Small Town Girl (9 page)

“Hey, what are you saying?” She didn’t particularly relish getting into the same type of discussion again that they’d had at the pub.

“Nothing. Just teasing you.” He laughed quietly, looking at the road. She looked at his profile. It was an honest, almost noble face, strong of chin with a straight, large nose that flared slightly as he laughed. She decided he meant no harm and laughed with him.

“So, you got a big wedding planned?”

“Oh, yes,” said Lauren, relaxing. “It’s going to be the biggest New York has seen in a long time! Lots of famous people coming.”

“Oh, yeah? Like who? Impress me with who’s coming. I won’t tell anyone.”

Lauren laughed. “Well, both New York senators, for one thing. And Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones. And Michael Jordan. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Others, too, but I forget. I know some of them, but most of the people coming are Charles’s friends.”

“I see. Your father going to give you away?”

“Oh, no,
please
, no. I’m not being given away by or to anybody. My mother and father will be there. They’re not like me, though, so I’m not sure they’ll enjoy themselves.”

“What do you mean?” He looked at her then, puzzled.

Lauren struggled to explain. “Well, they’re…they’re hippies. Like naturalists and stuff. Tree huggers.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, I guess. It’s just that I want more out of life.”

“What’s more to one person is less to another,” Caleb said quietly. “Weddings are family affairs. I hope your mother and father enjoy themselves after all.”

They were approaching the house. Caleb slowed the truck and swung into the driveway.

“Here you are,” he said.

Lauren turned toward him, truly grateful. “Thank you so much,” she said honestly.

“It was nice to run into you at the pub tonight. Sorry if I took liberties with the conversation. Tomorrow, you call Rick at Rick’s Garage. They’re pretty clever. They work on my vehicles all the time. They’ll have you up and running in no time.”

“That’s good because I’ve got to get headed back to the city.”

“Hey,” said Caleb, suddenly. “Look what I’ve got!” He reached his long arm over the back of the seat and brought up a paper grocery bag. He sat it on his lap, reached in, and brought out a six-pack of Long Trail Ale. “How about a beer?”

Lauren laughed in spite of herself and put up her hands in mock protestation. “No, no, really, I can’t. I already had two at the pub. Besides, I’ve got to — ”

“Got to what? You said it’s sometimes ten o’clock before you go out. Well, it’s after ten now. You’re late.” He smiled at her. “Come on, have a beer with me. We’ll sit right out here on the front steps of the porch. It’s a beautiful night. You should enjoy it before you go back to that dirty city and breathe in all those exhaust fumes.”

Smiling back, Lauren looked down at her hands. “Okay,” she said somewhat shyly. “You talked me into it.”

“Great!” exclaimed Caleb with almost boyish enthusiasm. They climbed out of the truck, Caleb carrying the six-pack of beer. They strolled across the lawn and sat on the top stair of the porch steps. Lauren could smell the spicy scent of the phlox. She watched while Caleb opened two bottles of the beer. Silently, he handed it to her. “Cheers!” he said, holding it up to toast her. “To a lovely lady who I’ve been privileged to meet.”

“Why, thank you,” Lauren said as she tinked her bottle against his. “I haven’t done this since high school. And to a very chivalrous man I’m happy was home tonight.” She felt her mood lightening. They sat for a few minutes, not talking, sipping their beers, listening to the night sounds.

The spring peepers, those shrill little tree frogs, had taken their summer sabbatical. The bullfrogs in the pond at the bottom of the meadow had taken over, sounding like a whole percussion section in a symphony orchestra. Nameless little insects tweeted and buzzed and chirped.

“Oh, look! Oh, look!” cried Lauren, pointing excitedly into the darkness. “Fireflies! I haven’t seen them since I was a child!”

“You won’t see many of those on Sixty-seventh Street,” remarked Caleb.

“You know Sixty-seventh Street?”

“Small town doesn’t mean small minds,” said Caleb quietly. “I get around.”

