Convincing Her Page 4

  By Wednesday Rich was packed and ready to go. Pete was already headed up to the house with his friends to check out what supplies they would need.

  Angie hadn’t responded to his last few texts and he hated to admit it but he was feeling pretty defeated. Despite Tyler’s agreement to try and convince her to go and a pumpkin cheesecake he’d had special ordered from the bakery he’d gotten nowhere. He’d tried to figure out what her relationship issues were. Though he’d known her for a couple of years now he’d never really questioned why she didn’t have anyone in her life. Had she been hurt by someone she was involved with when she was younger? Was it more than that? The questions continued to form, but no answers were available. Even Tyler wasn’t sure exactly what Angie’s issues with relationships were. If she’d just talk to him!

  To make matters worse, Chris had shown up to their room the night before with two drunken girls. They were hot and completely willing to help him out of his funk, but he’d declined. His roommate had given him shit for a while until he’d finally taken him out into the hall and explained he was really into someone else. Luckily, his friend was cool about his situation. He was also more than a little happy to have the two girls to himself, so Rich had excused himself so they’d have some privacy.

  It had been years since he’d gone without regular sexual contact and his dick was not happy with him. Even after relieving himself in the shower that morning, twice, his hard-on wouldn’t quit. At the slightest thought of Angie he sprang to attention.

  Chris had taken off that afternoon, promising to hit him up as soon as he returned after the break. Rich considered checking out some porn, but the images in his head were all he needed to get fired up. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to relieve a little tension.

  Gripping his length, he closed his eyes and imagined Angie was with him. He could still remember the feel of her small cool hands as she worked him. He could almost smell her, feel her weight on him. Her lips had been so soft and warm. His hips got into the action, fucking up into his fist. Moisture seeped from the tip and he used his thumb to spread the wetness over the thick head of his cock. If he ever had the chance to be inside of her again he was going to take it. He needed to feel her, needed to hear her moaning in his ear as he pounded into her.

  He gave himself up to his fantasy, pumping his dick as he considered all the possibilities. He would touch her softly at first, caressing her silky skin for as long as she’d allow. Then when she was ready he’d grasp her breasts in his hands, teasing the nipples until she was begging for more. When she was bare before him, he’d suck and lick every inch of her body until she screamed.

  His hand moved faster now, picturing her naked and needy. He’d place kisses down her stomach until he was finally between her legs. A low groan escaped his throat and he brought his other hand into the mix, cupping and tugging at his balls gently. He knew she’d taste amazing and feel so good against his mouth. He’d grip her hips and fuck her with his tongue until she came on his face. Even then he wouldn’t stop, he’d place soft kisses to her inner thighs and belly until she calmed, then lick her glistening slit gently until she was ready for more. He’d tease her clit, alternating between licking and sucking until she was begging for him to fuck her.

  Rich moaned her name as he released onto his taut stomach. His eyes were squeezed shut, lost in the sensations coursing through him. After several minutes he finally came back to earth, more convinced than ever to try and persuade her to come on this trip with him. He had to have her. He was willing to risk their friendship for something more.

  He tossed his last bag into the back of his car and pulled out his phone.

  Rich: Last chance Angel

  He sent the text and sat in the driver’s seat, waiting. The drive would take three hours or so, plenty of time to wallow in his failure. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t figured out a way to persuade Angie to go on this trip.

  He punched the steering wheel in frustration and started the engine. When he returned, she would be the first person he went to see. Maybe she really would miss him. He couldn’t believe he was pining after her like this. It made him grateful that he’d never crushed on anyone in high school like some of his friends had. He had given them so much shit for being hung up on girls. He laughed at himself, if they could only see him now. Finding a classic rock station on the radio, he cranked up the volume and pulled out of the parking space.

  About thirty minutes later he decided to stop and get an energy drink at the gas station on the highway. After making a quick trip to the restroom, he grabbed some donuts and his drink and climbed back into his car. He eyed his phone, tempted to shut it off completely. He swiped the screen and shot Pete a quick text that he was on his way, asking if there was anything he needed to pick up before he arrived. While he waited for the response, he downed his donuts and half of his drink. His phone sounded and he wiped his hands before grabbing it.

  Angel: I give come get me

  His stomach did a weird little flip.

  Rich: 30 min

  He put the car in reverse and flipped around, heading back into town. Now all he had to do was not fuck this up.

  Rich placed Angie’s bag into the back seat of his Nova. When he’d arrived at Tyler and Cameron’s she’d been waiting outside on the steps braiding her still-damp hair. She’d given him a look that was filled with part trepidation and part embarrassment, so he’d kept his mouth shut.

  She climbed into the back seat, resting her head on her bag, “How far is this place?”

  “We’ll be there in a few hours.”

  Pulling out her phone and some ear buds from her purse, she placed them in her ears, “Wake me up when we get there.”

  Okay then. He wouldn’t complain, she was in his car and they were on the way.

  Two long hours had passed in relative silence. He could hear the faint sounds of her music and her even breathing as she slept. The scent of her shampoo filled the car and he knew he would be able to recognize that smell anywhere. His eyes drifted to his rearview mirror, resting on her face, so peaceful. He forced himself to focus on the road, he’d never get a chance to make her his if they didn’t make the trip.

