On the Corner of Heartache and Hopeful--MIC (4 page)

She cleared her
throat. “Just drop me at the garage. I’ll drive myself home.”

“You can’t do
that,” he stated.

Her hackles rose
at his firm tone. She wanted this humiliation over, and over right now.
“Really? And why is that?”

He held the
convertible door for her. “Because I haven’t given you my answer.”

~
* ~

Within minutes,
Scott parked the car at the edge of Ginny Pond, a small, man-made lake in the center
of Tatum. He cut the motor and stared out the windshield. They sat surrounded
by the muffled chorus of crickets.

He watched the
water slowly lapped at the dirt shoreline as the scent of honeysuckle mingled
with the faint odor of stagnant water. He used to come here in high school. The
peacefulness never failed to calm his wayward teen-aged thoughts. He turned to
his passenger, who had remained very quiet on the drive. She now studied her
folded hands.

With her head
bowed, the curtain of her hair spilled forward to catch the last of the sun’s
rays. Her locks shone like a soft, metallic fabric. He resisted the urge to
thread his fingers through it, settling instead on waiting Mic out. From the
passages he’d read in his grandmother’s journals, Mic reminded Nonie of a cat,
unable to curb her curiosity.

Finally she
peeked over at him. “What are we doing here?”

“I thought we
should talk someplace quiet.”

“Talk about
what?”

“Anything you
want, but I believe we should spend a little time getting to know each other,
don’t you?”

“What do you
want to know?”

“Are you
involved with anyone right now?”

“No. Next.”

Scott’s lips
kicked up. Her brusque tone didn’t surprise him. Nonie had also written about
the defense mechanism Mic employed when threatened in any way. He reached over
and took her hand in his. The way she jumped, you would have thought he’d
landed a white hot poker on her skin. He intertwined their fingers and stroked
his thumb across her palm.

“You know, it’s
not every day I receive a proposal like yours.”

“Hmm.” Her
distracted gaze followed the movement of his thumb.

“It’s a rule of
mine that I find out all I can about a woman I’m about to be intimate with.” He
started to trace his free hand up her arm, but her whole body shuddered so hard
he stopped.

Maybe a
different tack, he thought, leaning in close. Mic pressed herself further into
the passenger door. When he drew a single finger along her shoulder to solicit
that glorious hair away from her neck, she almost catapulted out the
windshield. His hand slapped to his thigh as he flopped back into his seat.
“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” The
denial might have sounded more convincing if there wasn’t a distinct nervous
quiver to her voice.

“Every time I
touch you, you jump.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.”

To prove his
point, he quickly, but gently, gripped the nape of her neck and brought her
face to within a millimeter of his. Her big, brown eyes were squeezed shut with
her entire face scrunched up like she anticipated a punch.

Scott eased Mic
away and she lowered her head. “For someone who wants to sleep with me, it’s
not going to work if I can’t touch you. Tell me what’s up with you.”

She met his
gaze. He had no clue what was going on, but his instincts, along with the
icicles that slid through his veins, told him it was going to be a doozy.

“I’ve…I’ve never
done anything like this before,” she confessed on a whisper.

Beat. Two.
Three.

“I’m a virgin.”

Chapter Six

Mic watched Scott’s expression go
void of all emotion. Well, maybe not all. His lip curled back in what could
only be described as sneer. She fumbled with the door handle, desperate to
escape the confines of the car.

She ran, but her
heels sank into the soft, sandy dirt. A broad hand gripped her upper arm. “Let
me go!”

He whipped her around
to face him. Her humiliation couldn’t be more complete. First the restaurant
and now this. God had a cruel sense of humor. “I said let go!”

“No.”

She torqued
away. “Why not? It’s not like you want anything to do with me now.”

His incredible
eyes widened, their green turning the color of dense forest. “What’s that
supposed to mean?”

“It means I know
I disgust you.” She yanked from his grasp, gaining an inch or two. “Now, let
go.”

Her gained
ground vanished as Scott hauled her in tight to his body. “Why in the world
would you think you disgust me?”

She had to scoff
at that. “Oh, come on. Your reaction
said
so.”

