Brennan Read online

  “Sorry, it’s rather small. I’m not used to entertaining guests,” I mumbled as I gestured to the couch in front of the fireplace.

  “Not, it’s great,” she grinned, “Out in the woods, it’s all you need. It must be so peaceful being away from everyone.”

  “Peaceful, yes. Lonely too. I prefer to be out of everyone’s way. It was sheer luck that we met at that party, I’m not one for socializing.”

  “I guess that makes me a pretty lucky girl.”

  She seated herself on the sofa and I watched as she curled her legs up underneath her. Her arm rested at the top of her hemline, just barely covering her panties. My mind wandered back to her underneath me at the party, rhythmically rocking inside of her. As I began to harden, I quickly turned around so she couldn’t see and headed to the kitchen cabinets.

  “Do you want anything to drink? Are you hungry?” I asked.

  “Water is fine, I’m not really one for drinking. My dad has always prevented me from drinking too much. As for food, I’m fine, I fed my household before leaving today. Always good to line the stomach.”

  I nodded, the guilt ripping through me. I knew exactly why her dad warned Liz off alcohol.

  After all, alcohol is what killed her mom.

  Pouring some cool water into two glasses, I headed back and joined her on the couch. I handed her a glass and she took a sip. Even the way her lips pursed around the rim of the glass made my imagination run wild. I knew it didn’t help that I hadn’t been with a woman since her, it had its effect on the body.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet me tonight,” she looked out at me under her long lashes, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since that party.”

  My chest tightened, “I’m the same. I was always hoping I would run into you again and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I walked into the office today and there you were. I’m glad one of us had the common sense to track the other down this time. I’m sorry I left in such a rush.”

  She giggled and shifted closer to me, I felt the warmth of her thigh brush up against mine. Slowly, I took the glass off her and set both of them down on the nearby table. I could no longer resist her, everything about her was intoxicating. As she leaned in, I caught her scent, the same as it was from all those years ago and I felt a flood of heat rush down my body. My hand curled around the back of her head as she tilted her face up and our mouths met. At first, the kiss started shy and adventuring, as though rediscovering each other after such a long time. Then, it became more insistent, needing, craving for more. My arms wrapped around her as she climbed onto my lap, straddling me whilst her fingers clenched onto my hair. I was now rock solid as she was grinding against me, her dress had ridden up, exposing her intimate soft flesh. My hand traveled down, gripping her ass, squeezing it as I felt the need in me to build. I was about to rip her dress off when suddenly she pushed back, awkwardly standing and smoothing down her dress. My frustration must have been evident on my face as she blushed.

  “I’m sorry, it’s not that I don’t want this,” she began, “It’s just that I don’t want to rush things. I want it to be special.”

  My breathing steadied as I tried to quash the insatiable hunger within me. Brushing my hair to the side with my fingers, I stood up and nodded.

  “I understand and I want that too. It’s getting late. You’re more than welcome to stay here or I can drop you home if you want?”

  Smiling, she leaned up on her tiptoes and planted a sweet peck upon my lips. Her hand traced my jawline under my bristly beard before she stepped away.

  “I think it’s time I get home. I don’t want my dad to send out a search party anytime soon.”

  The thought of her father discovering his daughter at mine made me feel queasy. I brushed my lips across the top of her forehead before leading her to the truck and taking her home. The moon shone brightly overhead as we pulled up outside her house. Leaning over, I tilted her chin up and kissed her deeply. I knew she could feel my desire within that one meeting of our lips.

  “See you soon,” she called as she jumped out the truck.

  I waited until she had entered the house before pulling away. My mind raced as I headed back up into the woods.

  See you soon, Liz.

  Chapter 2

  Liz

  My dad hummed as we jumped into the car. His fingers drummed on the wheel as he turned the radio on. As soon as he set the volume to low, I knew the conversation was due to start. He pulled out of the driveway and we started our route towards the sawmill.

