Chapter 3
IT’S A CONUNDRUM
SHARI
I wake abruptly to the sounds of people moving around outside the tent. I can't tell what time it is because it looks pretty light through the canvas, but it could easily only be six a.m.
A muscular arm tightens around my waist and I'm pulled back into a warm, hard body.
With an extra-hard part now nestled firmly between my bum cheeks.
Brad nuzzles my hair and his raspy voice vibrates through my chest. “Go back to sleep, it's too early. Unless you want orgasm number five?” He rolls his hips against my backside.
Damn, how is he always just ready to go?
“Too tired,” I grunt. “What time is it? We need to get back to my tent before nine. And I need to pee. But also I don't want to go out there and face all your friends. It's a conundrum.”
He groans and stands up to pull on a t-shirt and sweatpants, then helps me up from the sleeping pad.
As I'm about to question him, he slips his hoodie over my head, has me thread my arms through the sleeves, and all but drags me out of the tent.
Thankfully, the hem is so long on me no one can see my bare arse.
Most of the people that are up seem to be getting ready to work – they're not all bar staff, hence the differing shifts – so we just get some bleary-eyed smiles and nods as we make our way to the toilets. It feels less like a walk of shame with Brad holding my hand.
Bladder evacuated and hands washed, we start making our way to the glamping tents where my friends are.
I'm suddenly very conscious of the fact that I'm wearing nothing under this hoodie, and keep holding the hem down against my thighs as we walk.
Especially, when we start walking through the sea of cream-coloured tents for guests, because people.
When we get to my tent, the opening is already unzipped and Elle is sitting inside doing her makeup.
“Morning babe!” If eyes could smirk, that’s what hers would be doing. “How did you sleep?”
“Did you sleep is the real question,” Jaime's voice pipes up from behind us, sounding fairly gruff.
Pretty sure my face is a shade of pink you don't normally see on olive skin. “We slept. A bit,” I clear my throat. “Where's Max?”
“Grabbing the biggest coffee known to man to try and stave off her hangover.” Jaime eyes me for a moment. “So I take it you're staying since you don’t seem to have your clothes with you?”
“Oh shit, I can’t believe I forgot my clothes!
Um,” we hadn't actually discussed me staying past last night. My eyes flick to Brad nervously, and I’m just about to ask him if he’ll go back and get my outfit from his tent for me when he smiles.
And once again, I’m struck dumb at how beautiful he is, even after minimal sleep.
Grabbing my hand, he gives it a little shake. “I’d like you to stay. My shift doesn't start ’til four this afternoon so I can take you into town in a bit to get whatever you need to spend the weekend.”
“The weekend? Like, the whole weekend?” I squeak. Gotta stop doing that.
“Well, yeah. I'll drive you home Monday morning. I'm working the whole festival.”
“I can't. I have to be at work for half-eight on Monday.”
“Ok, then I'll drive you home on Sunday and come back for my final shift.”
“Brad. You don't even know where I live! What if I said I live in York?”
“Then I'd spend twelve hours on the road on Sunday,” he shrugs, like it's no big deal. Like I actually would be worth driving twelve hours for.
Not sure my ovaries would let me say no to that, even if I wanted to. I flick my gaze between his eyes and my friends. “Ok.”
“Ok? Yeah?” He turns to my friends when I nod. “I promise I'll get her to video call at least one of you twice a day. A text can be faked, so it's the only way to prove her wellbeing.” Swivelling back to me, he tacks on, “You, uh, you don’t live in York, though…do you?”
The look on his face is so comical, it’s almost enough to make me want to lie just to see his reaction, but I decide to take pity on the poor guy since he will be doing me a favour in dropping me home.
“No,” I grin, “I live in Bristol, so only about two hours of driving each way.”
“Oh thank fuck,” his relief is palpable, making the three of us chuckle.
Max appears and collapses into me for a hug.
Or physical support. Same-same. “Dying. Why'd you let me drink so much?
Oh, hey young one whose name I've forgotten! Did you take good care of my bestie?” She turns to me, and with possibly even less tact than she has when drunk, asks, “Did he take care of you? Wink-wink, nudge-nudge?” whilst actually winking and nudging me.
“Fuck's sake, he's going to think we're lunatics. I'm so sorry, Brad—”
“Brad! That's the one. Yes, I remember now. Braaad,” Max interrupts with the cheesiest grin, waggling her eyebrows at me.
I blink at her. “Maksura Jasmina Miller. Are you sure that's coffee and not liquid crack?”
Brad loses his battle not to laugh and starts howling.
“Good god, go and lie down before you hurt yourself, woman.
