Erotic Influence (6 page)

“Oh. Uh…no, I didn’t. I was just agreeing with you. I mean,
showing I’d heard you.”

Tammy rolled her eyes in her signature move of disbelief and
set her hands on her hips. They had just finished washing the dishes but were
still standing in the kitchen talking. The television was blaring and their dad
was already snoring in the next room.

“Yeah, whatever,” Tammy said. “You didn’t hear a word I
said. What did you do all day anyway? Besides play Cinderella?”

Annie turned away and started rummaging through the pantry.
She was a terrible liar and Tammy always seemed to see right through her. “Not
much. There was plenty of cleaning to keep me busy.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet. I noticed Rick’s car was in his driveway
when we got home. Did he come over?”

Luckily she had stepped closer and lowered her voice. The
sound of their dad’s snores still echoed through the house. Not that he’d be
able to hear them over the TV anyway. Annie took a deep breath and turned to
face her sister. “Yeah.”

Thin eyebrows shot up as Tammy’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my
god, what happened? And don’t tell me nothing ’cause you’re beet red, girl.”

Annie couldn’t help the nervous laugh that escaped. She
twisted her hands together before crossing her arms and trapping them against
her body. Tammy was old enough to know about sex. Annie had given her
the
talk
herself on Tammy’s thirteenth birthday. She was a little worried about
being a bad influence, but she was pretty sure Tammy wasn’t a virgin anymore
anyway.

She took a deep breath and blurted it all out in one long
stream of frantic words. “I had sex with him and now he thinks he’s my
boyfriend but he’s so hot he can’t be serious and I don’t know what to do.”

Then she unexpectedly burst into tears.

Tammy didn’t hesitate to pull Annie into a tight hug and it
definitely helped. She cried against her sister and let all the fear and
confusion drain out of her. So what if Rick was the hottest guy in her
universe? She wasn’t exactly dog meat. She felt plain and boring, but she had a
decent body. He sure as hell seemed to like it. And anyway, there were plenty
of other single women in the area. Even in their small subdivision there were
at least two single women who were closer to his age. If he had wanted one of
them Annie had no doubt he could have had them. But he’d chosen her. And it was
seriously overwhelming.

Her sobs finally slowed to sniffles and Tammy rubbed her
back before pulling away enough to see her face. “Hey, big sis, it can’t be
that bad. I mean, you had sex with one serious hunk o’man. You should be
celebrating, not crying.”

Annie snorted out a laugh and the last of her tears slipped
down her cheeks. She wiped them away and hugged her sister again. “Thanks. I
needed that.”

“I don’t think I understand why.”

With a sigh Annie shrugged and stepped away to lean on the
kitchen counter. “I’m just worried and confused. And a little scared, you know?
I mean, he might only be two years older but it seems like a decade at least. I
feel so immature compared to him. He’s got his own house and car, a great job
and a life. What do I have? A crappy part-time job and a father who won’t let
me check the mail without him waiting in the truck. It’s ridiculous.”

Tammy nodded in understanding as she chewed on her pink
fingernails. “Yeah, I see what you mean. But hey, Dad does let us walk down to
the mailboxes without him on Saturdays, right?”

It was Annie’s turn to roll her eyes. “Yeah, but I still
have no driver’s license and no future. And that reminds me, we need to go
check the mail.”

“Uh, no. No, we don’t.”

Tammy immediately turned away and a sense of unease settled
over Annie. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Tammy’s shoulders rose and fell with her breath as she
slowly turned back to face her sister. “We picked up the mail on the way home
and I got a letter from U of H.”

“Yeah? What does it say? Which campus?”

Tammy had been praying every night for an acceptance letter
into the University of Houston. Annie had too. The campus was far enough away
to necessitate living there but close enough for comfort and Annie’s piece of
mind.

“It’s from the main campus. And it says I got in.”

“Woo-hoo!” Annie flew at her sister and pulled her into a
bear hug, hopping from one foot to the other in excitement. Tammy laughed in
her ear but when Annie pulled back there were tears in her sister’s eyes. The
look on her face wasn’t joyful.

“What’s the problem, sis? Why aren’t you happy?”

Tammy shook her head and ran the back of her arm over her
eyes. “It’s too much, Annie. I’ve applied for every scholarship I’m eligible
for and I’ve only been granted a few. But they’re all small. I mean, I could
probably go for one semester. But then what?”