  Buck looked back at me from his seat on the passenger side. His eyes narrowed on me. My brother had always been protective of me so I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what the topic of today’s conversation was going to be about.

  “Did you have a good time last night?” my dad called over the music, “I know you were pretty excited to get out to the bar last night.”

  “It was great,” I replied, trying to keep it cool.

  “I forgot, who did you say you were meeting?” he attempted nonchalance.

  “I didn’t tell you who I was meeting, I just said I was heading out.”

  Silence fell between us and the radio filled the gap. They were playing some old country song that my dad liked, he hummed along for a while. I stared out the window as the town of Chester faded away, giving way to the trees of Sanhill Woods. I thought about my evening spent in the woods, in Brenna’s cabin.

  I was so close to just giving in to my body. I have never wanted someone so bad. Not since the party. It’s him. There’s something about him that makes my body go wild.

  My father’s voicer interrupted my thoughts, “You got home pretty late last night. The Iron Brewhouse doesn’t stay open that late on a Monday night, did you go somewhere afterward?”

  “I went back to someone’s house,” I answered.

  Up until that point, my brother had remained silent. As I answered, I had noticed his hands tensing until finally, he turned around, pinning me down with his state.

  “Cut the crap, Liz,” he burst, “Where were you? Who were you with?”

  I bit my lip, wondering how I should respond. I wasn’t willing to give them all the details just yet. I knew how protective they were over me after mom died and any poor guy who got involved with me would also have to face drilling from them. I wasn’t ready to subject Brennan to that just yet so decided to stick with the bare minimum.

  “If you must know,” I replied, “It was a date. I had a drink at the bar and then we went back to his.”

  “On the first night?” Buck looked at me with unhidden disgust.

  I swatted his arm, “Nothing happened. Who do you take me for? We just needed some time to catch up.”

  “Catch up?” my dad chimed in.

  Damn it. I need to watch what I’m saying.

  “Yes, it’s someone I knew before. I haven’t seen them in a long time.”

  “Is it someone we know?” Buck leaned closer, “Give us the name at least, I promise I won’t bite.”

  I laughed, “I’d rather leave it be for the time being. I don’t want to scare him off. Anyway, let me see where it goes first, it might not be serious.”

  I hope it is.

  “Not serious?” Buck scoffed, “You went to his house on the first date. You need to be more careful; anything could have happened, and we wouldn’t know where you are.”

  “I’m not a baby anymore,” I protested, “I’m twenty-two years old. I’m plenty old enough to make my own decisions.”

  “I don’t care how old you are,” my dad called over his shoulder, “You’ll always be my baby girl. And being the attractive young lady you are, your brother is quite right in telling you to be careful. You could at least give us a name.”

  “It’s not going to happen. But I’ll promise to take things slow and keep an eye out.”

  Drumming his fingers against the wheel, dad fell silent for a moment before responding, “Okay. Well, I can’t stop you seeing this guy a
nd you did say you’re going to be careful. I guess it’s still a shock to know you’re all grown up. It will be good for you to meet someone, I know what your mom would say right now and it would be that you should go and have fun. Whoever this guy is, he’s a lucky man and I hope he knows it. Are we ever going to meet him?”

  “Once I know where things are going, I’ll let you know. At least let me have more than one date before I decide to drag him home to my family.”

  All of us chuckled before we pulled up outside the office. As we tumbled out, I saw my brother glaring at me, still trying to assess my situation. I cast him my biggest grin before loping inside to start my day behind the desk.

  Let’s just hope things are as serious as I hope.

  ***

  Brennan

  The week had gone by in a flurry of texts and phone calls. I had spent the majority of my evenings listening to Liz fall asleep at the end of the line, her breathing sending me into my own sweet slumber. I couldn’t remember a space of time where I wasn’t thinking about her. I was craving her and didn’t know how much longer I could last without seeing her again. Finally, when I could bear it no more, I pulled out my phone and blasted a message over to her:

  Dinner at mine tonight?

