Chapter 12

Kurt

When she fell from the bed because I hit her too hard, I realized at that moment, how much I care about her. I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt her. But more than that, I realized how great she is. I would expect her to either be dramatic about being thrown off the bed, or play the victim, but instead…she laughed. We were having fun. And instead of picking up her stuff and leaving, figuring that spending the night with me would be one big waste of time for her, she was actually willing to play some more.

Making love to her was not a mistake. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t about Lisa putting another score on her card. At least, it didn’t feel like that to me. It was phenomenal. I’ve never known a woman to be that passionate, that brave and unafraid of anything in bed. It was tender but hot, and we were both so exhausted after, I think it was the best sleep either of us have had in a long time. I’m awake before her, and her back is to me, as I’m spooning her from behind. It’s like neither of us have moved since last night.

Kissing her shoulder, I softly rouse her. I can hear the boys hard at work already. The windows are all open in here, letting a refreshing breeze flow through. A big bang comes from somewhere, and Lisa jumps.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” I say with a soft chuckle.

She lifts her head. “Jesus. I forgot where I was.” Her voice is gravelly from sleep.

Another bang. She jumps again. “Jesus! What the hell is that!”

“They’re building a fence out there. It’s the hammer you hear.”

“This is why I don’t live on a ranch.” She emphasizes.

“It’s not so bad.” I say, kissing her shoulder.

She turns over to face me. “Well, not when you’re here.”

I lift my brows suggestively, kissing her lips. “I must say, the ranch is way funner when you’re here.”

I’m about to climb on top of her, when I hear a pound on the door. “Kurt? You in there?” It’s Luke.

I turn my head, so I don’t shout in Lisa’s ear. “Yeah. What do you want?”

“We could use a hand with some planks out here. You up?”

Lisa beats her head against the pillow in exasperation, and shouts. “Yes, he’s up! Who in hell do you think is answering? God?!”

I snort a laugh, leaning my head on her shoulder.

“Ah, shoot…sorry, Lisa!” Luke chuckles. “Didn’t know you were in there with him.”

“Where do you think I was?” she shouts back, pissed off. She whispers to me. “Is he always this stupid?”

Another snorted laugh. I love this girl.

“I heard that.” Luke’s voice is flat. “You two quit frolicking in there and get out here to lend a hand. Laura and Grayson are out here, too.”

“God, at least Laura has the decency to feed the help first…and let them wake up.” Lisa says, irritated.

“Hawk was a Nazi in a previous life.” I comment. “Working for Laura is a picnic by comparison.”

“I’ll say.”

We throw on our dirty clothes from yesterday, and head outside to help out. Mama has breakfast ready a couple of hours later, and as we sit and eat, we’re all looking beat already. Grayson seems to be watching Laura like a hawk, and I’m wondering if maybe she isn’t doing well this morning. She looks kind of grey. “Laura? You feeling alright?” I ask her.

“Just tired. I didn’t sleep well.” She answers, barely touching her breakfast.

“Grayson keep you up all night, riding the bull?” Luke pokes, which receives a kick under the table from Grayson.

“We’re not animals, asshole.” Grayson growls. “She’s not feeling well.”

Mama comes up behind her and feels her head. “Y’all don’t feel warm, darlin’. What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just tired.”

Mama looks at Grayson and he diverts his gaze. “She’ll perk up once she eats.” Grayson says, as though she’s not even there.

Lisa, on the other hand, is glowing, and she looks like she could take on the world. A night of good sex suits her well. Her plate is cleaned in five minutes, and she helps herself to seconds. Mama beams with pride as she fills her plate again, and Lisa eats it all up. I snuffle a laugh as she takes her last bite. She looks up at me. Her expression is blank. “What?” she asks.

“Hungry?” I chuckle. She elbows me.

The rest of the day is spent helping around the ranch, and Lisa and I decide to leave after supper, to drive through the night, instead of waking early to leave in the morning.