Her shaky voice almost put Annie in tears again but she
straightened her spine and did her best not to crumple. She was the big sister
here. She needed to be the strong one. Rick’s voice echoed through her head
with the promise of at least one thousand dollars, and that was just one shoot.
What if she could ask for more work? That was it. It was a no-brainer really.
Plus she had her savings.

She smiled at Tammy and hugged her again. “Don’t worry about
it, sis. I’ve got something in the works that will help pay for at least the
first year. After that we’ll see, okay?”

Tammy brows shot up again but at least her chin stopped
trembling. “You do?”

“Yup. I just found out about it today so I don’t have all
the details yet. But don’t worry about it.”

“Is it…” She glanced at small opening in the wall where they
could see their dad still sleeping in his recliner. “Is it
illegal
?”

Annie almost laughed at the whispered question but just
shook her head. “Of course not. You know me better than that.”

Tammy nodded. “Yeah. I know. Just making sure. I don’t want
you doing anything crazy for me, Annie. No matter what.”

Annie smiled but didn’t say anything else. It might be
legal, but posing nude was also definitely crazy.

She kissed Tammy on the cheek and walked out of the kitchen
without another word. It was best she stop while she was ahead rather than
trying to come up with an outright lie. Tammy would spot it in an instant and
get the truth out of her in no time flat. The best thing to do now was let Rick
know she had made her decision. She closed herself in her room and looked out
the window. His car was still there. With a huff of annoyance she realized she
still didn’t have his phone number.

A glance at the clock showed it was almost nine. Her dad
would probably be out until at least midnight. He usually fell asleep in the
recliner until his aching back woke him up. He’d had a couple of beers with
dinner so that relaxed him even more. She could go out the back door and tell
Tammy to say she was in the shower if he woke early.

Her only reservation was getting Tammy to lie for her. How
could she get after her sister about sneaking out of the house if she did it
too? Of course, she shouldn’t have to at her age, and at least she would tell
Tammy where she was going. That almost never happened in reverse. She took a
deep breath and weighed the consequences. She had to work the next day and her dad
would be home all day. The chances of her getting to see Rick were pretty slim.
Yeah, he had said she had a couple of days, but what if Wes chose another model
instead of waiting on her decision? No. That simply wasn’t a chance she was
willing to take. This was too important.

Decision made, she pulled on her tennis shoes and left her
room. Tammy was sitting on her bed painting her toenails when Annie walked in.
“Hey, I need a favor.”

Tammy didn’t even bother looking up. “What’s up?”

“If dad wakes up tell him I just finished taking a shower,
okay? I’ll leave the bathroom light on and shut the door.”

Her sister’s head shot up. “You’re sneaking out?” she
whispered.

“I’m not sneaking,” Annie whispered back. “I’m just going
across the street for a minute. You know he doesn’t like Rick. He’d have a fit
if he knew I was talking to him.”

Tammy snorted out a laugh. “Yeah…talking.”

“Oh hush. I’ll be right back.”

“I won’t wait up. Take your time.”

Annie couldn’t help but smile as she walked away. She turned
on the bathroom light and shut the door. Their dad had his own bathroom so he
almost never went into theirs. Thinking she might be in there getting dressed
would definitely keep him out tonight. A glance into the living room proved he
was still asleep. Though his snores had told her that from down the hallway,
she had needed to see it to calm her fears. She walked out the back door and
shut it quietly, then jogged all the way to Rick’s front door.

He answered on the second knock and the surprise on his face
was quickly replaced with a warm smile. He pulled her into the house before she
could get a word out.

“Rick—”

He silenced her with a kiss as he kicked his door shut. She
heard the lock click and fell into the warmth of his embrace. His arms
tightened around her and all her worries fell away. His strength held her up
and ensured nothing could hurt her for these few stolen moments.

His tongue dueled with hers, slipping past her teeth and
tasting every inch of her mouth. She moaned and sucked on his tongue. It caused
an immediate reaction in him. He grasped her hips and ground his obvious
erection into her lower belly. That in turn made her squirm and cling to him
tighter.

Finally he ended the kiss to look into her eyes. “Damn I
needed that.”

She gave a laugh as weak as her trembling knees. “Me too.”

“How did I get so lucky to find you so close to home?”

Before she could even think of a reply he was kissing her
again. A sensual haze enveloped her until time had no meaning. The purpose of
her visit was gone and all she knew was the feel of Rick’s lips and tongue. His
hands joined the party and rubbed along her sides until reaching her breasts.
He squeezed them gently and sent a shot of pleasure straight to her core.

She pulled back to gasp in a breath. “Oh. Rick.”

He took the opportunity to nibble on her chin, then her
throat. “Yeah, baby? Like that?”