  I hoped that she didn’t have anything planned for a Friday night. I knew she only worked the weekdays so it would mean she could stay out later. I held my breath as I waited for a response:

  I would love to. What time?

  I replied instantly:

  I’ll pick you up at 6:30 from yours.

  After she confirmed, I jumped straight into the truck and headed into town. The grocery store was my first stop as I headed out in search of ingredients. After grabbing everything on that list, I made a stop at the florist and selected a fragrant bouquet of Oriental Lilies, White and Yellow Roses, and a China Grass Bunch to tie it all together. I had absolutely no idea what the lady was saying but after seeing the finished product I knew it would be perfect. The final stop at the market produced some handmade wild bluebell soy wax candles which I hoped would add the finishing touches.

  Manically, I sped back home and unloaded everything into the cabin. I did my best to make the place look presentable even in the cramped space. I had never been one for hoarding, living with the bare minimum I needed to get by. Grabbing a jug, I fashioned it into a vase by pouring water in and placing the bouquet in the center of the table. I put the candles on either side, leaving them unlit until she arrived. Instead, I got to work on dinner.

  A few hours later, the food was ready and I had scrubbed up. I glanced at the time displayed on my phone – 6:00 – and decided it was time to head into Chester to collect my dining companion for the night. Before closing the door behind me, I surveyed the room one last time and gave it my approval. I hoped that Liz would do the same. I had never been the type of person to buy flowers or girly candles before and now here I was, rushing about to make the perfect dinner.

  The drive down was a lot faster than expected and I pulled up outside her door a few minutes early. Pulling my phone out, I dropped her a message, rather than wanting to avoid the attention of her family members. I knew they would not appreciate me having any communication with Liz, much rather than taking her to mine for dinner. Within two minutes, she came bounding out of the house, rushing into the truck.

  “Let’s go,” she called as she jumped in, “I don’t want my dad or Buck to see you. They’ll interrogate you otherwise.”

  She must know they’ll do more than that if they catch me with her. It’s small wonder they allow me to do business with them, let alone take Liz on a date.

  Without a word, I pulled away and we headed back towards Sanhill Woods. It wasn’t until her house was out of sight that I heard her exhale loudly before beaming at me.

  “It’s just easier if they don’t know your name for the time being. I’m not ashamed of you, I just don’t want them laying into you right now.”

  “I understand perfectly. Let’s just let sleeping dogs lie for the time being. At any rate, I have dinner waiting for you back at mine. Let’s just enjoy the night and not dwell on the past. The past is for tomorrow.”

  She looked at me, a puzzled expression on her face. I began to wonder if she had forgotten the anniversary when she started talking about the mountains. My worries were stashed away as I got lost in the conversation, my passion for the nature surrounding Chester taking the front stage. By the time we had pulled up in front of the cabin, we were deep in discussion. When we got to the door, I opened with a flourish, stepping to the side so she could view the room in its entirety. I grinned as she gasped before turning and planting kisses all over my face.

  “You did all this for me?” she asked incredulously.

  “Of course. I’ve wasted four years by not giving you my number at that party. Now I have to make up for it,” I led her into the cabin, “I hope you’re hungry because I’ve been cooking all afternoon.”

  She sat down at the table as I lit the candles. The room filled with the scent of wild bluebells, crisp green leaves, and persimmon. Even I enjoyed a moment to stand and sniff the air before heading over to the kitchen counters to serve dinner. After filling the plates, I headed back to the table, laying a plate in front of her before seating myself the opposite.

  “Look at this,” she gasped, “It looks amazing! Did you cook this yourself?”

  I chuckled, “No need to be so surprised, I’m not a complete savage. It’s been a long time since I sat down with someone to eat. Ever since my family… It doesn’t matter. Anyway, I thought it called for a special effort. Do you like flowers?”

  Her attention was redirected to the bouquet sitting proudly in the center of the table. Her fingers reached out and stroked one of the delicate petals.

  “These lilies are beautiful. Did you get these for me?”

