Unlikely Lovers (3 page)

“Talk dirty to him.” Missy laughed.

“Oh you nut!” She ended the call and read the text.

Let’s meet.

Okay, where?
Where are you now?

She told him her location and he answered,
Be there in five. We’ll drive up to the lake.

He arrived in five minutes flat
in a newer red Toyota pick-up.
A man with a truck, so different from what I’m used to. I think I like it.

She jumped in on the passenger side and kissed him hello.

“Well, hello to you, too.” He grinned, touching her face briefly.

They drove to Lake Lawtonka as promised and hand in hand strolled around the lake. He joked and laughed with her and they talked about current events and local happenings. He was very knowledgeable on several topics and she wondered why
he’d stayed at the plant in town all these years instead of moving on to bigger and better things.

“So why have you stayed here all these
years. Family?” she asked.

“No, actually my parents have passed on and I have one sister that lives in California now, so that’s not it.”

“You just like it here?”

“Well, I never had any reason to go anywhere else. I didn’t really want to live in California and I have my job and my friends here.”

“I see.”

“What about you? Are you from this area?” He looked down at her and smiled.

“No, actually I’m from Washington state. I’ve moved around a lot. My dad was career army.”

“An army brat, then,” he teased.

“Yep, that would be me, especially the brat part,” She shot back with a grin.

“Well, I think I’m glad you settled in these parts then. I like you,
Jessie Walsh.”

“Thank you, I like you
, too, Cody Jones.”

They walked back to the truck and as he helped her into the cab, he planted a kiss on her nose. She smiled up at him.

As he drove back into Lawton, he looked over at her and asked, “Want to go back to my place for dinner?”

“You cook?”
She was slightly surprised at the invitation.

“I make a mean spaghetti sauce.”

“Let’s go for it then. I love pasta.”

He
turned onto a street in a neat and clean neighborhood and pulled into a drive in front of a townhouse. He led her into his apartment, which was small but actually quite nice. It was clean, not the typical messy bachelor pad. He gave her a tour of the place before heading into the kitchen to whip up his magic pasta sauce.

As she helped him
prepare dinner in the small kitchen, they laughed and joked together easily. He scooped some sauce onto a spoon and let her judge for herself what he’d bragged about.

“Um
...you weren’t exaggerating, that’s delicious, Cody.”

“It’s an old family recipe from my mom.”

“She must have been a fabulous cook.”

“
She was and my sister’s a good cook, too, but I don’t get to sample hers much. I go out to visit her over the holidays sometimes and she tries to get back here a few times a year.”

“That must be hard for you.”

“Oh, I’m used to it by now. She has her life in California with her husband and kids and I have my life here. I do miss her though.”

They sat down to enjoy their meal and continued their conversation.
He’s so easy to talk to, to be with. This all seems so natural.

As she helped him clean up afterward, he stood close behind her and began to nibble her ear whispering, “We could continue the evening
. Or am I going too fast for you, Jessie?”

Her heart rac
ed as the closeness of his breath on her skin sent shudders throughout her body, every nerve ending acutely aware of his touch.
And here I thought I was
going to seduce him
. She smiled and turned to face him, leaning up for the inevitable kiss. It started out gently and grew to one of immense passion.

He slowly led her into his bedroom
. “You’re one beautiful woman.”

He took her in his arms then, kissed her again and she was lost. The rest of the world no longer existed, only the two of them. Like the man in her dream, he
kissed and caressed her, trailing her body with kisses. She was on fire, delighting in every touch, every caress. Her body ached for more, his burning touch igniting fires within that she’d never known existed. When he finally took her, it was to a special place she’d never been before, a place of passion and contentment. He was taking her on a journey, one she didn’t want to return from. When she reached the top of the mountain, she moaned in ecstasy, crying out his name. He kissed her lightly and held her, letting her find her way back to reality slowly.

“
I guess I’d better get you back to your car,” Cody whispered later. “We both have to get up early. But next time, you’ll spend the night.”

“Yes, I will
,” She answered with another kiss before reluctantly rolling out of bed and getting dressed to go home, happier than she’d been in a long while.

****

She went about her work on Monday with a smile on her face rushing home at five.

She
changed out of her fatigues into shorts and an Old Navy tee shirt and had just sat down to eat a dinner of Honey Nut Cheerios when her cell rang. She picked up in anticipation.

“Hey, pretty lady, what’s up?”
Cody asked.

“Oh, not much, I just got home a little while ago.”

“Did you have a hard day?” he asked sweetly, with just a hint of teasing in his voice.

“It wasn’t too bad, how about yours?”

“Worked a few hours overtime, but I’m not tired if you’d like to get together,” he hinted.

“I could come over for a
while. But I can’t spend the night
.”

“I could come to your place,” he offered.

She didn’t want him to know she lived on post, so quickly made an excuse. “I have to go out anyway so why don’t I just swing by your place?”

“Okay, if you insist.” He teased her again, laughing seductively. “I’m counting the minutes, pretty lady.”

She stopped and rented Oceans Twelve on the way to his apartment, thinking it might be a movie he would like. When she arrived, he greeted her at the door wearing nothing but a fluffy maroon towel wrapped around his narrow waist. He kissed her and stepped aside so she could enter.