“Yeah. I do.” And she really did, but why she was there
popped into her head as she realized seconds were ticking away. “But this isn’t
why I’m here.”

He didn’t release her, but he did give her enough room to
catch her breath.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“I thought about what you said…about modeling.”

His brows rose slightly and she could tell he was holding
back a grin. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I could really use the money to get Tammy into
school. I think I’ll be okay with the job.”

His threatening grin melted away. “Tammy? What about you?”

She swallowed down her apprehension and hoped he wasn’t
angry. “I can’t go anywhere until I know she’s taken care of.”

Instead of anger, understanding crossed his face and he
pressed a light kiss to her lips. “I kind of figured you would feel that way.”

A weight lifted from her chest and she relaxed into his
hold. “You did?”

“Yes, I did. I can tell how important your sister is to you,
and I don’t blame you one bit.”

“Thank you.”

He kissed her again. “You’re very welcome. So, you’re sure
you’ll be okay with the pictures?”

She started to nod but stopped herself to really think it
over. Honesty was always the best policy and she wanted nothing but honesty
between them. “I…I think so. I’d like to try. You’ll be there the whole time,
right? I’ll be just with you?”

“Yes. I’ll never leave your side. Wes will be in the room
too. Sometimes his wife watches, but if that’ll make you uncomfortable I can ask
her not to.”

She couldn’t help her frown. “I don’t want her seeing you
naked.”

He grinned and kissed her again. “She already has, but there
isn’t anything between us other than friendship. I’ll ask her not to watch.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” And then there were no more words for a
while.

Annie sat stock-still as she looked through Rick’s
portfolio. Her only movement was the steady rise and fall of her perfect
breasts. He watched her face for some kind of reaction, but after the initial
shock there was nothing. His full portfolio was on a flash drive he normally
kept in a small safe in his bedroom. Now he and Annie were sitting against his
headboard, completely naked but for the bedcovers. She held the covers over her
delectable body like a shield as she flipped through his images.

“So,” he said. “What do you think?”

Her initial blush had long ago faded but she wouldn’t quite
meet his eye. “Um…they’re interesting.”

He chuckled and pulled the computer off her lap, setting it
aside so he could get her full attention. She allowed it and said nothing as he
moved the blankets aside to touch her.

“Just interesting?” he asked.

He ran a finger from her throat down between her breasts.
Her breath hitched as she nodded slowly. “Y-yes. I mean…they’re more than
interesting. They’re… I don’t think beautiful is quite the word I want, but I
can’t think of another.”

He leaned in and kissed each nipple. “You’re beautiful.

“Thank you. You make me feel beautiful.”

“Good.”

He placed a palm flat on her belly and watched with
fascination as tiny bumps pebbled on her skin. She was so reactive to his every
touch, giving him a sense of power he’d never had from a woman. His usual
bedmates were very self-assured and confident. Though he didn’t like Annie’s
lack of confidence, he enjoyed her innocence. Teaching her new pleasures would
soon be his favorite hobby.

“Rick, I should leave soon.”

“Not yet, baby. Let me play a little longer.”

A small smile lifted one side of her mouth as she scooted
lower on the bed, putting her flat on her back. He shoved the covers completely
off the bed to have full access then removed her glasses and set them aside.
With the laptop closed the only illumination came from his open bathroom door.
The shadows danced across her glistening skin, making his mouth water in
anticipation. A fine sheen of moisture covered her from their earlier
exertions. His body had just started to cool but he certainly didn’t mind
heating it back up again.

“Just a little longer,” she whispered.

He answered with a kiss on her lips before moving down to
her breasts. No other pair had ever called for his attention so mercilessly. He
sucked and suckled, nipped and nibbled. Her panting breaths were music to his
ears as she began to writhe. With a hand on each hip he kept her still for his
feasting. She speared her fingers through his hair and moaned his name.

“Oh Rick.”

“Mmmm.”

Soon his lips found her sweetest, most sensitive spot and
she cried out. That enticed him to add tongue and a hint of teeth. He moved his
grip to her inner thighs and spread her legs wider. She allowed it with full
abandon and made him grin. One by one he was knocking down all her inhibitions.
She’d be ready for Wes’ camera in no time.

Rick pressed his lips to her moist skin and hummed before
thrusting his tongue in deep. With a shout and a tug of his hair she exploded
into climax. He licked her sweetness until she shuddered and begged him to
stop. “No more…please.”

“You’re just so delicious. I can’t get enough.”

