Total Control (4 page)

“I better spray some WD-40 on those
,” Dad said as he looked up at them.

“Don’t you
dare! It wouldn’t be the same!” His face softened as he watched me be a kid.

“You and your sister, always so nostalgic
,” he said with a grin.

“That’s because the memories are so good!” I
pushed off with my feet again.

“What’s all the ruckus out here?” Mom pushed open the screen door and greeted us with a big smile and plate of chocolate chip cookies.
God, I love coming home!

I jumped up and gave her a bear hug
, then led her by her free hand back to the swing. “Put your feet up!” I told her as I pushed us off and brought my feet back up to the seat. “Now lean back, close your eyes, and put your arms out.” I demonstrated how to do it. We both laughed and I grabbed a cookie off the plate and leaned into her.

Dad was chuckling as he grabbed a couple coo
kies and took a seat on the wicker chair across from us. “Gia came over to talk to us about something, hon,” he told Mom. She turned and looked at me with concerned eyes.

“Geez
, you guys, you act like the only time I come over to talk about something is when it’s bad news.” I thought back to some of those times when I’d come over. Like when Lex and I were having problems, and when I’d lost the babies, and when the deputy brought me here from the hospital because Lex was nowhere to be found. “Okay, so maybe it has been mostly bad news, but it’s a positive thing this time.” I told them about California.

Mom started to cry and
Dad came over and put his arms around us. “You’re right, Gia. This is good news.” He kissed my cheek.

“Mom? You okay?” I asked her
, knowing she was half relieved and half scared for me. She nodded and smiled. She was very emotional and teared up over anything that had to do with her family. She was our rock. I’d never known a stronger bond than the one the four of us had. Her heart was the biggest in the world, and I knew how lucky I was to be in it.

“I love you guys so much. I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through over the years. I feel like this could be a fresh start for me, the beginning of the rest of my life.”

“Honey, you have nothing to be sorry for. The things that have challenged you in your life have made you the woman you are today and we wouldn’t trade her for anything. You’ve decided to take back control of your life. We knew you’d get there someday,” Mom said as she put on a strong face and dried her eyes.

Dad took my hand
. “Your mom’s right, you know. You’ve had more challenges in your life than most, yet you’ve pushed on and you make us proud every day. There’s nothing to apologize for, you’re perfect in our eyes.” I suddenly thought of Ethan and how he’d told me similar things.

“I met someone
,” I blurted and butterflies started fluttering. I know I had to have had an embarrassingly large smile on my face too, by the way they both looked at each other and then back to me with amused expressions.

“Really? Tell us about him
,” Mom said.

“His name
is Ethan Lockwood and he owns The Lock and Wood Campground, where we go to all the concerts. I guess he’s had a thing for me for a while, but we just actually met on Friday and have spent most of our time together since. I know that doesn’t seem like very long, but we’ve spent a lot of time one on one, talking and getting to know each other, and I actually feel very close to him already.” My face turned red as I recalled some of the other things we’d done one on one.

“Gia, that’s good news
, too! I hope we’re going to meet him soon,” Dad said.

“When I get back
. It’ll be right before the Fourth of July, so I’ve invited him to the barbeque. I hope that’s all right.”

“Absolutely! We can’t wait
,” Mom said. “But Gia, keep in mind while you’re gone, you need this treatment for you, not for anyone else.”

“I know
, Mom. It was my decision to go.” I looked down at my hands. “I ran into Lex and his ‘daughter’ this morning. He told me that he and his wife are expecting. I felt so many different emotions, I thought I might have a total breakdown. I knew right then that I had to take this trip no matter how extreme it sounded to me earlier. How could he just tell me that like it was the happiest day of his life? How could he be so oblivious to the way it would make me feel?” I started crying. “How does he make me feel so worthless?” The tears were flowing fast and I was suddenly in the arms of my parents.

“We hope and pray that you get answers to all of those questions in California
,” Dad said. “We all know how Lex has made you feel about yourself, and believe me, your mom has stopped me countless times from hunting him down like a wild animal and putting a bull—”

“Ron!” Mom nudged him and gave him ‘the look
.’

“Sorry, well
, we all know what kind of person you really are. People like Lex, they don’t think of anyone except themselves, Gia. You weren’t brought up that way, so it’s inconceivable to you, and to us, that one human being could treat another in such a manner. And the fact that this was a husband treating his wife like this, well, it was the hardest thing for us to witness as your parents.” He had tears in his eyes and I was proud of him for finally saying what was in his heart. I knew there were so many times they’d held their tongues when it came to Lex because they were trying to be supportive of me and my mission to make it work. That must’ve been so frustrating for them. Since the divorce I hadn’t wanted to discuss it. I pushed it all down deep, thinking it would disappear.
But now I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I have to face it now, and with the support I have, I can get past it.

“I
love you guys.” I hugged each of them. “No more tears!” I gave them a scolding look. They were amused by my attempt at being stern.

“Can you stay for dinner? We could call Lill and Pete and have our family dinner
, since you’re gonna be gone for a while!” Mom sounded so excited I couldn’t say no. “You could call Ethan and see if he could come, too!” That excited her even more. It made me smile and I got butterflies again. He’d probably just gotten back home. I didn’t want him to turn around and come all the way back just for dinner with my family.