  “Will it be much longer?” She murmured.

  Her voice was husky with sleep and sexy as hell, “Not too much longer.”

  She surprised him by climbing over the seat, settling beside him, her knees bent and her legs pulled up underneath her body.

  “So, don’t you want to know why I changed my mind?” She asked as she turned off her phone.

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m just glad you’re here.” He answered honestly.

  She laughed softly, “You’re a smooth talker Mr. Remington.”

  “That just sounds weird. I think I’d rather have you call me Dick.” He shot her a grin, pleased when she smiled at him in return.

  “All right then, Dick. I’m going to tell you anyway. I thought I could handle being around Ty and Cam. I was prepared for raging boners everywhere I turned. It was the way they looked at each other. They’re so in love. It’s sickening. I thought they would have cooled off by now, but it just gets worse every time I see them.”

  He laughed at her tone, “Huh, I thought you’d be more of a romantic. All those dirty-girl books you read and all.”

  She let out a giggle, “Those books are about sex silly, not love. There’s a big difference. I read smut, not romance.”

  “Maybe I’ll have to check a few of them out.” He was able to get the words out with a straight face, surprisingly enough.

  Rolling her eyes, she huffed, “Men are visual creatures. You wouldn’t like them the way I do. After all, there aren’t any pictures.” She teased.

  “Hey, I have a good imagination.” He felt his cheeks heat at the thought of his fantasy the night before. “I bet I could even write one if I tried. It’s all about bodice ripping right?”

  “No one says bodice anymore. What have you been reading?”

  “My brot
her Pete came across some of my mom’s old novels when he was twelve. We may or may not have flipped through a few pages.” He admitted with a low laugh. That had been an eye-opening experience, to say the least.

  “So you were what, fifteen?”

  “Yeah, I’d just turned fifteen actually. I didn’t look my mother in the eye for a year.”

  “Sometimes I wish I was British.”

  “That came out of nowhere. Why?” The girl never ceased to surprise him.

  “They have really cool accents, and they can use words that just don’t sound the same when we say it.”

  “Like what?”

  “Having a wank sounds so much better than the phrases we have for it.”

  He frowned, confused, “What made you think of that?”

  “I was thinking about you and your brother, and what you probably did after you read your mom’s books. Am I right?” She wagged her eyebrows suggestively.

  “Well, yeah. At least I did. I’m not sure if he was doing that yet.” He wasn’t ashamed. The better part of his fifteenth year was spent taking really long showers.

  “I mean, masturbating sounds so – clinical, you know? And jacking off? Where did that term even come from?” She asked curiously, pulling out her phone, “I’m going to look it up.”

  “What does it say?”

  “I’m not getting very far. One guy says he thinks it’s comparable to the motion you make when you’re jacking up a car. I’m mostly getting a punch of links to porn sites.” She rolled her eyes again.

  “What do you call it when you do it?” He bit his tongue after the question passed his lips. Was that going a little too far?

  She snorted, “I don’t call it anything. You do it, not talk about it.”

  “We’re talking about it.” He had to point out.

  “Yeah, let’s not, sorry I brought it up.” She squirmed in her seat. “So what’s the plan when we get there?”

  He settled into his seat, “No plan. That’s the whole point right? We’re going to relax. Pete’s been up there since last night. We’ll fix something to eat, maybe have a few beers.”

  She started working her lower lip between her teeth again. “No plan. Okay. I can do that.” She didn’t sound convinced.

  “It’ll be fun. Just trust me.”

  She nodded and turned her body, looking out the window. “So how far out in the woods is this place?”

  “It’s only thirty miles or so to the nearest town. We’ll make a weekly trip to get anything we need. You’ll be okay city girl. I’m here to take care of you.” He reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder, massaging gently.

  Instead of responding with a comment about him being sexist she just nodded. She didn’t pull away from his touch either. He told himself that was a good sign.

  “Rich?” She was so quiet he barely heard her.

  “I’m listening.” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear what she had to say, but he was listening.

  “I’m willing to – we’re going to be – dammit I don’t even know what I’m trying to say.” She let out a frustrated huff of air, “Look, I want to try this, whatever this is. But I can’t promise anything after this trip. Can we agree to just enjoy this time without making it something more than it is?”

  He took his time answering her, considering the possibilities. Of course he was thrilled that she was willing to be more than friends, that she was actually going to give him a shot despite the fact that she’d promised him years ago they’d never cross that line. But was he willing to take this short time with her and be done? The answer was a resounding no. He wanted her now, yet he wanted a chance at a future with her as well.

  “No, I can’t agree to that.” He shook his head, “Not can’t, I won’t make a promise I can’t keep.” Gripping the steering wheel tightly he glanced at her, “I want you, and that won’t stop after we leave here, especially not once we – if I get a taste of you being mine, I won’t be able to just give that up.”

  “What if I don’t give you a choice?” She challenged, raising her chin at him.

  “You’re not that cruel. You won’t discard me once you’ve had your fun. Remember, I’m the user, not you.” He made a sound of disgust in his throat, hating the way he felt as he thought of the way she’d looked at him that night so long ago.