“I’ll see you back at the ranch.” I say to Laura and Grayson. Lisa hugs Laura as we leave. Mama gives me a hug goodbye and does the same for Lisa. Hawk, Luke and Mitch basically wave to us from the back of the house. They’re still busy working.

As I start the engine, Lisa buckles up, and we begin our trek back to Huttonville. At the first stoplight outside of our neighborhood, Lisa scoots over slightly, kissing my lips.

“How long have you been waiting to do that?” I ask, after kissing her full on the mouth.

“A…million…years.” she says, sliding her lips over mine again.

“You keep doing that and we’re going to have to pull into a motel.” I warn playfully, kissing her loudly, changing tack.

She pulls back and sighs. “Darlin’, this is me you’re talking to.” She thumbs at herself. “There is no need for no motel. Hell, this seat here will do just fine.” She says with a soft chuckle.

The light changes to green and I grunt a soft laugh. “I’m not making love to my girl in my pickup truck, that’s for sure.”

Her hand is on my leg. “I’m just saying that I’m not one of these delicate girls that needs silk sheets and a lace nightie.”

I scoff. “Oh, I know you’re not like that, baby. I just don’t want it to be cheap.”

“Nothing cheap about last night, Kurt.” She says, giving me a longing look.

I take my hand in hers. “Well, you’re right about that.” I kiss her hand. An hour later, Lisa is sleeping against the window. The drive is so peaceful and quiet, that to me, it’s almost like meditation. I think I was a trucker in a previous life. Nothing to me like the open road. Lisa only wakes up once for a pit stop, and I hold her tight against me before she climbs back up into the truck. She kisses me full on the mouth, giving me more to think about as I drive home. And two hours later, we arrive at her place.

“You must be exhausted.” She says to me, knowing that I didn’t get a lick of sleep all night. “You want to sleep in my bed?”

“For a few hours, if it’s all the same to you.” I say, feeling my eyes burn from exhaustion. It sometimes hits me like a ton of bricks once I relax on solid ground.

“Sure.”

“You tired?” I ask her.

“Not really. I slept most of the way. I might take a nap later if I feel the need.”

I wrap my arms around her. “You want to join me?”

She smiles, giving me a chaste kiss. “You and I both know that if I join you, there isn’t going to be any sleeping going on, sweetheart.” She places her hand on my chest. “Don’t take this wrong, but you look like garbage. You need sleep.”

“Alright then.” I say, giving her a final kiss before retiring.

When I wake up three hours later, I can hear Lisa downstairs milling around in the kitchen. The place smells like a bakery. My stomach is immediately growling. As I head downstairs, wearing just my jeans, she’s busy putting together what looks like fresh bread. She sees me and gives me a once-over. “Well, you look better. Especially without your shirt.”

I smile. “What did you cook me, babe?” I wrap my arms around her from behind, swaying from side to side.

“Well, I’m making us sandwiches, but I baked fresh bread for them.” She explains. “That’s the best way to wake up,” then she lifts a brow, “well, the second best.”

I smirk, and then kiss her shoulder.

“You hungry?”

“I don’t think I’ve been this hungry in a long time.”

“Good. Have a seat.”

Not only is Lisa great at photography and home décor, but she’s also a mean chef. Even the plates are fancy, and she sets everything on the plate like a professional. “Jesus, girl. This looks too good to eat.”

She waves. “Oh, please. Wait until you see something more than a sandwich and a couple of pickles.”

The sandwich is cut lengthwise, with a colored toothpick that has a matching colored cellophane decoration on it, like a hat. The toothpick is staked through a series of olives, and there is one poked through each side of the sandwich. She’s cut pickles using a decorative slicer, so they’re fanned out in a pattern on one side of the plate. On the other side of the plate is a smattering of what I’m guessing is Dijon mustard. The mustard is applied onto the plate in kind of an ‘S’ shape, with a couple of dots placed strategically on each curve.

“I feel like I should take a picture of this before I eat it.”

She giggles. “You’re just used to your food being slopped onto a plate, so you can eat it as quickly as possible. In my line of work, everything is about presentation.”

“I suppose it is.”