  “Of course,” I replied, “As I said, I have four lost years to make up.”

  “So, what’s for dinner,” she asked, picking up her fork.

  “Veal meatballs in a red wine sauce. I hope you’re okay with it.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  Without further instruction, she tucked in and I soon followed. I watched her gracefully eat, the whisper of tangy tomato sauce staining her lips. After our plates were cleared, I stood up and took them away.

  “Have you got any room for dessert?” I called over my shoulder.

  She patted her stomach, pondering for a moment before replying, “I think I can squeeze it in.”

  “I’ll admit I didn’t make this one,” I said as I served two plates, “I’m fine with cooking but even I can’t work my magic with baking. I have to draw the line somewhere.”

  She laughed as I brought the plates over with clean spoons.

  “Chocolate and pomegranate torte,” I commented as I laid it down in front of her, “The lady in the shop said it was her favorite, so I thought you’d enjoy it.”

  The food went down a treat and after cleaning everything away once more, I offered my hand to Liz and she took it. Following me, I led her out of the cabin and back into the woods. It was a short walk but soon we came to a clearing. I had already laid out a blanket to lie upon as we sat down. The night was descending and the inky blue of the sky faded into blackness.

  “The view from here is amazing,” she breathed, “It’s crazy how such a short distance from the town can make such a difference.”

  As she was staring up at the twinkling stars, I couldn't help but notice a smudge of chocolate from the torte at the edge of her mouth. Using my thumb, I gently wiped it away, drawing her attention. Our eyes locked and I could feel my pulse start to race. The moonlight caught her features just so, washing them in the silvery glow of the night. Before I could say anything, her mouth was upon mine, our hands grasping at one another. Within a second, I had pulled her dress up over her head and was admiring the curves of her body under the sky. She wore a matching silky bra and panties set, the only material now stopping m
e from what my body desired more than anything else. Her eyes remained on mine as she kicked her heels to the side before reaching over and unbuttoning my shirt. I leaned up on my shins before unbuckling my belt, pulling it from the loops of my jeans and tossing it onto the growing piles of clothes. Next went my shoes, socks, and jeans until I was only covering my manhood with my boxers.

  “I need you,” I heard myself growl as I descended upon her.

  ***

  Liz

  His tongue explored my neck, twisting a winding path until it reached my jawline. I could feel his cock hard against my inner thigh as his hand reached between my legs, rubbing outside my panties until I was soaked through. I moaned as his mouth came back to me, our tongues dancing together as he continued his relentless teasing. Just as I thought I couldn't bear it anymore, he hooked a finger around the edge of my panties and tugged hard. There was a delicious moment of pain before I heard the rip, bunching the material in his hand into a ball before throwing it into the nearby flora. My mouth curled into an 'o' as he pushed upright and began to pull his boxers down. As it slowly moved past his lower hips, his cock finally sprang free, standing tall and proud.

  His hands pinned my shoulders down to the floor as he brushed the tip against my entrance. I could fell it slicken with my wetness before he pushed in ever so slightly. Biting down hard on my lip, I started to get impatient, wanting the entirety of his length to push through. Just when I thought I couldn’t bear it anymore, he pushed hard and deep. I screamed out into the night air, the size taking me by surprise as he filled my inner cavern. As he built tempo, I gripped hard into his back, raking my nails across his skin as I did so. I knew afterward there would be markings. His breath was hot on my ear as he leaned in close. I arched my pelvis up so he could gain further entry and groaned as he pushed against me. My head leaned back as I felt the pleasure rising in my body, my nerves going into sensory overload as a tickling sensation ran up the length of my spine. Suddenly, I screamed out as my body was rocked with pounding orgasm after orgasm, ripping through me as I clutched onto him, my legs twitching. Within a few seconds, I felt a warmth within me as he moaned and pushed, erupting into me. My body felt numb as he rolled off me, pulling my head onto his chest as we both regained our breaths, staring up at the stars.