  Her eyes widened and she looked away, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry about that.” She whispered.

  “You don’t have to be sorry. What you said was true, to a point.” He waved his hand dismissively, “We’ve known each other a while, but you don’t know everything about me, not yet. There are reasons that I’ve never had a relationship, just like I’m sure you have your reasons as well. I don’t expect you to tell me now. I can be patient but I want to give this a real shot.”

  His heart beat forcefully in his chest as he waited for her answer, wishing with everything he had that she wouldn’t ask him to turn the car around. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her hand moved slowly across the seat until she made contact with his thigh.

  The rest of the drive was silent. He didn’t mind. It was actually sort of nice to just sit with her even if he did wonder what was going on in that busy mind of hers. She’d tell him if she really wanted him to know. When they finally pulled up in the drive she uncurled her legs and stretched before taking a few deep breaths.

  “It’s really pretty out here Rich.” She scanned her surroundings as she stepped out of the car.

  “It is pretty amazing. I haven’t been out here in years.” He took a deep breath, enjoying the musky smell of the earth.

  “That’s a big fucking house.” She shielded her eyes from the sun as she took in the place.

  “I told you there were enough rooms for everyone. It’s really old too. My parents had to get an electrician to rewire everything when they first bought it. I was only ten or eleven then. A few years later they redid the plumbing. Hopefully everything still works.”

  He grabbed her hand and began leading her to the house, “There’s a lot of history here. I broke my arm climbing that tree over there,” he pointed to a huge old tree to the left of the property, “and Pete almost drowned in the lake when he was fourteen. I was so scared.”

  She squeezed his hand, “Thanks for bringing me here.”

  “Thank you for coming with me.” He tugged her forward.

  “What if I don’t get along with your brother’s girlfriend?” She whispered as they approached the front the steps.

  “Then we’ll stay away from her. Like you said, it’s a big place.” He wasn’t worried. Angie might not see it in herself, but she was very personable when she wanted to be.

  “I love this porch. I want to sit out here reading and drinking coffee the whole time.” She ran her hand over the worn wood.

  He’d seen his mom do the same thing many times. The wrap-around porch was one of the reasons his mom had insisted they buy the place. She’d said it looked like something right out of a painting.

  The door opened and he recognized Pete instantly, though he had changed in the time they’d been apart. He was a lot more muscular for one thing, and he’d shot up a few inches, still shorter than Rich’s six-foot frame but taller nonetheless. He still had almost white-blond hair, and those blue eyes were still a shocker. He could understand how his brother did so well with the ladies. “Look at you little brother, all grown up.” He shook Pete’s hand, noticing the firm grip that was returned.

  Pete shot him a smile, “You haven’t changed much. How you been?”

  “Good. Busy. The normal stuff I guess, school, work, chasing after this one over here.” He nodded towards Angie who was standing quietly beside him.

  “You convinced her to come after all.” Pete reached out and shook Angie’s hand as well, “Good to meet you.”

  Her cheeks were pink, but she nodded her greeting and returned the handshake.

  “So Charlie and Trevor are inside, and I’m sure Tracy will be out
here any minute.” Pete motioned to the house, “We were thinking of going fishing. Catch something to cook up later.”

  “How much of a disaster is it in there?” Rich dipped his head towards the house.

  Pete chuckled, “Actually, Trevor drank a shit-load of Red Bull on way up here. As soon as we unloaded our stuff he went crazy on the place. He was still dusting when we finally crashed early this morning. We can’t use the oven yet, but the stove top still works fine. I think mom had someone come do some basic stuff. The bathrooms are spotless and all the beds had clean linens. Charlie set up the wireless router. The password is written on the fridge.”

  “Well that’s a relief. We’ll have to call mom and thank her. Fishing sounds good to me, everything still out in the shed?”

  “All covered in dust, but yeah it’s there. You won’t believe what’s in the garage.” Pete motioned to his left, “Mom and dad got us presents.”

  Rich was surprised, “What’s gotten into them lately? Last time I talked to mom I was sure she was drunk. It was like talking to a different woman. Show me what they got us.”

  “Thank god you got her to come. I did not want to be stuck out here with a bunch of guys for six weeks. I was not looking forward to hanging out with three teenagers.” A tall blond, well mostly blond since the bottom of her hair was pink, stepped onto the porch and walked right up to Angie. “I’m Tracy.” She nodded in Rich’s direction in a quick greeting, “Let me show you the house, it’s fucking huge right?”

  Angie’s eyes grew wide and she shot a worried glance in his direction, “Um, I have to pee.”

  “You’re going to love the main bathroom. It has one of those old claw tubs. I spent an hour in there this morning.” Tracy grabbed Angie’s hand, pulling her away.

  Rich frowned, worried. He was pretty sure this was exactly what she had been worried about. She shot him a small smile and followed Tracy into the house.

  “So that’s Tracy. She’s interesting right?” Pete let out a short laugh, “C’mon, she’s harmless, just a little loud. It works for me since I’m not.” He motioned to the garage, “Let’s check out our gifts.”