Not only does it look fabulous…but it tastes like I should be sitting in a gourmet restaurant in Italy. “God…damn was that good.” I say with emphasis as I take the last bite.

She takes her last bite, too, and swallows. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I slipped out to the deli while you were sleeping and got some fresh cold cuts.”

“You are the best, baby.” I say and mean it. “My mama’s always been saying that the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I never quite believed her until now.”

She smiles and takes our plates up to the sink. I rise and snake my arms around her from behind as she stands at the sink. “What do you want to do now?” she asks me suggestively.

“Well…” I murmur, pulling her earlobe through my lips. “I thought I could take a shower. Have you showered yet?”

“I have.” She answers, as I trail kisses down her neck and then back up again, and finally, giving her earlobe a gentle suck again. She spins around and wraps her arms around my neck. Lisa is in a cute little summer dress with spaghetti straps. I don’t think she’s wearing a bra, because her breasts are pressed right up against my chest, and the feel of her nipples is making me crazy.

She leans up as I bend down and kiss her hungrily, pulling her backside towards me by cupping her cheeks with my hands. As I do this, I can tell that my girl is also not wearing any underwear. “You’re looking for trouble, aren’t you.” I state.

She says, feigning innocence. “Whatever do you mean?”

I tilt my head and groan, lifting her onto the counter. My lips meet hers fully, and in between kisses, I say. “No bra. No underwear.”

“Um…hmm...” she murmurs while kissing me the way that lovers do.

“You. Are. Cruel.” I murmur against her lips between kisses.

She reaches over and unzips my fly. As she stuffs her hand inside, she comments. “You’re not wearing any underwear, either.”

I let out a grunt, responding to her touch.

“And you’re not wearing a shirt.” She says, skating her other hand up my chest. “So, we’re even.”

I chuckle softly as we’re nose to nose. “But you didn’t know that I was going to come downstairs like this, you little vixen.”

“And you wouldn’t have known that I was sans underwear unless you felt me up.” She points out, lifting a brow.

We both look at each other and smile.

I could really see myself with this girl. She challenges me, but does it poignantly and tastefully, not like she’s chiding or cutting. It’s like she’s as bad as I am, and it’s okay.

“Take me upstairs, cowboy.” She says salaciously. “I’ll show you how much of a vixen I really am.”

Scanning her face, I see her in a different light. Her words are naughty, but her face and her voice are tender. It’s like keeping all the excitement in our lovemaking, but keeping it about love, not so much about sex. Tilting my head, I kiss her deeply, wrapping my arms around her, until we’re breathless with need. Then I tuck my hands under her bottom, and carry her upstairs, with her legs hooked around my waist.

As we reach the bedroom, I gently place her on the bed, remove my pants, and watch her pull her dress over her head. She’s the most beautiful woman ever. From what I’m guessing, she’s mine now. In my heart she sure is. Hovering over her, I kiss her from toe to lips, not skipping an inch. When I reach her lips, she’s writhing with need from my touch. Her body begs me to make that intimate connection, and as I answer the call, she pulls me closer, forcing me to fill her completely.

There we stay, all afternoon, tossing and turning on the sheets, from all angles, putting miles on the mattress and in our hearts, making the last time we made love pale in comparison. After we’ve lost count of her cries, on the final one, we both drop to the bed, sounding like we’ve just run in one of those marathon races. We look at each other as our chests heave from exertion, and we pull each other close as we lay next to each other. Her leg is draped over my hip, and my arm lays across her leg.

As we catch our breaths, Lisa slides a hand through my hair. “There, now you…earned your shower.”

I chuckle softly, tickling her thigh with my fingertips. “I think you earned another one, baby.”

She kisses my lips and just stares at me. We lay next to each other, naked, for a while, just kissing and looking at each other, bathing in the warm afterglow of more lovemaking. The best lovemaking I’ve ever experienced, and for a moment, I wonder if she feels the same. But I’m afraid to ask. And then, it’s like she reads my mind.

“Have you had better?” she asks me softly.

“No.” I shake my head, with a little chuckle, accentuating the negative.