“I don’t know about Ethan
,” I said.

“Whatever you want
, Gia, but we’d love to meet him, and from the look on your face when you talk about him, I think you’d love to have him here.” She winked at me. “But it’s up to you.” She was so good at getting what she wanted.

“I’m gonna run and get a couple of things done before dinner then
,” I told them. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours. if Ethan comes, it’ll be a little longer, okay?”

“Okay, love ya
,” Dad said and watched as I drove off.

***

“Hey, Hotness!” Ethan said when he answered on the first ring.

I smiled
. “I know it’s short notice, and you probably just got home, so feel free to decline, but do you have dinner plans?”

He laughed, “Decline dinner with you? I don’t think so
. When and where?”

“You’re so easy
,” I teased him. “Haven’t you ever heard that playing hard to get is really sexy?”

“Really? Okay, let’s try again.” And he hung up!

“Hello?” He said very seriously when he answered on the fourth ring.

“Forget dinner
,” I told him. “Just come make love to me all night.”

“Shit, you’re right! Playing hard to get is g
ood stuff!” I giggled.

“Seriously, would you like to have dinner with my family tonight? We just planned it or I would’ve asked you sooner. My folks are dying to meet you, it seems I light up when I talk about you.” I knew that would make him feel good.

“Aawww, really?” I could hear him smiling on the other end. “I had some stuff to do in the city, so I’m actually only about thirty minutes away.” I was glad he was still close. I told him to meet me at my place.

I had butterflies as I pulled up to my apartment. As I walked up to my door I saw Bridget coming out of her salon
. Even seeing her didn’t change my mood. I felt fantastic all of a sudden. Everything was falling into place so neatly around the sudden trip I was making that I couldn’t help but think it was absolutely the right thing to do. I ran up the stairs and into my apartment. I left the door unlocked, I wanted to do something fun with Ethan.

Chapter 5

Ethan

I turned my truck around and headed back toward the city. The project I had planned to make for Gia would have to wait. I had a date! I was pleasantly surprised with the phone call and even more so with the opportunity to meet her parents. I had to keep checking the speedometer as my lead foot was trying to get me picked up.
Relax. She wants you there and she lights up when she talks about you!

I stopped at the flower shop on Gia’s street
and picked out a small bouquet. The same guy was working who had sold me the huge bouquet the other day. “She must’ve forgiven you,” he said with a smirk.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“Well, usually the bouquets get bigger. Of course, you bought the biggest right away, so maybe that’s why it worked so fast.”

I laughed. “Yeah, maybe. Thanks.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lockwood.”

***

I pushed the button and Gia answered immediately.

“Come on up
, the door’s unlocked.” She buzzed me in.

I ran up the steps
, and when I saw her bra hanging on the door knob, I chuckled.
She’s so bad.
I grabbed it and went in. I shut and locked the door behind me and started following the trail of clothing leading through the living room. First her shirt, then a shoe, her shorts, another shoe, a scarf, a rollerblade…
what the hell?
I smiled and kept going. A sexy heel, a ski glove, an apron, and finally her panties on the bedroom door knob. I turned the knob and opened the door.

The blinds darkened the room but there were about a dozen candles lit and burning
around the space. She was sitting on her bed, naked, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle, leaning back against her arms, which were holding her upright. Her hair was twisted up like she’d had it the other morning, and her just-licked lips were shining in the candlelight.

I set the flowers on the dresser and went to her. “How was rollerblading?” I asked as I ran my hand up her silky leg.

She smiled. “I ran out of clothing items so I had to substitute a few things.” She shrugged.

“Nicely done
,” I said. “Seems as though I might ‘owe’ you something?” I said as I lifted her crossed ankle and spread her legs slightly.

“A
ctually, yes, I seem to recall something about that, too.”

I spread her legs apart further and watched her watch me as I slowly lowered down between them. Her body was illuminated by the flickering candles and it
made her soft skin glow as it romanticized the moment. I kissed her inner thighs as I pushed my hands under her ass and held each cheek firmly. I teased her just as she’d done to me that morning. I ran my tongue from one thigh to the other, barely brushing it across her lips as I went by. She was watching me and tried to thrust forward as I played.

I inhaled deeply through my nose
as I caught a hint of the soap we’d used in her shower that morning. It took me back to watching her tease and pleasure me after the shower and I had to push my hips against her bed to momentarily satisfy the urge to beg her to put her lips around me again.

I
teased her a bit more and Gia thrust harder. She tried to get me to put some pressure on her sensitive spot. She wanted me to put my finger in her, but I was having fun kissing, smelling, and tasting her soft skin. I ran my tongue up to her navel, and as I licked it and bit around it, I let my chin come down every so often and rub her where she wanted me to.

I moved back down
between her legs and lifted her so I could have full access to her opening. I stuck my tongue inside her and she moaned. She was wet and tasted as sweet as ever. She reached her hand down and touched herself with two fingers while I fucked her with my tongue. Watching her touch herself made me lose my breath and I wanted those fingers on me.

I stood
, and as I quickly undressed, she spun her body around on the bed and slid her head to the edge so she was looking up at me. My cock was right above her. She reached for it and opened her mouth hungrily. As she pulled and turned to her side, I came down beside her on the bed. She took me in her mouth, and as I felt my head hit the back of her throat, I moaned in relief.