When Sparks Fly (Sexy Secrets Book 2) (19 page)

“They are probably piss drunk,” Wood replies with a
chuckle.  We all nod our heads, knowing that he is more-than-likely correct.

Driver Nick steps out first and comes over to greet us.

“Evening Gentlemen - I decided to bring your young ladies
home instead of taking them to the restaurant for dinner as agreed upon.  In
their present state, I don’t think they would do well in a restaurant.”

“They’re drunk aren’t they?”  Judah asks, unsuccessfully
trying not to laugh.

“Extremely tipsy,” Nick counters as he tries to hide a
smile.  “I just thought it would be best to bring them home.”

“No problem,” I say, reaching to shake his hand.  “Thank you
for looking out for them.  I hope they were not too much trouble.  I know that
when they drink, they can get a bit rowdy.”

Nick brushes off my comment. 

“Nonsense!  Yes, they are extremely tipsy, but they were
wonderful and have behaved beautifully.”  He runs a hand through his thick gray
hair before continuing.  “I have enjoyed looking after them.  If you want, you
can each board the bus and collect your young lady.”  Nick sweeps a hand toward
the bus. 

It takes us a good ten minutes to extract the girls from the
shuttle bus.  They don’t want to leave, exclaiming ‘that the bus takes them to
places that serve wine’.

A few hours later, I have managed to get some food into Liv
- along with a couple bottles of water and two ibuprofen tablets.  I take a hot
shower with her and dress her for bed.  When I join her in bed, she has removed
her t-shirt and is only wearing yellow cotton panties.  I find her t-shirt
amongst the covers and hand it back to her. 

She balls it up and throws in on the floor as she slinks up
to me and starts kissing my neck.  Her small hand runs along my chest before
traveling down to my cock.  As much as I want to make love to Liv, I am not
going to do it while she is drunk.

“Liv, stop - I am not going to take advantage of you while
you’re drunk.”  I say softly as I still her hand.

“Well, why not?  I’m horny and I want you.”  She sits back
and looks at me.  Those pierced nipples of her are begging to be sucked.  It
would be so easy – so good.  Then I look up into her eyes and see the
glassiness from all the wine she has consumed.  

“Yeah…well tough.  It’s not going to happen.” 

It would be different if I was drunk too, but I am
stone-cold sober and I refuse to fuck her if there is a chance she won’t
remember or she can only give me her drunken consent.

She blows a raspberry at me and scoots under the sheet,
putting her back to me.  I watch the pretty butterscotch skin of her back, rise
and fall as she drifts off to sleep.  I turn off the bedside lamp and spoon
her, holding her into my arms as I allow myself to drift off to sleep. 

__________________________

Isaac

I walk into the kitchen seeing Judah at the stove. 

“Morning,” I mumble out as I pour myself a cup of coffee.

“Morning,” he replies.

I take a few sips from my cup and I start to help him with
breakfast.  A few minutes pass by before Wood and Charlie trickle into the
kitchen, both grabbing a cup of coffee before taking seats at the kitchen
counter.

“How are Zoe and Ivy?”  I ask as I add more batter to the
waffle maker.

Charlie chuckles softly before answering.  “Zoe is good -
knocked the hell out but good.  I think she got this drunk because she is going
to stop drinking in January.”

Judah and I both turn to Charlie wondering what the hell is
talking about; our sister loves her wine and would never give it up. 

“What do you mean stop drinking?”  Judah asks before I can.

Charlie ducks his head and his ears turn red. 

“We’re going to start trying to get pregnant in the New
Year,” he finally says. 

Elation spreads through me and before I know it, I am
engulfing Charlie in a hug.  And Judah must have the same elation because he
joins in the hug too.

We’re going to be Uncles!

“Yeah?”  Judah asks excitedly.  Charlie gives him a
shit-eating grin before nodding his reply.

“And what about Ivy?”  I ask looking at Wood.

He smirks before he takes a sip of his coffee, then
swallows.  

“Fuck no – my wife is just a lush.  We have talked about
kids and we are happy to do without and just spoil the ones you guys have.  We
are more than okay with being just Uncle Wood and Aunt Ivy.” 

His response is not really a surprise to me.  I have known
for a while that Ivy doesn’t want children and I am glad to know that Wood and
her are on the same page regarding
not
having them.

Charlie indicates that even though Zoe has told the girls
about their plans to try for a baby, they don’t want anyone else to know, so he
asks us to keep the information quiet.  Judah, Wood and I agree as we get back
to cooking.  We have been enjoying a comfortable silence, when Judah speaks up.