Lauren reflected on this, then chose the safer topic of fireflies. “They’re so pretty,” she said.

“You know, those signals they send are to attract a mate.”

“Really? I’m not surprised. It’s such a beautiful evening.” Lauren turned to look at him. She wondered at how natural and at ease she felt, drinking beer here on the old porch with a man she hardly knew. “Thank you for suggesting this.”

Caleb looked at her in a way that suddenly made her want to melt into his arms. The green lights sparkled in his eyes in spite of the darkness. “Ready for another beer?” he offered jovially.

“Set ’er up,” replied Lauren playfully. Instinctively, she moved closer to him. She could feel the warm energy of him. He took her empty bottle and replaced it with full one.

“Are you chilly?”

“Oh, no,” she said, taking a sip. “I’m quite warm, thank you.”

Their arms were brushing. Caleb leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. She felt his thigh pressing against her own, but she could not move away from it. She felt so safe. So protected. She was female to his male, and her heart thumped a little harder.

Almost before she realized what was happening, they had turned toward each other, looking each other in the eye, finding no fault, no resistance. Caleb set his bottle down on the lower step and brought his hand up to cup her chin. Lauren trembled, but made no move to stop him.

He spoke quietly, almost in a whisper. “It’s been so long since I kissed a girl,” he said. “I want to kiss you now. I want it to be you.” He leaned forward. Lauren closed her eyes as his full lips pressed lightly against her own. Her lips parted, surrendering to him, inviting him in.

“
So
long,” he whispered again, hoarsely. Then he bent his mouth to hers again, this time more intensely, his tongue probing between her soft, lightly sugary lips, seeking, searching, exploring. Lauren opened her mouth, flicking her tongue against his, savoring the taste of him, smelling the musky male scent of him. His day’s growth of beard prickled her gently, sending thrilling sensations through her body like she had never felt before.

His left hand slipped down her throat, softly encircling her graceful neck. His right arm reached around her waist, pulling her firmly to him, pressing her against his chest. He held her there as his kisses traveled down to the fragrant hollow of her throat, to that silken valley between her breasts. Through her dress, he traced her erect nipples with a finger. She moaned softly, unconsciously. His lips were on hers again, more aggressively as his fingers drew a path across the top of her bodice. She could feel her skin burn with desire wherever he touched her. Almost timidly, she lifted her own arms around his shoulders. The animal strength of him overwhelmed her.

Caleb moved his hand to her leg in a motion that was as confident as it was gentle. Easing her skirt higher and higher, he stroked the soft skin of her thigh. She made no move, but only clung to him more tightly. His fingers traced the outline of her panties.

“Ah.” A gasp escaped her, and yielding, her thighs parted ever so slightly. Through her panties, he touched her. Lauren thought at that instant she could die of passion, of want, of animal need.

Caleb whispered in her ear, “Do you want me?” Lauren could not speak, but her body spoke for her, arching up against him. She bent her head to the hollow of his shoulder and nodded. His fingers pressed harder, and she moved to let him have his way. Their breathing became audible.

Suddenly, in one swift movement, she was in his arms. He carried her down two steps, and then knelt in the fragrant grass, laying her gently down. She was powerless to stop him, or herself, nor did she wish to. Her hair clip had fallen out, and her hair spread over the cool grass. She lay there watching him. He was pulling his shirt off, unbuckling his jeans. She laughed and held up her arms to him as he stood over her with all his masculine energy exposed, for just a moment, before she felt his weight on her, his hands pushing her clothing out of the way, his maleness pushing against the soft warm female place that lay between her legs, begging him to enter. Her body was aching for him to fill her with his hardness, but instead he whispered, “Take your dress off. Please. Please.”

She rose up slightly and he helped her pull it over her head. He removed her panties with the smooth motion of one hand, and a single snap of her fingers released her bra which she tossed carelessly over her head. She lay back. Caleb knelt over her.

