks, Anne.  You’re an angel of
mercy.  NOT.”

Meara could hear Anne rummaging
around the kitchen.  She shifted herself until she was on the edge of the bed. 
She gingerly placed her bad ankle on the floor.  She stood, favoring the good
ankle.  Pain radiated up her leg, but she was able to stand.  She slowly walked
down the hallway to the kitchen.

“That’s good!  You can walk!  Here,
sit down.  Your appointment is at eleven.  It’s almost nine thirty now.  Mom
and Dad should be back soon.  Do you want me to get your clothes out?”

“I’m capable of getting my own
clothes together.  I’ll wear my flip flops.  I don’t think I could get my ankle
into a sneaker.”

“You hate wearing socks and shoes,
don’t you?  Is that why you take them off as soon as you get home?”

“My little piggies hate being
penned up!”

Anne giggled.  Meara ate her cereal
while Anne chattered on about summer camp.  She tried to listen, but she tuned
Anne out as she thought about Duncan.  She could feel his lips on hers.  She
remembered other things he had done.

“Are you okay?” asked Anne.  “Your
face is turning red.  Do you want the Tylenol now?”

“Yes, that’s a good idea.  My ankle
is starting to throb again.”

She showered quickly.  Dressed in
comfortable clothes, she carefully slipped on flip flops.  She hobbled back to
the living room.  There was a knock at the door.  Meara’s heart skipped a beat. 
Coming in, Diana pointed Anne towards their house.  Anne kissed Meara and ran
out.  Sitting next to Meara, Diana shook her head and laughed.

“Ems, your face is priceless.  Let
me guess, you were hoping for Duncan?”

“Did I say that?  I didn’t say
that.”

“You didn’t have to with those big
blue eyes of yours.  Duncan had the same look on his face when we met him at
the library.  He knew you wouldn’t come, but it didn’t stop him from hoping. 
If you’re a good girl, I’ll tell you what Duncan was wearing, how he looked and
what he said.”

“I’m not interested in that.”  She
tried to sound haughty.

“Yes, you are.  Now get moving.  We
have some time to run errands.”

“Yes, ma’am.  Will you at least
remember to crack the windows?”

“I’ll think about it.”