WhiskeyBottleLover (11 page)

Chance fisted the quilt in her hands, lifted her hips and
ground herself against his mouth. “More,” she growled. He knew the exact amount
of suction to drive her higher without making her crest. As his finger pumped
in and out of her body, he swirled his tongue around her swollen clit.

Chance thrashed her head on the mattress. It had been so
long. Far too long since she felt this kind of extreme, intense pleasure and
she knew this was only the beginning. He would shatter her into a million
pieces, gather her back together before destroying her all over again.

“Hayes, it’s too good. I need to come.” Her body burned.
Nerves snapped and sizzled and when he pushed two fingers deep inside her
clenched tunnel, her vision blurred.

“Protection,” he snarled, releasing her clit.

“Drawer.” At least she hoped she still had some. Would it be
any good after all this time?

Through her bleary vision, she saw Hayes roll the latex down
his shaft and regretted not being able to do it for him. Then his head pressed
against her opening, causing her mind to blank. He entered slowly and smoothly,
allowing her tight muscles to adjust. She gasped at the feel of him filling
her.

“You’re so damn tight,” he growled.

Muscles gave, stretched and allowed him passage. When he
seated himself to the hilt, he stopped, took a bracing breath and then leaned
down and sucked an aching nipple between his lips. The immediate spear of
pleasure made her walls tighten around him further. She released the quilt and
fisted his hair, holding him there, arching her back and offering him more.

“You like this, I can feel it,” he spoke around her nipple.
“Can I make you come like this?”

She couldn’t voice her answer. Air seemed to have vanished
in her lungs. No doubt though, he could probably make her come simply by
kissing her at this point. His lips drew on her nipple as his other hand rolled
the free one, tweaking it, lightly pinching and then soothing the nub.

Chance swirled her hips, trying to move. She wanted him to pound
into her, move, do something. The pressure in her body reached critical and
when he pulled back slowly as he sucked hard on her nipple, the world
shattered. Her body clutched him tight and then released, setting off spasm
after spasm. She could no longer feel the mattress beneath her or see the
ceiling. The only thing that existed was this avalanche of pleasure pummeling
her body.

Hayes groaned, stood and gripped her thighs as his hips
worked like a piston, pounding his hard cock through her clenching muscles. Her
breasts bounced from the force and when his release hit she could feel the hard
throb of his cock. They came in rhythm. Her clenching, him pulsing. It went on
forever until finally he fell forward, bracing himself on his elbows.

Chance could only lie there, too spent to wrap her arms
around him or even mutter a single word. Suddenly Hayes adjusted his hips,
pulled from her body and rolled to her side, flopping on his back. Neither
spoke. This wasn’t like a normal relationship. Hell, they didn’t even have a
relationship.

She should feel the shame or regret spilling in by now but
she couldn’t seem to muster either emotion. She only felt right. As if she’d
been waiting for this for an eternity.

“I don’t know what just happened,” she managed, breaking the
silence.

“We had sex,” he replied in a gravelly voice. “Amazing,
unrealistic sex.”

“Yeah, no doubt, but why?”

“Any number of reasons, I suppose.”

She could hear the confusion in his voice so she felt a
little better about it all. At least she wasn’t the only one confused by how
they’d gone from strangers to instant fuck buddies. Sure, people did this sort
of thing all the time, or at least that’s what she heard, but not her.

“I don’t regret it.” The words burst from her lips without
thought.

“Neither do I.”

“I want you to know, I don’t do this sort of thing. This is
totally uncharacteristic of me.”

Hayes chuckled. A rich, warm sound that covered her like a
warm blanket. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Chance. I know the
kind of woman you are, that’s what makes this odd.”

“Yeah, odd is a good word.” They lay there a few moments
longer. She tried to find a reason to feel bad about herself but she couldn’t.
“So we had sex, great sex.”

“Yep.”

“It probably shouldn’t happen again, huh?”

Hayes sat up, turned toward her and let his gaze sweep over
her naked body. Chance shivered beneath his heated scrutiny. An instant flame
flickered to life in the pit of her stomach. This wasn’t good. She should not
want him again so soon.

“No, it shouldn’t.”

