The Firefly Effect (32 page)

“Oh, you know…same old thing. Finished writing a chapter, caught up on some freelance editing, washed the dishes, did some laundry. Then I got bored so I stole another car and drove it into a lake. By the way, if you see surveillance footage on the news, just pretend you don’t recognize me.”

“Don’t worry, babe,” he chuckles. “I got your back. So I’m assuming you haven’t had any more issues with the power since I talked to you last?”

“Nope. None at all.” The electricity was restored by the time he made it back to Tennessee. “How was your day? What happened with Miss Bigglesworth?”

“She is perfectly fine. False alarm. I’m not sure where her owner’s hair ties are getting off to, but the dog is not the culprit.”

“Oh. That’s good.” And a little wacky. Then again, I’ve never had a dog, so maybe stuff like that happens all the time. “Thanks again for the flowers. They’re beautiful. That was really thoughtful of you.”

“It’s nothing. Just thought you could use something bright to look at after all that nasty weather.”

“I don’t mind the rain.” Turning to recline on the couch, I cross my legs while wrapping the tie of my bathrobe around one finger absently. “Anyway, it was fun.”

“Yes. That it was.” His voice has dropped to a low murmur, and I feel a thrill of excitement rush through me. “We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

“Okay then. Next time a hurricane warning is issued, give me a call.” I bite my lip to keep from giggling.

“How about the next tornado watch. Can you make do with that?”

“Well, I don’t know. Are you available during ice storms?”

“Ice storms, blizzards – you name it. As a matter of fact, it’s partly cloudy here today. All those cirrocumulus clouds…damn, they make me horny.”

I can’t help but laugh. “You are so weird.”

“Don’t pretend you’re not just as weird. What are you wearing right now?”

“A prom dress and combat boots. And one of those little beanies with the propeller on top. How about you?”

“I just got out of the shower. So use your imagination. Have I ever mentioned how turned on I get by propeller beanies? Something about those little plastic blades spinning around…”

“You should really talk to someone about these deviant urges. Oh, speaking of prom dresses, I just remembered something I meant to ask you.”

“Sweetheart, I’ll admit I can be a kinky sonofabitch. But I have to draw the line at putting on a prom dress. Sorry.”

“No, dummy! I was just wondering. I meant to ask you before, but I forgot. How come you weren’t at senior prom? I’m almost positive you weren’t there. I don’t remember seeing you.”

“Were you looking?”

“Um. No. I just don’t remember seeing you there.”

“That’s because I wasn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Why didn’t I go to senior prom. Hm. That’s an interesting question.” He makes this little groan in his throat that sounds like he’s stretching, and I wonder if he really is wearing nothing but a towel. “Let’s see. Maybe it’s because the only girl I was interested in wouldn’t spit on me if I was on fire. Not that I blame her. Kinda stands to reason that once you’ve lied about a girl having an std, she’s probably not gonna go all banzai over a prom invite. So I just skipped it. The one the year before was a drag, anyway. I doubt I missed much.”

I take a moment to let this sink in. “You wanted to ask me to prom?”

“Au contraire, my dear. I wanted to
be
there with you, yes, but I sure as bloody hell didn’t want to
ask
you. I was way too proud to suffer that humiliation.”

“But…why me? We didn’t even get along.”

“Melanie. Come on now. Did you never once stop to ask yourself why I was always picking on you?”

I stare up at the whirring ceiling fan in hypnotic fascination. Maybe I should have but in my defense, how could a naïve teenage girl be expected to pick up on the nuances of the male mind? “No. I never did. I always just assumed it was because you hated me.”

“I never really hated you. Maybe there were times when I thought I did, but the truth is…the truth is, I was crushing on you so bad I thought I’d never get over it.”

It’s suddenly hard to breathe in here.

And did you? Did you get over it?

I desperately want to ask, but then I realize it’s a pointless question. Of course he got over it. He went on with his life, didn’t he? Went to college, built a lucrative career, never once tried to contact me, never once stopped to look back. Until now. Until I was practically airdropped back into his life.

He walked in on me sleeping naked in his vacation house, for chrissakes.

Swallowing nervously, I decide to try and keep it light. “Is that why you kissed me at graduation, hot lips?”

“Well, yeah. That was one regret I couldn’t walk away with. I had to know what it was like to kiss you. Just once.”

“And what was it like?”

“You tell me. You were there.”

“I mean, for you. What was it like for you?”

“Meh.”

I burst into astonished giggles at his ambiguous reply. A moment later I hear him laughing softly.

“See if I ever kiss
you
again!” I huff, pretending to be insulted.

“You know better than that, babydoll. I thought about that kiss for weeks afterward.”

“Damn right you did.”

“I was just glad you didn’t punch me in the mouth.”

“You did take me by surprise. But I can’t say I didn’t like it. To be perfectly honest, even though you drove me crazy, I always did secretly think you were cute.”

“Damn right you did.”

“Are you really naked right now except for a towel?”

“No.”

“You’re not?”

“No. I just dropped the towel.”

“Oh, my.”

“Are you really wearing combat boots? ’Cause that’s kinda sexy.”

“Sorry to disappoint you. No boots. Just a plain old ordinary robe.”

“That white satiny-looking one?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I like that one. I can see your nipples right through it.”

“I guess that explains why you were always staring at my chest.”

“Anything going on underneath it?”

“No.”

“Commando, hm?”