“You’re beautiful,” he said reverently. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Lauren knew she was pretty. She knew her body was fit and firm, curvy where it was supposed to be, but this adulation, this admiration that she heard from the man who had set her to tingling the first time she saw him, made her revel in herself. Lauren was proud he found her beautiful, and glad to offer herself to him, without reservation. There was nothing else to do. At least for this time, this evening, they were one. She would figure it all out later.

Before her thoughts could go further, Caleb was flicking her nipples with his tongue. Then his mouth paid tribute to her, slowly, almost serenely. He was not in a hurry. He tickled her navel with his tongue. His lips caressed the rose petal soft skin of her belly, making her shudder with the purest pleasure. Then, he paused and laid his head upon her, on her warm lower regions from whence her passions flowed. She felt a deep sigh rack his body. She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair. Caleb looked up at her and smiled, then playfully buried his lips in that most sensitive part of her. She moaned in ecstasy and opened herself to his kisses.

As his soft, warm mouth explored her most private self, Lauren was overcome by something primal, something atavistic, a fulfillment so basic, a need so deep there were no words to define it. She felt she might die then and there unless he filled that aching void. He must have heard her thoughts, felt it through their mutual touch, for he raised himself up on his knees, his hands on her hips.

Lauren opened her eyes and reached up to him, placing her open palms on his muscular chest. She ran her hands down his body, until she held the proof of his passion in her hands, tenderly caressing the hard shaft. She felt a quiver in him. She looked up at him and their eyes locked.

“Do you really want this?” Caleb whispered. “Do you want me?”

“Please…” Lauren could barely speak. Her body throbbed for him. “Yes, yes. Please. I want you, Caleb. Please!”

He came into her then, slipping into her wet, secret place. He gasped at her heat. It aroused him even more. He began powerful thrusting with his hips, trying, trying to get even deeper in her, closer to her. Lauren moaned with the inexplicable, piercing relief of it. It made no difference that they had only known each other the better part of thirty-six hours, that they were here, naked on the grass, primitive in their passion, each for the other. Somewhere, on some plane, they were meant to be here, meant to be together, to be entangled like this in body and spirit.

Lauren was caught in a vortex of physical bliss, as though the whole world had slipped away and it was just Lauren and Caleb filling the emptiness with their passion. She felt the beginning of his climax, heard him moan with anticipation. She clutched her arms around him, struggling to hold him closer, closer. Suddenly she felt her pulse race, her breath caught in her throat as the involuntary sweetness of her own ecstasy washed over her like frothy waves on a crystalline, tropical shore, and she met him, heartbeat to heartbeat.

At last they lay still, breathing in unison. Lauren felt her vision return, and she opened her eyes. All the stars seemed to be brighter in the velvet sky. The glowing crescent of the new moon hung in the heavens like the most romantic chandelier. Caleb’s face was buried in the hollow of her neck. She could feel his lips pressed against her skin. She felt as though the two of them were encased in a fragile glass ball that kept every care, every worry, every responsibility at bay. She sighed contentedly and softly kissed his ear.

Caleb raised his head and smiled at her before softly kissing her expectant lips. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, then his hands were on her upper arms. He said, “You feel cold. Your teeth are chattering. Come on, let’s go inside. I don’t want you to get chilled.”

Lauren laughed. “I’m fine.” They stood up, now a little shy of each other. Lauren didn’t know whether her teeth were chattering because of the night chill or because of what had just transpired between them. She gathered her clothes up and holding them to her, she led the way into the house.

“Come with me,” she said. “Upstairs.”

“To the bedroom?”

“Yes. Unless you don’t want to.”

His spontaneous hearty laughter as he followed her up the stairs filled her with a deep happiness.

Caleb climbed into the bed first, holding back the covers. Lauren slipped between the sheets and snuggled up close, laying her head on the curve of his shoulder. She could hear the gentle thumping of his heart. He curled both arms around her and kissed the top of her head.