Millie
The day after the incident with Jesse, Addy had perked up considerably and had even asked Garratt if he would take her into town to get ice cream. I think the clever little minx was playing on Garratt’s guilt, but he had been more than willing and had strapped her into her car seat with a huge smile on his face and a promise of not only ice cream, but toy shopping, too. He was definitely overjoyed to be back in Addy’s good books.
With Addy and Garratt out, Ted in the office, and Bonnie cleaning and changing the beds in the bunk house, I decided to sort out my things in my room; a beautiful, light and airy room at the back of the house that overlooked the garden and a pasture beyond. On the gorgeous white, wooden posted bed, were crisp white sheets with blue polka dots and a bright duvet cover, or comforter as Bonnie called it, with red and blue flowers on one side, and blue and white stripes on the other. The walls were painted a beautiful sky blue and the woodwork a bright, glossy white. Also on the bed were matching flowered, scatter cushions mixed in with some red fluffy ones. At the two windows were sheer white drapes over blue and white striped blinds and on the wall opposite my bed were a dresser and a wardrobe, both in the same white wood as the bed. I loved it and wondered whether it had been decorated specifically for me, or if this had been part of Jesse and Melody’s vision for the house. Whichever, it was perfect.
Ted had told me that I could store some boxes in the barn adjacent to the house. He told me it was water tight and everything would be perfectly safe in there, so I organized what I didn’t need into three boxes.
After hanging up my clothes and putting out some of the photographs that I’d brought with me, I sat back on the bed, looked around the room, and sighed; now it was not only beautiful but it looked like home.
I let out a shuddering sigh at that thought. I had spoken to my mum and Javi a couple of times since I’d been here and had felt totally at peace with my decision to up sticks to America. Now though, with familiar things around me, a pang of yearning knocked on my chest bone. I needed to call my mum and just hear her voice. I took my phone from the top of my dresser and dialled her number. Dinner would be finished and she would be settling down to watch TV, so I was hopeful that she would answer. After a few rings, she did.
“My baby,” my mother crooned. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, Mum. I just wanted to speak to you. How are you, how’s Javi?”
“Oh, he’s okay. He’s finally dumped that damn girl.”
“No way!” I exclaimed, gasping with shock.
Even though he was my brother, I knew he was quite a hottie. His skin was a rich golden brown, his hair was so black it looked almost navy blue in some lights, and his eyes were a gorgeous whisky color. Girls threw themselves at him constantly, but he’d only ever had eyes for Gabby Stevens. Gabby on the other hand seemed to have eyes not only for Javi, but for every other Tom, Dick, and Harry as well. Javi wouldn’t believe it, but evidently, he’d finally seen the light.
“Yes, he told me that he’d had enough of her taking him for granted.”
I laughed out loud. “Blimey, I can’t believe it. I bet you’re happy, aren’t you?”
“Oh Armalita, I can’t tell you. He’s also talking of coming out to see you after Christmas.”
My heart started pounding with excitement. “Really? Oh my God, that would be amazing. Why don’t you come, too?” I babbled.
My mum giggled on the other end of the line. “We’ll see. Now, you’d better go, this call will be costing you a fortune.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, sweetheart. I’ll call you next time, okay?”
“Mum, it’s fine. I have nothing else to spend my money on, so a couple of calls a week aren’t going to bankrupt me.”
“You youngsters, you have no idea about money.”
With laughter and blown kisses, we said our goodbyes and I ended the call, holding the phone against my chest. It had been very short, but very sweet, and very much needed. My mum and brother were everything to me, even more so since my dad had died six years ago. He’d had a massive heart attack while playing golf; Javi had only been sixteen at the time, so it hit him hard. But, we had each other to lean on; our little gang of three. Tears pricked my eyelashes as I thought about Dad and how I’d been a daddy’s girl. I adored him and I was his princess, which was why the situation between Addy and Jesse was all the more heart wrenching to me.
With a little sniff and a swipe at my tears, I picked up one of the boxes that I was going to store in the barn, and made my way downstairs.
When I reached the barn, I could see that the bolt was pushed across on the access door. With the box getting heavier with every second, I wedged it between my hip and the door, twisting my body to reach the bolt.
“Let me help you,” a voice said behind me – Jesse. Goosebumps instantly burst out over my skin, a brief shiver rippling through me.
I turned my head to look at him and noticed the deep blue bruise on his chin and a slight redness around his eye. Jesse stared at me unblinkingly.
“I see Garratt got a good punch in,” I said, trying to hide the quiver in my voice.
Jesse didn’t say anything but reached around me, sliding the bolt back and pushing the small wooden door that had been inlaid into the huge barn door. As his scent reached me, my senses whirled and the air around me thickened. Trying to back away, I stumbled and almost dropped the box.
“Give it to me,” he commanded, taking the box from me and stepping into the barn. “Where’d you want it?” he asked from the dim light.
“I don’t know,” I replied following him in. “Your dad just said to store them in here.”
“There’s more?”
“A couple, yes.”
Jesse turned from me and walked a couple of feet to a tall rack of metal shelves that stood against the wall. He placed the box on and straightened it.
“They’ll be better up here than on the floor, it’ll make life difficult for the mice.”