I swear you're still drunk.” Jaime ushers Max into the tent cradling her giant paper cup, and then turns to me, “I’ll grab Pickles after Elle drops me off.
He can stay with us, you know Marcus loves him.
It'll be fun!” Jaime's little boy really does love my dog.
Bet he'll use this weekend with him as an argument for why they should get a dog of their own.
“Are you sure? I thought Isaiah was allergic to dogs. I don't want to put you out.”
“Isaiah can go fuck himself, as far as I’m concerned. We’re done. For real this time. And you're not putting me out, I'm offering. Now grab your shit and go have fun. Careful how you bend over, though, I'm ninety-nine percent sure you're commando under there.”
Elle looks up at me from her perch on her sleeping mat. “Did you seriously just walk through the campsite with only a hoodie on?” At my nod, she bursts into laughter and holds her hand up for a high five. “Oh, I'm so living vicariously through you right now.”
“We'll walk you guys to your car. Do you need help carrying anything?” Brad asks once everyone's ready and packed up.
After we say goodbye to the girls, we head back to Brad's tent, strip back down to nothing, and collapse in an exhausted tangle, having only had about an hour of sleep. Turns out it was only seven a.m. when we trudged over to the other camp.
“I’m so freaking tired, but it's just so bright and noisy, I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep again,” I whinge.
Brad rolls away from me for a second, and when he returns, he places an ear-pod in my exposed ear and fiddles with his phone before spooning me again.
Moonlight Sonata starts playing softly in my right ear, and Brad grabs the additional blanket to pull over our heads and block out as much of the light as possible.
I snuggle deeper into his hold and fall back to sleep in minutes, breathing against his warm skin, wondering absently how he still smells so good.
When I wake again, it's to Brad kissing my neck and his hand trailing a slow, torturous path down my stomach. I am instantly turned on, even if a little sore from all the action I got last night. Or rather, this morning, but semantics.
I part my thighs and hook my top leg back over his to give him more access, and he groans as he finds how wet I am.
His hand disappears for a moment to readjust himself behind me, and then his cock joins his hand to rub through my wetness.
This small act feels so damn good, I think I could get off on the tease of it alone.
I've no idea how long we grind on each other like that, but eventually, he presses his blunt head to my entrance. Just as he's about to press in, I hear people outside and remember where we are.
“Wait!” I whisper shout. “We can't, there are people around, they'll hear us!”
“Blaze, love, you can't possibly want to stop now.
I'm dying here,” he groans as his forehead meets my shoulder.
Thing is, I just know if I told him to stop, he absolutely would without true complaint.
And I find that to be a turn on in itself, so.
..I press my hips back a little and he slides in an inch.
“I need the words, Blaze,” he groans. “Are you giving me the green light? We'll be quiet, I promise. But I need to hear you say it.”
“Seeking consent is sexy. Yes, you have the green light. Fuck me quietly, Brad.”
He sheathes himself completely and we both let out low moans at the contact.
We meet each other in small thrusts as he rubs my clit with his right hand; his left threaded under my body and playing with my nipple. Tiny electric shocks buzz across my abdomen and I want this feeling to last forever.
Just as I start to crest the wave, a voice comes from right outside the tent. “Brad? Hey man, you up? We're heading over to grab breakfast. Brad?”
The jingle of the tent zip being grabbed has me jumping out of my skin but Brad growls, “I swear if you unzip the tent, Dave, I will shove a tent pole so far up your arse you’ll need to get it surgically removed! I will come and find you later. Now fuck. Off.”
I hear someone else say something about the bird with the braids and Dave's responding, “Oh shit! Sorry mate, later.”
Brad never pulled out during that interaction, but he did stop moving, and his cock pulses inside me in protest. I'm somewhere between aroused and mortified.
“You ok?” his voice vibrates through my body, all the way to my pussy.
“That was a little harsh, no? Poor Dave.”
“I don’t share. And definitely not this view,” he runs his hand down the front of my body. “But if you’re into being watched, I can call him back. I’d probably have to kill him afterwards for having seen you naked, but…I’d do it once if that’s what you really wanted.”
“No, I’m not into being watched, but I weirdly am into that whole speech.
” I squeeze my inner walls to punctuate the fact, and that sets him off.
His hips piston fast and hard and the slapping of skin is undeniable as to what's going on in this tent, but I'm past caring as my orgasm rises again.
Brad alternates rubbing and tapping my clit, sending those delicious sparks all through my body as I careen off the edge of the world.
Just as I'm about to wail, he turns my head towards him and captures the sound with his lips, coming himself mere seconds later, tremors wracking his body.
We stare at each other as our breathing calms, and a smile takes over my face. “Good morning.”
He chuckles in response. “It certainly is, Blaze. It certainly is.”