Vale hesitates a moment, and I know this even with my back turned to her because the hallway has loose floorboards under the carpet that squeak when you walk on them. I remember this from the other morning when I was making my way out of her apartment, chased by demons of the past and the uncertainty of my present. I suspect her hesitation is merely the result of being mired in as much awkward confusion as I've been.
Finally, I hear a squeak, and then another, and I know Vale has decided to come into the living room. My shoulders remain tense as I prepare to jump my first hurdle.
Getting her out of this apartment.
My head turns to look at her over the back of the couch, finding her eyes pinned on me. Christ, she looks sexy as fuck in a tight tank top and sweatpants that fit her just a little too good, despite the fact they're rattier than all get out.
"You might want to change," I tell her as I give her body a quick rake before standing from the couch.
She blinks at me in surprise, coming to a dead stop just to the side of her dad's recliner. He's got it collapsed into a sitting position, his back ramrod straight. He's prepared for a fight if one should occur.
"Change for what?" Vale looks between her dad and me with befuddlement.
"Hawke's taking you out," Dave pipes in with a firm voice. Almost a command.
"Out where?" she demands.
"To a movie," I smoothly lie to her. "Your dad and I think you need to get out of this apartment and do something fun. All you do is work."
Vale's eyes narrow at me, then slide over to her dad without widening a millimeter. "You both decided I need some fun?"
"Something like that," Dave says with a smirk, then gives her a wink.
Vale's gaze travels back to me, and her eyebrows raise in question. "And you're the person that's going to give it to me, I suppose?"
Oh, baby...you have no idea, I think to myself. Because, yeah...sure, I want to talk to Vale. I want to put all the cards on the table, get the truth of why she ditched me all those years ago, and I want to come to peace with that.
But I want to fuck her again, and that's the part I most certainly didn't tell Dave about. I'm quite certain I can get that to happen, and that's without any degree of ego talking. Vale and I are just magnetized to each other, particularly when it comes to sex. She's cut ties with the toad, she's already given herself to me once, and it's damn well going to happen again.
Tonight as a matter of fact.
I know this because I decided that no matter what Vale says to me tonight, no matter what her reasons are for crushing my heart, I've decided I'm going to accept it and let it go. With that nastiness out of the way, then I'm going to fuck her again.
And again, if I'm lucky.
This was my epiphany. A cleansing of our history and a monstrous orgasm deep inside the one woman who once used to rock my world.
But she just thinks we're going to a movie and I'm okay with that little lie for right now.
"Come on, Vale. Shake a leg. Go put some clothes on and let's see a movie. You can relax, let your mind escape," I say with what I hope is sincere and genuine interest in her well-being.
Vale chews on her lower lip in consideration of the offer. She looks back down at her dad, who immediately raises up a defensive hand and growls, "Don't you dare even suggest that you can't leave me alone for a few hours. I'm fine and I want you to go."
She capitulates way easier than I thought she would, which fills me with elation. While she may be as confused as I am as to the weirdness of our current relationship, she definitely wants to spend more time with me.
Or at the least, isn't averse to the idea.
It only takes ten minutes for Vale to change and for us to hit the road. She assures her dad she'll be back well before midnight, but I know that's not fucking happening if I have my way. She'll be in my bed all night and I can bring her home in the morning. I'll text Dave later to let him know.
We manage to fill the awkward void with small talk about the game last night. It's engaging enough that Vale pays no attention when I leave the beltline, nor does she seem to pay any attention when we drive farther north, away from Raleigh. It's only when I put on my turn signal in preparation to pull into my neighborhood does she sort of jolt in her seat.
"Where are we?" she asks hesitantly.
"My subdivision."
"You said we were going to a movie." Her voice is guarded, her posture stiff and unsure.
"We can watch a movie at my house. It will be more comfortable," I say with a shrug of my shoulders.
As I navigate my way through the dark roads lit periodically with streetlamps or the glow from landscape lighting, Vale crosses her arms over her chest in a defensive move. She almost sniffs with suspicion. "If you hadn't just come to my apartment to get me and let my dad know I was with you, I'd think maybe you were bringing me to your house to murder me or something."
"Why would you say that?" I ask her.
"Because you lied to me to get me out of the house. You inferred we were going out to a movie."
"Okay," I say as I pull into my driveway. I hit the garage door opener and pull my car inside. After putting it in park, I turn to her. "So I lied. I wanted some time alone for us to talk."
"Talk? About what?" she asks, but I can tell she knows damn well what I want to talk about.
I don't answer but just stare at her through the gloom of the dark garage lit only by the electronics from my stereo system. I continue to stare at her until she looks a bit uncomfortable, and finally she starts shaking her head.
"No," she says emphatically. "I'm not talking about that."
"About what?" I say innocently.
"You know what," she grits out.
"Fine," I say in exaggerated concession as I open the car door. The overhead lamp floods the interior with light and I see her skeptical look. "Let's go inside and just watch a movie. I'm sure we can find something good on pay-per-view."
I don't look back at her but walk around the car and over to the door that leads to the mudroom just off the kitchen. I hear the car door open and close again, indicating she's following me in. I unlock the door, step through, and then hold it open for Vale to come in. She walks up the two steps that lead into the mudroom, looking around with interest. The glow of the kitchen lights leads her that way. I close the door, turn, and just as she enters the kitchen almost apprehensively, I take two long strides and scoop her up in my arms.
Vale lets out a startled cry while her arms automatically go around my neck. I'm not stupid enough to think that means she's comfortable with this exact situation. Her arms are looped for leverage but her body is stiff as a board.
"What are you doing?" she hisses as I hit the staircase and bound up them two at a time, her weight absolutely not slowing me down in the slightest.
"I lied again," I tell her without an ounce of remorse. My bedroom door is open, the bedside lamp on so I need to do nothing but walk up to the bed and drop her on the mattress. While I still have boxes lined up against the wall that hold most of my winter clothing, I have at least put linens on the bed. "We're going to talk."
Vale immediately pushes up and crab walks to the edge of the bed, intent on scrambling off. "No we're not," she seethes. "I don't appreciate being manhandled or forced to do anything, much less talk to a conceited gorilla like you."
I merely bend, slip my hands under her armpits and give her a little lift off the mattress. I throw her back to the middle where she bounces once and before coming to a solid rest, I move my body over hers to pin her in place.
A snarl of outrage bubbles up in her throat, but before it can bust free, I kiss her. I kiss her to shut her up. I kiss her to keep her preoccupied. I kiss her because I'm dying to kiss her again, and it just seemed the right thing to do at the time.
While my intent was to talk first, then fuck second, I'm getting that a change of order is warranted. This is made abundantly clear by the fact that the minute my lips touch Vale's, her arms go a
round my neck and the snarl of outrage makes an appearance as a low hum of approval in her throat.
Fucking perfect. She may not want to talk, but Vale wants me.
Just as I want her still.
I lower my body onto hers, reach up, and pull her hands from my neck. Raising her arms, I pin her wrists to the mattress and kiss her deeply. She responds, all open mouth and soft lips. Her tongue dances...no, duels with mine. With her beneath my body, hands pinned helplessly, the only thing she has left to fight me with is her tongue, and it feels damned good, those attempts.
It doesn't take long...never did...for our breathing to become heavy.
For Vale to start squirming underneath me.
For my dick to become achingly hard.
I briefly consider going for the talk first. I could straddle her, keep her wrists pinned, and force her to talk. But the lance of frustrated pain right through my balls tells me that's a bad idea. I need to fuck her. I think she needs it too. Besides, a good orgasm will loosen both of us up so we can finally clear the air between us.