I shuddered at the thought of opening up my boxes back in England to find an overseas visitor burrowing in my belongings. I dropped my gaze to my feet, my eyes searching for anything scurrying around.
“The cat comes in here daily, I doubt there’s any in here.”
My head snapped up. “I didn’t know you had a cat, I love cats.”
“Not this one you won’t. It’s practically feral and would scratch your eyes out soon as look at you.” Jesse moved some other things around on the shelving, presumably to make way for my other two boxes.
“What’s it called?” I asked.
He stared at me for a few seconds and then shook his head in disbelief. “Cat.”
Ten minutes later and Jesse had deposited my boxes in their new home and bolted the door again. He had hardly spoken since he’d told me about the cat, but the tension that he held in his neck and shoulders said plenty.
“Thank you,” I said as he walked towards the house.
“Not a problem.”
He reached the steps up to the porch and then stopped and turned back to me with a tilt of the head and a frown.
“Where’s Addy?”
“She’s out with Garratt. They went to town for ice cream and toy shopping.”
“Shitting little fucker,” he muttered under his breath.
“Sorry?” I took a step closer to him, not sure that I’d heard correctly.
“Nothing. I’ll come back later.”
Steam started blowing between my ears as I watched him approach me. It had taken him more than a day to try and put things right with Addy, and just because Garratt had already done so he was a ‘shitting little fucker’.
“He’s actually not,” I said as Jesse got level with me. “He’s actually a very kind and sweet uncle to your daughter.”
Jesse stopped and stared at me, his blue eyes no longer bright, but icy cold.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that he’s said he’s sorry to Addy and to make amends, has taken her for a treat. Something which you should have done yesterday, straight after it happened.”
“Millie, you don’t know anything about what happened. What my life has been like, trying to hold things together for the last two years.”
“I know you’ve shut your daughter out. Why, I have no idea, but as badly as you feel the hurt, she feels it just as much. You lost your wife; she lost her mummy and her daddy.”
Jesse’s jaw clenched as his hands fisted at his sides. “I think it’s best if you don’t say anymore,” he spat at me. “You being here a few weeks does not give you the right to tell me how to be with my child.”
“Maybe not,” I retorted, my voice getting louder. “But me looking after your daughter and seeing how lost she is without you, does give me that right.”
“I’ll repeat, stay out of it, Millie. It’s no business of yours.”
“Every time you reject her, Jesse, either me or your mum, dad, or Garratt have to try and make her smile again. It’s going to take its toll on her eventually.”
“You know what, I’m not sure this is working out, you looking after my daughter.”
I let out a harsh laugh and turned to go. “Whatever, Jesse,” I snarled. “But your mum hired me, so she can be the one to fire me.”
Before I had moved one step, Jesse’s hand caught hold of my arm and pulled me back to his side. One of his arms snaked around my waist while his other hand laced through my hair. He pushed the back of my head so that the tips of our noses were inches apart.
“You want me to fuck you quiet, is that it?” he growled.
“You arrogant pig,” I hissed, desperately trying to pull away, yet at the same time loving the feel of his hands on me.
“Don’t pretend you don’t want this, Millie, because I know you fucking do. So you’d better say no, now, if it’s not what you want.”
His eyes bore into mine as he waited, and when I gave a nod of my head, his lips were on mine and his tongue was pushing into my mouth. His grip on my hair tightened as did that around my waist, as he pulled me closer. I felt the hardness in his jeans and I couldn’t help but whimper. Jesse walked us backwards, his mouth never leaving mine, and slammed me against the wall of the barn, pinning my arms above my head with one of his hands at my wrists.
“That mouth of yours is fucking delicious, Armalita,” he said and then took it in another knicker wetting kiss.
Desire buzzed through me and I could feel a pulsing between my thighs as his kiss lived up to its description. As I hitched my leg up, and pushed my pelvis forward, Jesse reached between us and popped the button on my denim shorts. He pulled down the zip and then hooked his fingertip into the lacy edge of my knickers. I gasped as he ran his finger along the edge of my pubic hair and then pushed his hand inside.
“So damn ready for me,” he groaned as two fingers slipped inside me.
“Jesse!”
I gasped as he thrust them in an out, and then pressed his thumb against my clit.
“I want you shoutin’ my name when you cum,” he whispered against my ear, his thrusting action never stopping.
I felt the swell start in the pit of my stomach as my orgasm started to take hold. While Jesse used his fingers and thumb, the pressure built, my skin heated, until every nerve ending exploded and the feeling of euphoria burst through on a cry; just as he wanted, it was a cry of his name.
As my thighs continued to tremble, I tried to steady my breathing and leaned my head back, looking up at the sky.
“Oh my God,” I gasped.
My chest was still heaving as Jesse pulled his hand from my shorts. He stood back, his hands hanging loosely at his sides, and stared at me. I watched his face and could see a gamut of emotions shadow over it. Pleasure, desire, and finally, guilt.
“Jesse.” My eyes never left his as I flattened my hands against the barn wall.
“Leave it, Millie. That should never have happened.”
“But it did happen. We can’t just ignore it.” I couldn’t ignore one of the most intense orgasms that I’d ever had.
“I said fucking leave it.” With that, he turned and stalked away, never once looking back.
As I zipped my shorts back up, the one thought in my head wasn’t regret or shame, but strangely how on earth he’d known that my full name was Armalita.