She hesitates, and I think it’s to lend an air of honesty and meaning to her statement. “Neither have I.”

“Really?” I’m surprised, given her known track record. “Even the guy you were…in love with before?”

She shakes her head, leaving her gaze on mine. “Not even close.”

Well, that’s something.

“Wow.”

“Yeah,” she agrees. “I’m not sure what that means, though, because I’ve heard of couples who are great in bed together, but then they don’t last long, and couples who are terrible in bed and are still together. But I think it’s…pretty cool.”

“I don’t think it matters what statistics say, darlin’.” I state. “I think it’s all in what’s right and in what makes you happy is all.”

“I think you’re right.” She slides her hand through my hair again. It feels great. Every time Lisa touches me, it feels great. Doesn’t matter what it is that she does.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Certainly.”

“Have you ever…slept with the same guy more than once?”

“Aside from Harlan, you mean?”

“Oh, is that his name?”

“Yeah.” She scrunches her face, as if she’d rather not remember. “Do you mean like…did you pass a test or something?”

“I don’t know, it was just a question. Just curious.” I want to know if she means more to me than I mean to her. Why I’m so insecure is beyond me.

“Sometimes.” She says honestly. “But not usually. How about you?”

“Well, you know that I’m not into casual sex. So, if I sleep with a girl, it usually means that we’re in at least some sort of a relationship.”

She cranes her neck backward, but her eyes are dancing. “Are we in a relationship, Kurt Thomas?”

I nod. “I do believe so, ma’am. Yes.”

“Considering that you…invited me to go meet your family, I suppose we are.”

“When do I get to meet your family?” I ask, inching closer to her.

“My parents are in Alaska right now.” She says flatly.

Who goes there?

“Alaska.” My voice is as flat as hers was when she said it.

“Yep.” Her lips pop on pronunciation.

“For how long?” I chuckle.

A shrug. “Don’t know. Maybe if I give them enough notice when Laura and Grayson give us a wedding date, they’ll come back for that.” She pauses. “Their trips are usually open-ended, unless it’s a cruise or something on a timeline.”

“Wow, you weren’t kidding. Your parents are travelers.”

“They are.”

“Do you miss them?”

She sighs. “Honey, my parents have been living like this for five years. Both of them saved and saved for years for retirement. Now they’re enjoying it. I’m independent, so they never have to worry about me. And it’s just me.”

“All parents worry about their children.”

“Well, they don’t. They did for a little after Quentin died, just because I didn’t have a big brother around to protect me anymore, but since Laura and I are so close, and her brothers are like my brothers, they stopped worrying.” She’s about to let me speak, and then she lifts a finger. “Except for one thing. They always bug me about my doctor.”

“What about your doctor?”

“I go to one in Dallas. Always have for as long as I can remember.”

“How come?”

She waves. “Long story, but my parents hate that I go there, especially that I go to that doctor. But that’s the only thing that they ever worry about.”

“How come you didn’t go to Clint?”

She gives me a look like I just sprouted a horn like a unicorn. “We dated once. That would be creepy.”

“Oh, yeah…I forgot.”

“Anyway, I’m sure your mama is always fussing over you. I sure hope she likes me.”

I sigh and kiss her lips. “If my mama didn’t like you, you’d know it.”

“Oh yeah? How?”

“Mama has a way with words. She’ll tell you in no uncertain terms that she doesn’t like you.”

“Does this usually happen on the first meeting?”

“Oh, yes.”

Suddenly, my cell phone rings. It’s sitting on the nightstand. “Sorry, love.” I say to her as I untangle myself from her to answer it. She kisses my arm as I pull away from her. My hand clasps hers as I sit on the bed and swipe my phone to answer it. Our fingers trace along each other’s skin as I speak. The display says that it’s Grayson.

“Hey, brother. When did you get back?”

“Just a short while ago.” Grayson says. “Came home to a bit of a surprise.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that.”

“The priest that Laura wants to marry us is going away for a while in a month.”

“Yeah?”

“Feel like being my best man this weekend?”