“Well, I just got out of the bathtub a little while ago.”

“Is your hair all wet?”

“Kind of. Why?”

“No reason. Just trying to picture you. Where are you right now?”

“Lying on the couch.”

“Is your robe tied?”

“Yes.”

“Untie it.”

My lips curve into a smile as I loosen the belt with one hand. Whatever game he’s playing here, I think I’m going to like it. “Okay.”

“Open it up, baby. So if I were to walk in there right now, I could see everything. Just like you were that first night.”

“I wasn’t wearing anything that night.”

“You don’t have to remind me, honey. That is an image I will
never
forget. Did you do it yet?”

“Yes.”

“And how does it feel?”

“Um…a little cold. The ceiling fan is blowing on me.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you warmed up.”

“Mm. I bet you will.”

“Do you have any idea how hard I am right now, just thinking about you? I could pound a railroad spike into the ground with this thing.”

“Are you…” I feel a little strange asking, but I really want to know. “Are you touching yourself?”

“Oh, yeah. I have my hand wrapped around it right now. Wishing it was your hot little pussy. Just so you know, this is what I’ve been spending my nights doing. It’s all I’ve
been
doing since I left. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Wetting my lips, I close my eyes with a soft moan. Liquid desire is rushing through me and I rub my thighs together, longing for the touch of his flesh against mine.

“What about you? You been thinking about me?”

“Yes. All the time.” I can’t even put into words how frustrated I’ve been since he left. Sex has never been all that high on my list of priorities, but one taste of him and I’m hooked. Thanks to him, it’s now first and foremost on my mind.

“Good. Think about me right now. Think about me fist-pumping this cock because that is exactly what I’m doing right now.”

So help me, and I’m not even kidding, I think I could come just by listening to that husky voice talking dirty to me. “God, I wish you were here right now.”

“So do I. I’d be fucking you so hard you’d still be feeling my dick a week later. And you’d love every minute of it. Wouldn’t you?”

“Hell yes, every minute of it…”

“Spread your thighs a little, baby. Throw one leg over the back of the couch.”

“All right.” It’s dusk outside and the lights are all off, so what the hell. Besides, I am definitely not feeling all that inhibited at the moment.

“Slide your fingers down there, nice and slow. Feel how soft you are. So fucking soft. Imagine it’s me between your legs. Are you nice and wet for me?”

“Yes…” I breathe, dipping two fingers into the sleek wetness before rubbing it across my swollen bud. Just knowing he’s jacking off on the other end has got me so horny I’ll be reaching the stars in no time. “I’d love to watch you do that sometime.”

“Do what? Make myself come?”

“Yes. There’s something…
mmm
…something about it…”

“Keep stroking that pussy, baby. Don’t stop. I can hear it in the way you’re breathing…fuck, I could lick that clit right now and have you coming in a heartbeat, couldn’t I?”

“I…yes…mmm,
yes
…”

“You want me to fuck you right now, don’t you? Feel my cock buried deep inside you, pumping you full of my cum…”

“Oh, my God…”

“You want my cum, baby? You want it?”

“
Yes-s-ss!
” I’m practically panting into the phone, my fingers gliding across my clit furiously. Sweet Jesus, I can’t take it…I want him so bad…

“Don’t worry, you’re about to get it, honey. Where do you want it? Tell me. In your mouth? Your pussy? Your tight little ass? How about streaming all over those luscious tits of yours?”

“Shane…
ohh
…”

“That’s it. Keep rubbing that clit. Nice and fast, the way you’d like for me to be licking it right now.”

“
O-ohh…
”

“That’s it, baby…just like that. So close…I’m so fucking close…just holding off for you…now let me hear it. Let me hear you come. Come for me, Melanie.
Now.
”

“Oh, oh,
God
…” My back arches as every pore in my body vibrates with the sweet, exquisite release. Against my ear I hear a series of soft grunts, and if I
could
form a coherent thought I would probably wonder what’s happening at the other end.

We both grow silent after that, the sound of our breathing the only communication necessary.

Eventually my body relaxes into limp complacency, and with a contented sigh I murmur, “Well. That was…interesting.”

His soft laugh warms me all over. “Yes. It. Was.”

“And you said
I
had a dirty mind.”

“It wasn’t a complaint, by any means. I love your dirty mind.”

“It’s your fault.”

“What is?”

“That I have a dirty mind. I was a sweet, chaste little saint before you came along and corrupted me.”

“Ri-i-ight. That’s why I found you sprawled out naked on the couch.”

“I had a sunburn!”

“You didn’t look sunburned to me, sweetie.”

“You probably weren’t looking in the right places.”

“You’re right. I probably wasn’t.”

“I still can’t believe you just let yourself in the way you did.”

“I can’t believe you have trouble believing that. You’ve met me, right?”

“How long were you standing there before I woke up?”

“Long enough to get a good look.”

“What would you have done if I’d started screaming?”

“I would have apologized profusely and left in one hell of a hurry. Guess it’s a good thing for me you don’t spook easily.”

“I might have freaked out if I hadn’t seen your picture in the bedroom. I knew you were Leah’s brother.”

“But you didn’t know my name.”

“No. And I never would have recognized you. You look a lot different than you used to.”

“I recognized
you
right away. Which is why I couldn’t believe you weren’t trying to throw something at my head.”

“Well, what can I say. I was sexually frustrated. And you, standing there – you were seriously
hot
.”