He shook his
head then wrapped his arms around her. While it wasn’t a tight hold, she didn’t
have any leverage to fight against it. Knowing she had no choice but to submit,
she ceased her struggle.

Scott’s hands
traversed her back, making her aware of just how close they were. The firmness
of his muscles melded to her softer curves and the mild scent of his musky
aftershave tickled her nose. Under different circumstances, his nearness might
actually have felt nice.

He pulled back
enough to meet her eyes. “You have to believe me when I say the last thing I’m
feeling right now is disgusted.”

She closed her
eyes against the onslaught of the falsehood. “After everything that’s happened
tonight, don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not. Why
would you think you disgusted me?”

“Because I’m a
virgin.”

“I’ll admit I’m
feeling quite a lot about that little fact, but I assure you, none of it is
disgust. Here.” He guided her back to the convertible. “Let’s take a breath and
talk this out.”

Before she could
react, Scott’s strong hands circled her waist and lifted her onto the hood. She
stifled a squeal at his sheer maleness. He hiked his foot onto the bumper, his
hands clasped together. The silence stretched out between them.

She folded her
hands in her lap. “Okay, so talk.”

He sighed and
stared at out across the darkening lake. “I’m not sure where to start.”

“How about the
part where I don’t disgust you.”

He looked back
at her. “You definitely don’t. Guess I’m shocked.” His gaze made her insides
shiver. “Even though I thought you were a lesbian, I figured you’d been with at
least one man. Hard to believe that’s not the case.”

“I haven’t even
really been kissed by a guy.”

He shook his
head. “How is this possible?”

She shrugged.
“Maybe because all the men in Tatum thought like you, that I was gay.” She
studied her folded hands, the inking of hope blossoming in her chest. “You were
just shocked by my confession?”

When he didn’t
answer, she forced herself to look at him. Goose bumps flew over her skin at
the intensity in his eyes.

“I was also
worried.”

That crinkled
her forehead. “Worried? Why?”

He took his foot
off the bumper then leaned his backside against the hood next to her, crossing
his arms over his chest. “It’s a very big deal when a woman offers a man her
virginity, especially when she’s waited as long as you have. Something this
important should be saved for someone special in your life, not just a one
night stand.”

She couldn’t
stop her short, bitter chuckle. “I don’t have anyone special or the prospect of
getting someone like that in the future.”

“Still,” he
pressed, “if we do this, I don’t want you waking up tomorrow, regretting what
happened. Or hating me.”

“First, how could
I hate you? This was my idea, remember? And second, the only thing I’ll regret
is
not
taking advantage of this opportunity to be with you. Even if it
is only one night.”

Mic slid from the
hood and walked to the water’s edge. The murky ripples of the water glistened
like all the tears she’d cried for years over her inadequacies as a woman.
Large hands enveloped her shoulders. In spite of her best effort, she flinched,
but soon welcomed the warm pressure of Scott’s touch.

“My mom left
when I was six months old,” she said in a low voice. “Being a wife and mom
hadn’t been her thing. Daddy had just bought out the garage and was working
nearly twenty hours a day. He couldn’t afford a babysitter when I was little,
so I stayed at the shop with him. I grew up playing with ratchet sets instead
of Barbie dolls. In high school, when I got interested in boys, they were only
interested in me doing the brakes on their cars in time for their Saturday night
dates.”

His hands
squeezed. “Sounds lonely.”

“It was, kinda.
But I had Daddy and the other mechanics and their families. I managed.”

He pulled her
until her back was flush against his front. The rock hardness of his body sent
a swarm of nervous butterflies through her blood. She held herself in rigid
check.

“You know,” he
rasped so near her ear, his breath moved her hair. “If we do this, I’m gonna
have to touch you.”

She gave a jerky
nod. “But you’ll go
slow
, right?”

He turned her
around. The light reflecting off the water made his eyes shine like perfect
emeralds. “I’ll go as fast, or as slow, as you want. For now, however…” He
cupped her face with both his hands and drew her up until she stood on tiptoe.
His mouth hovered close enough his five-o’clock shadow tickled her lips. “I
think a kiss is in order.”

