Chapter 18
Eric
Ariana has been unusually quiet during dinner. I filled her in on more about the farm. I don’t get into too much detail about my dad and his fortunes, but I do tell her how he decided he had a big midlife crisis and bought this farm. She laughed but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She told me her call was just a friend checking in on her, but I don’t believe that for one second.
I can’t escape the feeling that Ariana is hiding things about her life.
I decide I need to get her to relax a little and then I’ll start questioning her this evening. I plate our food while she pulls out silverware for us and then I grab a bottle of wine. Pouring us each a glass, I look over at her. She’s sitting at the table texting. Her teeth are biting her bottom lip. She looks worried. And I don’t like that at all.
“Here,” I say as I set a glass in front of her.
“Oh, thanks,” she answers but doesn’t look up from her phone until I’m seated.
I reach over and place a hand on hers and I see her eyes glaze over. “What’s wrong?” I ask.
She presses her lips together and shakes her head. “Nothing. It’s nothing,” she tries to assure me.
“Let’s eat,” I say, changing the subject for the moment. Her shoulders drop slightly as she relaxes. I tell her about the farm cleanup and how the one tree falling caused some damage to the main drive, which gives me an opportunity to turn it into a two-lane drive when the company comes out to fix it next week.
She smiles and seems to listen attentively, but I know something is weighing on her mind. We clear the dishes, and she helps me clean up the kitchen. Again, it’s like she’s been here for years. In only a few weeks, she’s learned where things go, and she moves around me as if we can sense how the other will move. It’s the opposite of her normal klutzy tendencies. When she’s working with me in the kitchen, it’s like a well-orchestrated dance.
She turns from putting the final plate away. I step in front of her and box her in with my arms on the counter on either side of her.
“Now, where were we?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
She’s fighting my distraction as she tries to play along but that smile still doesn’t reach her eyes, so I lean in and start kissing her jaw.
“Were we here?” I ask as I kiss her chin.
She shakes her head.
I lean in farther and kiss her earlobe. “How about here?”
“Nope,” she whispers.
“Here?” I ask as I graze her cheek with my lips.
“Not quite,” she replies.
I hover my lips over hers and look into her eyes. I have her attention now. Mission accomplished. “How about right here?” I question and I watch her eyes darken.
“I think that’s right,” she answers, her lower lip just barely touching mine as she moves it.
“Then, we better pick up where we left off, little catastrophe,” I tease as I press my lips fully against hers and watch her eyelids flutter closed. Her lips are smooth and warm against mine. I love the little whimpers she makes and the way her head moves toward me, seeking more, wanting more of my touch.
I pull back after a minute. “Let’s go upstairs,” I say. “I want to take my time with you.”
She nods. Her arms cross behind my neck as I lift her under her thighs, carrying her up to my bed.
“What about Thor?” she asks.
Fucking pussy-blocking kitten.
“I’m going to feed him and bring him to his box up here. I want you in my bed naked when we get back,” I command.
She grins, and this time it’s a real smile and it makes me smile. “Yes, sir, boss,” she whispers seductively. Fuck me. This woman is going to be the death of me.
I scramble down the stairs and tend to Thor’s insane appetite. This kitten eats like he’s a full-grown lion.
“Come on, buddy,” I urge as he slurps down his formula.
Then I wrap him up and bring him with me to his second box. I still can’t believe she made an office box for him. This is going to be one spoiled cat. I have a sneaking suspicion this one will not be a barn cat.
“You’re in charge,” I say to Pricilla who is lounging in the bed we made her here with her other kittens nursing.
I hurry up the stairs and into my room. I stop and stare before setting Thor into his bedtime box. Ariana is naked in my bed, and she looks like every man’s wet dream. She’s curvy in all the right places. Her long hair hangs down like curtains around her breasts, only giving me glimpses of the two orbs I want to spend ample time worshipping this evening. Her legs are crossed, and I frown. No, that won’t do at all.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, furrowing her eyebrows.
I pull my shirt over my head and push my boxers and pants off as I make my way to her. When I reach the bed, I grab each of her ankles and slowly spread her legs until I see exactly what I want.
“Don’t keep me from seeing my second-favorite part of you,” I grumble as I crawl up between her legs, pressing kisses to each of her knees and thighs as I journey to the center of my world.
She giggles. “Oh? What’s your favorite, then?” she asks before groaning as I lick her folds.
I look up at her. “Your face or maybe your eyes or maybe”—I lean forward and take a nipple in my mouth and she groans again—“your breasts. It’s a hard choice.”
She laughs until I graze her nipple with my teeth and then she moans.
I get lost in her body for the next hour, memorizing how every square inch of her body feels against mine. After making her come for the fourth time, I roll us over and settle her against my side. She’s languid and her breathing is slow. I decide to press her with some questions.
“You know, you could go get the rest of your belongings now that you’re settled here,” I start.
She tenses a little. “Yeah, I will. I really don’t have much that I need. This is my first job since graduating college.”
“Were you living with your parents when you weren’t at school?” I ask.
She’s quiet for a beat.
“I want to know everything about you,” I whisper, trying to put her at ease as I kiss the top of her head.
She rolls on her belly and I settle her between my legs with her head propped on her hands that lie on my chest. She looks up at me.
“As I’ve mentioned, my parents are divorced. My mother lives in France with my half brothers who are in high school. I lived with my dad in the city when I wasn’t at school,” she starts.
“I haven’t heard you call him. Are you close?” I ask.
She shrugs. “Sort of.” She sighs. “He’s very…demanding. And he’s always busy. I love him, but he’s difficult to be around. I guess, I wanted to get settled and be able to prove to him that I can make it on my own before I looped him in on all of this.” She motions around us.
“So, he doesn’t know you’re here?” I question.
“No. He…well, sort of. He knows I’m working for a small company doing social media marketing. I’ll fill him in on the rest later. He’s familiar with this town, so I’m sure he’ll be pleased with where I’ve decided to live,” she explains.
“Why do I feel like there’s a lot more to that story?” I state with a raised eyebrow.
She blushes and that makes me want to kiss her and forget about this line of questioning, but I also want answers.
“There’s more, but none of that matters. I promise I’ll share more with you…in time. I just, I’m trying to figure it all out, you know?” she says as she looks up at me with hopeful eyes.
“You can tell me anything, you know that, right?” I say, searching her eyes.
“I know. My family is a lot to handle, and all of this is new and exciting, and I just need some time to process it all. I’ll tell my dad everything, and eventually, you can meet him. I want to get through the re-opening first and then I’ll work on all my personal stuff, OK?” she says. I don’t like that she’s keeping things from me, but this information is a start.
I roll us over and kiss her lips gently before pulling back to look down at her. “You don’t need my permission to live your life, Ariana. I just want you to share it with me. I want you to be able to tell me anything and everything, no matter if it’s good or bad.”
Her eyes glaze over, and she bites her lip. “I don’t like my dad’s girlfriend. That’s who called tonight. She’s a real…” She trails off.
“Oh. I see. You want to talk about it?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Maybe, you can distract me a little more?” she pleads.
I smile down at her. “Now that, I can do.” I kiss her lips. “I’m available for complete distraction by hot sex whenever you desire it.”
She giggles and the sound warms my heart. I’ll get to the bottom of her life, but for now, I’m just going to enjoy this moment. Hell, maybe it’s better if I don’t know everything, then I can’t get too attached.