He rose from the bed and before she could blink had himself
dressed and was heading for the door. The finality of his words, the utter
sound of determination not to touch her again, it made her heart flinch. As she
lay there hoping her legs would function, she realized this had to be as much
of a brain puzzler for him as it was for her. Then she remembered the name he
called her. Annie. It didn’t bother her, in fact she seemed to know who and
what he meant. A puzzler for sure.

Chance forced her sated body to move, went and grabbed
another quick shower and wandered out into the kitchen. Hayes was nowhere to be
found, not that it surprised her. She peered out the window and found him
chopping away at the wood again.

Yeah, she understood immersing yourself in work to help
clear the cobwebs. That’s what she intended to do. First she needed to eat.
She’d expended a lot of energy in a short period of time. Without eating she’d
run down quickly today. As she toiled at the stove mixing up biscuits and
gravy, she kept one eye on the door. As the minutes passed she discovered she
couldn’t wait for him to walk through the door.

Like he said, odd. Where did all this teenage horniness come
from? It wasn’t like she was in love with the guy. Lust maybe? He had one hell
of a body and knew how to use it. Still, that didn’t explain the shift inside
her. Even now she seemed to be looking through a new set of eyes. As if a
missing piece had fallen into place, not quite completing a picture but nearing
its completion.

The door opened slowly. Hayes stepped inside and quietly
closed it. As soon as she looked at him a spear of lust hit that made her knees
wobble. Stifling a moan of frustration, she returned her attention back to the
stove.

“I made breakfast,” she said, a little too loud and fast.

He glanced at the table and blinked. “You don’t have to keep
feedin’ me. It isn’t necessary for me to live.”

“I know.” Awkward silence spread between them until she
wanted to jump out of her skin. “Would you like to take a warm shower or eat
first?”

He smiled, shook his head and waved his hand toward the
table. “After you.”

They both sat. As before he waited for her take the first
bite before eating himself. She made extra this morning, thinking he’d worked
up an appetite outside and in her bedroom. And from the look on his face he
seemed to be enjoying it.

“Hayes, why didn’t you just use your genie skills on the
wood?”

“Because I know how you feel about doin’ things yourself.
This way you can help but it’ll get done faster and that Bill won’t be able to
hold it over you. Besides, it felt good to work again. It’s been too long.”

So he did know her, a little too well. Still, the fact that
he took her feelings into consideration blew her away. He could have used his
magic and lied about it. “Thank you. I appreciate the thoughtfulness. I can’t
wait to see that bastard’s face when he realizes I didn’t need him.”

“Don’t poke the bear too much, Chance. I get the feelin’
it’ll make him angry and men like him can be unpredictable when they get mad.”

He had a point, damn it. “Warning received.” They finished
eating, neither speaking of what glorious pleasure they both had only a short
while ago.

Before Chance could get up to clear the table, Hayes waved
his hand and everything was washed and put away. She could get used to that.
After giving him a towel and showing him how to run the shower, Chance carried
in several armloads of wood for tonight.

After that she went to the barn and gathered her pieces to
take into the shop. She found Hayes leaned against the car, his arms and ankles
crossed, waiting for her. It didn’t seem to matter how many times she saw him,
he looked magnificent.

“Mind if I ride with you until town? I’ll make sure to be
out of sight before anyone sees.”

“Sure.” She put her pieces in the backseat and tried to push
away the guilt of not wanting anyone to see him. It wasn’t like people wouldn’t
notice this tall, muscular man glued to her side all day. Imagine trying to
explain him. Imagine her trying to concentrate.

He did as promised and as soon as they reached the edge of
town he vanished without a word. Okay, that disappointment she felt meant
nothing. This was the best for both of them.

Chance found Jenny perched on an old wooden stool outside.
Chance retrieved the repaired chair and presented it to Jenny. The woman beamed
with excitement, pushed aside the stool and put it in its proper place. They
had their regular morning mindless chatter before people started rolling in.
Between customers, Chance allowed her mind to wander to this morning’s explosion
of passion. Seeing Hayes in her yard, seeing Hayes naked, feeling Hayes inside
her body, his lips on her aching flesh.