“I rented a movie, but
I’m beginning to doubt if we’ll watch it,” she said, looking at the towel.

“I’m sorry. I just got out of the shower and didn’t have time to dress.”

“Oh, I’m not complaining. I rather like you in a towel. Let’s see if I can remember what you’ve got under that towel.” Jessica surprised herself with her boldness.

“How did I ever find you, baby?”
he asked, drawing her close.

“Just lucky I guess
,” she said as they hurriedly made their way up the stairs to the bedroom, kissing along the way, each eagerly anticipating what was to come.

After several
hot, passionate hours in bed with the new man in her life, she once again reluctantly got up, dressed and drove home to her empty apartment. And once again she fell asleep with a smile and thinking, Cody Jones is Mr. Right.

The rest of the week passed in a complete fog, as Jessica anxiously awaited the weekend. She and Cody were
planning to go out with Missy and Andy then she planned to spend the rest of the weekend at his apartment, hopefully in his big four poster bed.

Missy had been amazed at the intimacy the two had shared already.
“You guys work fast. I haven’t even seen Andy this week.”

“We’re hot, what can I say?”
Jessica grinned, remembering the night before.

“
This was only supposed to be fun and games, remember?” Missy reminded her. “This isn’t like you at all.”

“And it is
fun and games. But there is more to Cody than a sexy body and a good time in the sack. He’s very smart and why he stayed in this town all these years is beyond me.”

Jessica dressed with special care as she prepared for her evening out. She decided on a shimmery purple and silver raglan sleeved tunic over black slacks. She chose a pair of black platform shoes and added her silver heart pendant and silver hoop earrings. Pulling her hair back on the sides with silver combs, she then applied her makeup with care. When she inspected herself in the full-length mirror on the back of her bathroom door, she saw a different Jessica staring back at her, a contented, happy Jessica, one she hadn’
t seen for a while, if ever.

The four of them spent the evening at Harlow’s, a club
featuring local bands, enjoying expertly prepared steak dinners while listening to popular country music. Engaging in conversation, it seemed they all had more in common than one would have thought.

When the music changed to
a slow number, Cody whisked Jessica onto the wooden dance floor. He held her tightly in his strong arms as they barely moved on the crowded floor. He kissed her forehead and she laid her head on his shoulder until the music ended and they walked off the floor hand in hand.

“Are you two about ready to head out now?” Andy asked with a chuckle
as they rejoined the other couple at the table.

“
Yeah, we thought we would, it’s been a long week,” Cody replied.

“
Yeah, yeah, go on. We’ll find a way to amuse ourselves without you, I’m sure.” Andy laughed.

“Catch you later, then.” Cody slapped his pal on the back and after Jessica had told Missy goodbye, they walked hand in hand out the door.

Jessica lay in the arms of her lover. They’d just spent a very passionate few hours and Cody was asleep. The lovemaking had amazed and delighted her as he again proved to be the man she had dreamt about. She knew things were getting more serious than she ever intended and she’d have to tell him the truth before she managed to get transferred out again.

A single tear, followed by another rolled down her cheek at the thought of
leaving him behind.

Cody stirred beside her
and she quickly wiped the tears and reached for him.
Deep in her heart, she knew that no man would ever live up to the memories she would have of the time spent with Cody Jones.

It was Thanksgiving week and Jessica
was looking forward to the four day weekend. She and Cody were planning to spend it together.

“Is your sister upset you’re not going to California for the holiday?” Jessica asked him as they relaxed in front of his television set one night.

“Oh, no she’s not. I hadn’t made any definite plans to fly out there this year. I went out last summer for two weeks. She’ll spend the day with her in-laws. What about your mom?”

“
She’s going on a short trip with my aunt and some of their friends. I don’t go out there for every holiday either. So it’s good.”

“I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side for keeping her only daughter away
,” he teased as he twirled a strand of her long brown hair around his finger.

“Somehow I don’t think you could get on her bad side. I think she’d like you. She absolutely hated my last boyfriend, with good reason, of course.”

“Oh, so am I your boyfriend now?” He chuckled as he leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose.

“I’m not quite sure how to categorize you. I guess in a way
, yes, you are my boyfriend.”

“Good to know, Jess
ie, good to know.” He laughed and pulled her onto his lap.

“So are we cooking a turkey on Thursday?”

“Would you like to cook a turkey?”

“I think it
’d be nice to do a traditional turkey and all the trimmings. What would you think if I invited Missy and Andy for dinner?”

“Sounds like a plan, are you sure they aren’t busy?”

“Missy’s not going home, I know that for sure but I’ll have to find out if she has other plans. What about Andy?”

“His family lives around here, but I’ll check with him tomorrow.”

“Okay, do you have paper and a pen so I can make a grocery list?”

“Sure, get off my lap and I’ll get it for you.”

“Oh, if I’d known it required that, I wouldn’t have asked. I kind of like sitting on your lap.”

“Yes, because you know the longer you sit there, the
better the chances we’ll end up on the floor doing something naughty...admit it…you know it’s true,” he teased her mercilessly.

“Cody Jones, is that all you ever think about?”

“When I’m with you, yes.” He shoved her onto the couch and got up in search of the requested paper and pen. When he returned he handed it to her and scooped her back up, sitting her on his lap once more.