He moved up her body and shared the taste with her, kissing
her deep and long. She moaned again and wrapped her body around his. The urge
to thrust into her was so strong he almost did it. Luckily he caught himself at
the last moment. “Baby, wait. I need a condom.”

Her arms and legs slid off him slowly and he glanced at her
expression. It was blank, no reaction at all. No fear or panic that he almost
entered her unprotected. What did that mean? He knew he was clean because he
got tested regularly. Though he’d never in his life had sex without a condom he
wasn’t one to take chances. He highly doubted she was on birth control but they
hadn’t talked about it yet. That conversation would have to happen soon.

He grabbed the already-open box from his bedside table and
pulled out a foil package. She had frowned when she saw the contents of the
drawer beside his bed. Condoms, lube and a couple of small toys all lay hidden
within easy reach. He hadn’t actually needed any of it since moving into this
house, but he believed in always being prepared. Hopefully the sight hadn’t
hurt her opinion of him. Another thing they needed to talk about.

Impatience ate at him as he ripped open the package, but she
surprised him by taking it from his hand. “May I?”

He swallowed thickly at the thought of her soft hands on
him, but allowed it with a grin. “Yes.”

It was obviously her first time. She removed the condom from
the package carefully and used one hand to grip his cock. He tightened his
fists to keep from thrusting into her palm. It was pure heaven. Then she placed
the condom on his tip and oh so slowly rolled it down his length. Sweat beaded
on his forehead and his gaze had narrowed to the action of her beautiful hands.
What felt like years later she was finally done, and he was impatient to be inside
her.

“Okay,” she whispered.

“Okay,” he agreed before grabbing the base of his cock and
poising it at her entrance.

She opened her legs wider and he pushed the head in. Pure
bliss sang through his blood and every nerve in his body. He gripped her hips
and slowly filled her until his balls pressed against her ass. “Fuck, that’s so
good.”

She nodded, breasts heaving in labored breaths. As he
watched she closed her eyes and threw her head back against his pillows. It was
a glorious sight. One he knew he’d be dreaming about for weeks. She lifted her
hips slightly and gasped, an expression of surprise on her face that made him
grin.

He braced his knees and set his hands on the bed on either
side of her. “Go ahead, baby. Fuck me like you want to. Take me in as deep as
you can, then pull back.”

Her eyes flew open and her gaze dropped to where their
bodies joined. At first she did nothing and a small flash of disappointment hit
him. But then her fists clenched the sheet beneath them and she lowered her
hips to the mattress. His cock almost slipped out but he stayed completely
still. With only the tip of the head still within her folds, she paused a
heartbeat before lifting her hips again. “Oh!”

As if a switch had been flipped she started to move in
earnest, lowering and raising her slim hips as she took him into her body at
her own direction. She fucked him slowly at first but increased the tempo
quickly. Her face was awash in pleasure and he knew she would come again soon.
His own orgasm was building from the sight of her alone. Then her inner muscles
spasmed before squeezing down on his rock-hard cock. “Oh god, Rick.”

She thrust faster once, twice, before pressing her hips into
his with all her strength. He pushed down against her and groaned as his climax
reached the breaking point. “Fuck. Yessss…”

He came with blood roaring in his ears and stars bursting
behind his eyelids. He was vaguely aware of the loss of contact as her hips hit
the mattress again. Then he was fighting not to fall on top of her. With the
last of his strength he dropped onto his side. “Jesus, baby. That was fucking
amazing.”

He opened his eyes to find her smiling at him. The sight
caused an unfamiliar pang in his chest. He rubbed at it absently as she reached
over and ran her hand through his hair. “Yeah,” she said. “It was amazing.”

He took her hand and kissed the center of her palm before
placing it over his heart. Hopefully she felt the way it was racing and
realized that was just for her. He didn’t know if he had the balls to confess
to her tonight, but there was no doubt he was falling in love.

* * * * *

Annie opened the back door slowly, praying the light creak
wouldn’t sound like a gunshot through her house. All the lights were out except
to her bathroom and bedroom. Hopefully her dad was already sound asleep in his
bed. As she tiptoed through the wash room it seemed every breath echoed in the
small space. The television was either off or turned very low, not her dad’s
usual blasting volume.

She made it into her room without incident and immediately
changed into pajamas. The faded pants-set had been a Christmas gift from her
dad so long ago, it was almost too small. She pushed her damp hair behind her
ears and hurried to the bathroom. It had been Rick’s idea to shower together so
her hair would be wet when she got home. She shivered at the memory of that
sensual encounter and knew she would be dreaming about it.