“You keep grinning like that and people will start to talk,”
Jenny told her.

“What?” Had she been grinning?

“What’s going on, young lady? Who is he and why haven’t I
been introduced?”

Chance froze. Did the woman have psychic abilities? “What
are you talking about?”

“Only one thing puts a goofy grin on a woman’s face like
that. A man. Spill it. I may be old but I’m not dead. Give me all the details.”

Would it hurt to mention Hayes? That way if he did make an
appearance around here Jenny wouldn’t be shocked. Jenny wasn’t the gossiping
kind anyway. “Well, there is a man.”

“I knew it.” Jenny clapped her hands. “I was beginning to
think you didn’t like them.”

“Not as a rule. But he’s different. Old-fashioned, strong
and not afraid to work. There’s something about him, Jenny. Something that
makes me feel a comfort and at the same time wary.”

“What’s his name?”

“Hayes.”

A flash of surprise filled Jenny’s face. “Hayes. That’s a
name you don’t hear often. What’s he look like?”

“Ruggedly handsome, not pretty at all but real. Know what I
mean?”

“Sure do. A man’s man.”

“Yeah. He’s built, Jenny. Muscles like you wouldn’t believe
and his hair is dark, nearly black, and hangs down to his shoulders. At first
glance he looks intimidating but he isn’t.”

“Where’d ya find him?”

Oops, she hadn’t thought that through. “He stopped by the
house looking for directions, we talked and, you know, we’re friends.”

“Friends.”

“Yes, friends. That’s all.” The little bell on the front
door tinkled. Chance took a relieved breath as Jenny hustled to greet the new
customers. Damn, maybe she shouldn’t have said anything.

To her surprise, Jenny didn’t bring up the subject the rest
of the day. Either the woman’s mind slipped or she decided not to push the
issue. At the end of the day they closed up and Chance took Jenny home. The
older woman loaded her up with two weeks’ worth of precooked meals and then
waved goodbye.

Chance stopped at a roadside stand and grabbed two pumpkins.
Oddly she found herself anxious to get home. Not because she had work to do but
because she actually wanted to see Hayes. He kept himself scarce all day and
she found she missed seeing him. A curious apprehension lingered, as if she’d
open her door and all evidence of him would be gone along with his fine self.

When she pulled up in front of her house, there he was,
splitting more wood. Chance allowed herself a few moments to watch. He really
did seem to enjoy the physical work and it liked him. She couldn’t imagine
being confined to a bottle, never being able to live the way she wanted to.

Hayes turned. Their gazes locked. That peculiar feeling of
being transported to another time and into another body settled over her. Hot
and consuming need filled her. She wanted him. Now. She wanted to touch him,
taste him and have her body filled to overflowing with his. A miniscule fiber
of common sense floated through her fuzzy brain. They both agreed this morning
couldn’t happen again. She needed to stop this and act like an adult. In an
attempt to salvage her dignity, Chance gave a fake yawn, opened the door and
slid from the car. Hayes tossed the axe down, pulled on his shirt and came
strolling toward her.

“If you give me a few moments I’ll help stack it,” she said,
hoping it would cover her pathetic, teenage, out of control, raging hormones.

“Okay. Anythin’ I can help carry in for ya?”

“Yes there is, as a matter of fact.” She opened the back
door, proudly displaying her purchases before handing them over.

“Are you gonna make a pie?”

She snorted at that thought. If it couldn’t be taken out of
a box and shoved in the oven, there was no pie. “No, we’re going to carve them
tonight.”

“Carve them?”

“Don’t tell me. You never carved a pumpkin before.” How sad.

“Can’t say I have. But if you’d like to, I’m game.”

“Good.” She gathered the containers of food and they both
walked into the house together. “Set them down on the floor. Jenny fixed me up
with food again for a while. Take your pick. I’ll throw it in the oven on low.
It’ll give us time to get the wood stacked.”

“It’s your food, Chance. You should choose.”

“Don’t be silly. You’ve been breaking your back with all the
wood. The least I can do is let you pick our meal for tonight.” When he didn’t
move, only stood there silently, she turned. He looked different. Slightly
confused, mixed with wonder and panic. “What’s wrong, Hayes?”