He took
possession of her mouth in a commanding caress. Shivers racked her body as his
lips and tongue moved over hers. Her belly became a sprinkler of tingles which
pooled between her legs. On instinct, her hands curled into his sweater.

Not at all sure
what she should do, Mic mimicked his actions, the stroking of his tongue, the
nipping of his lips. His chest rumbled beneath her fingers.

This wasn’t what
she expected, this gentle assault. It occurred to her that Scott could easily
dominate her, but he didn’t have to. Not when his mouth held her captive.

He eased back
and she whimpered a soft protest. She tried to open her eyes, but the lids felt
anchored by weights. She pried them apart enough to see his smile.

“Wanna see my
motel room?”

She swayed into
him. “Definitely.”

He kissed her
nose then pivoted her toward the car. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Chapter Seven

Tension crackled inside the
convertible as Scott drove along the main thoroughfare toward Tatum’s only
motel. Mic sat beside him, saying nothing, her hands folded in her lap. Her
demure posture didn’t fool him, though. The way she’d returned his kiss had
totally blown him away. She might not be experienced in lovemaking, but he’d
bet next year’s salary she’d prove to be a quick learner.

The fact she was
a virgin burgeoned his cock to the point of pain even as the story of her
childhood cracked his heart. For whatever her reason, Mic was giving him the
most treasured of gifts. He fully intended to reciprocate by making her first
time everything he could.

Pulling into the
deserted motel parking lot, the Days Inn sign blinked brightly against the dark
night. He cut the motor. For several moments, they just sat enclosed by
silence. He turned to her. “You sure about this? No hard feelings if you say
no.”

He held his
breath, knowing he’d be in absolute agony for days if she did say no. Yet he
had to give her the chance to back out. Wordlessly, she opened the car door and
stepped out. He didn’t hesitate to do the same, taking his key card from his
pocket.

After unlocking
the door, he swung it wide. She hesitated for the span of a heartbeat then
walked inside. He followed and flipped on the bathroom switch. Light slashed
across the beige carpet. Mic stood in front of the king-size bed, her hands
clasped in front of her, her purse dangling from her fingers. Though the light
was muted, he saw both fear and resolve on her face. He knew grown men who
possessed less courage.

He took a step.
“Let me take your jacket.”

She shrugged off
the garment and he tossed it onto a chair. Her purse sailed next. He gently
placed his palms on her bare shoulders and winced when she cringed. “So,” he
said with a slight squeeze before releasing her to open the sliding glass door
drapes. “What do you like?”

“What do you
mean?”

Moonlight
spilled onto the bed. He turned. “I mean what do you like. Physically.”

“Oh.” She
shifted. “I guess I don’t know.”

“Have you ever
touched yourself?”

Even with the dim
lighting, he could see the pink blush creep up her cheeks. “Sometimes.”

“Ever used
toys?”

“Toys?”

“Yes, toys.
Dildos or vibrators. Ever play with them?”

He heard her
swallow from across the room, her gaze averted. “Does a neck massager count?”

He flashed a
small grin. “It does. What parts did you…massage?”

Her pink blush
deepened to crimson as she shifted her weight again and gestured low, between
her legs.

“Okay.” He got
the small finger massager he used for his occasional migraines from the dresser
and set it on the nightstand. “Should I undress you or do you want to do it?”

She stomped her
foot. “Why all the questions? Can’t we just do this?”

He stood in
front of her. “That’s not how I operate. Besides, I’ve never done this before.”

Her eyes bulged.
“What do you mean you’ve never done this before?”  

A short chuckle
escaped. “I’ve done
that
, just never with a virgin. And with this being
your first time…well…it’ll be uncomfortable. Even painful.”

She rolled her
eyes. “I know. I sat behind you in health class, remember?”

Her testy tone
widened his grin. “I remember.” His smile faded. “I just want to do whatever I
can to diminish your pain.”

Mic held his
gaze. Gone was any hint of irritation. The trust in her cocker spaniel eyes
buckled his knees. “I think you should undress me.” Her husky whisper skipped
along his skin. “That way I can get used to your touch.”