After flipping off the light she braved the short journey
into the living room. The television was still on but Tammy sat alone on the
sofa with the remote in her hand. A grin stretched from ear to ear when she
spied her sister. “Well, hello there.”

Annie rolled her eyes and barely held back a laugh. She
closed the distance and plopped down beside Tammy on the sofa. “Hello.
Everything okay?”

“Yup. Dad didn’t even notice you
took a shower
for
nearly three hours. Hell, I was getting ready to go to bed. I figured you
probably fell asleep over there.”

Annie’s face heated and she looked away from her sister’s
prying eyes. She nearly had fallen asleep. Being in Rick’s arms was pure bliss
and she hadn’t wanted to leave. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take so long.”

Tammy laughed. “I’ll bet. So it’s all good between you two?”

Annie faced her sister again and couldn’t help her smile.
“Yeah. It really is.”

The amusement on Tammy’s face faded and she leaned closer,
placing a hand on Annie’s arm. “Look, I know I’ve been telling you to go for it
and stuff, but you do know what you’re doing, right?”

“Yeah…of course.”

“I mean, I think he’s been with a lot of women, Annie. I
don’t want you to get hurt.”

It did hurt. Hearing her sister’s doubt not only hurt, it
kind of pissed her off. She shook off her hand. “I’ll be fine.”

“No, don’t get mad. I’m just trying to be realistic here. I
can tell by the look on your face you’re totally gone for him. But what if he
doesn’t feel the same way?”

Annie shook her head, even though she’d had those same
doubts since their first kiss. Honestly, she just didn’t want to think about
it. She knew she didn’t have much to offer a guy like Rick and he would
eventually grow bored. But for now she wanted to just enjoy every stolen
moment. “I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Tammy looked as if she wanted to argue but after a few
seconds she just shrugged. “Yeah okay. You’re the big sister, right? You know
what you’re doing.”

Annie heard the hint of sarcasm in her sister’s voice but
she was too tired to deal with it. She finally just patted Tammy’s knee and
stood from the sofa. “I’m going to bed. I gotta work tomorrow.”

“Okay. Good night, sis.”

Annie went to her room and tried not to dwell on Tammy’s
words. True, they were almost exact echoes of her own thoughts and doubts, but
what did Tammy really know? Annie tried not to think about how much more experience
her little sister had with the opposite sex. After all, Tammy’s experience was
with boys who weren’t even old enough to vote yet. Annie was dealing with a
full-grown man who knew his own wants and needs. Her pulse leapt as she
considered how well he had anticipated
her
wants and needs. It was as if
he could read her mind. She would yearn for his touch somewhere and in the next
moment he gave it to her. Of course, that showed how well he knew women. Nope,
she wasn’t going to think about that.

She pulled back the covers on her bed and turned off her
light. After settling onto her thin mattress she moved the blinds enough to see
across the street. His bedroom light was still on but all the others were off.
What was he doing over there now that she was gone?

* * * * *

Rick paced across his bedroom floor buck naked and still
damp from the shower. He ran his hands through his hair and then over his face
as his thoughts raced with his pulse. He loved her. He really, truly, honest to
god had fallen in love with his shy, beautiful Annie. A shake of his head did
nothing to dislodge her from his thoughts and he laughed at himself. He should
have realized what was happening after his photo shoot.

She had been an enigma, a wet dream since the first time he
saw her. Despite being so different from every woman he’d ever had any type of
romantic relationship with, Annie intrigued and enthralled him. His craving for
her was bone deep. No.
Soul
deep. A feeling he had never gotten close to
before despite all the women he had known over his lifetime. He had lusted and
craved before, but never had he cared so damn much. He wanted to protect and
coddle her. He wanted her in his arms every free moment of the day. She was
always in his thoughts, no matter what he was doing at the time. That had to be
love, right?

With a sigh he went to his drawers and pulled out a pair of
boxer briefs. He dressed and flipped off his bedroom light, but before crawling
into bed he went to his window. All the lights were out at Annie’s house but
movement in one window caught his gaze. Had she been watching for him? He
laughed at himself and shook his head. More than likely it was Tammy taking a
peek out at the world she longed to roam.

He slipped between sheets that still held Annie’s warmth and
grabbed the pillow she’d lain on. He inhaled her scent deep into his lungs and
closed his eyes. What amazed him was his lack of fear or nervousness about the
whole situation. He was in love with the most unlikely woman and it didn’t
bother him one bit. A grin spread across his face as he considered what his
baby sister would think. He fell asleep with Annie’s name on his lips.

* * * * *