“So since we are sort of confessing, don’t you have
something you want to share with us Isaac?” my brother asks.

I try to suppress a smile as I stack the last waffle on the
plate.  I turn, wiping my hands on the dishcloth thrown over my shoulder before
I stick my hand into my front jeans pocket and pull out my phone.  I got Liv’s
engagement ring last week and I have a picture of it on my phone.  I plan to
talk to her dad first before I ask her though.

I open my phone’s photo album and scroll to the picture of
the one carat, round halo diamond engagement ring.  The actual ring is safely
in my lockbox back in Richmond.  I show the screen to Wood and Charlie.

They both give me wide grins and Judah slaps me on the back.

“Is that an engagement ring?”  Charlie asks, a slow smile
spreading on his lips.

I nod. 

“Really?”  Wood asks – excitement in his voice.  I just nod
again and then I am the one engulfed in manly hugs and congratulations.

“And please keep this to yourselves – no telling your wives
or Maddie,” I say once we all settle down and start to load up our plates with
food.  They both nod in agreement. 

“When are you going to ask her?”  Charlie asks after wiping
his mouth with his napkin and taking a sip of his orange juice. 

I finish chewing before answering, “Well, I want to talk to
her dad first and since Liv and I are going to spend Thanksgiving week with
them, I figure I will do that then.  I want to ask her on her birthday, in
March, but I don’t think I can wait that long.”

“Why do you need to talk to her dad first?”  Charlie asks,
cramming his face with large bit of a folded waffle drenched in syrup.  “Just
ask her and be done with it.  You don’t need his permission.”  He looks at me
with those chameleon eyes of his.   

“So you mean elope like you did with Zoe and deal with the
fallout afterwards?”  I counter.

“Isaac – it’s been almost three years, get over it.  Your
sister and I are married.  No, I didn’t ask Mr. Matty for his daughter’s hand
in marriage, but if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t do it any
differently.”  His stare is serious.  I know he loves my sister, but sometimes
I still get irritated that he and Zoe eloped and kept their marriage a
secret.   

I reach my hand over the table and give him a fist pound, so
he knows we are cool.  Charlie, in addition to Wood, is like a brother to me
and I never want anything to come between us.

Olivia

As I exit the restroom, I scan the grounds for Isaac and
Chewy.  We have stopped at an interstate rest area for a quick break.  We are
on the way to my parents’ house in Atlanta for the Thanksgiving holiday.  I
walk further down the walkway, towards Isaac’s truck and I still don’t see
them. 

When I reach the truck, I scan the parking lot and still no
Isaac or Chewy.  I turn around and go back up the walkway and that is when I
hear Chewy’s playful barking.  I veer off the paved walkway and follow the
sounds around the corner of the building.

I admire Isaac’s broad back as he throws a small ball a few
feet away from him so that Chewy can fetch it.  I smile to myself.  While we
were on vacation in Sonoma, Mr. Matty taught Chewy how to fetch – well, sort
of.  Chewy does well with retrieving the ball, but he is not so good at
returning it; which is why I hear Isaac urging Chewy to bring the ball to him
as Chewy plops down on the ground and starts chewing on the ball. 

I walk up beside Isaac and wrap my arm around his lean
waist, leaning into his side.

“He’s still not getting it huh?”  I ask as Isaac brings his
arm around me and pulls me closer. 

He kisses the top of my head.

“Nope – not at all,” he says with a chuckle. 

I watch him pull a dog biscuit from his pocket and wave it
in offer to Chewy.  Chewy looks up and abandons the ball, ambling over to us. 
Isaac releases his hold on me and feeds Chewy the biscuit.  I watch him walk to
retrieve the ball, which is now wet with Chewy’s slobber.  He holds up the ball
with a grimace.

“I’m gonna go wash this off and use the restroom.  I’ll meet
you at the truck.” 

He fishes his keys from his jeans pocket and hands them to
me.  He also hands me Chewy’s leash.  I let Chewy finish his biscuit before I
clip the leash to his collar.  Once back at the truck, I get him settled in the
back seat before settling into the front seat.  Just as I finish rubbing hand
sanitizer on my hands, Isaac emerges from the restroom. 

I let out an audible sigh as I watch him walk down the
walkway and to the truck.

I could spend all day watching that man walk. 

He moves so confidently with just a hint of cocky swagger
that is so damn sexy to me.  Before getting into the truck, he takes off his
zip-up hoodie and places in the back seat next to Chewy – who is already dozing
off to sleep.

“You ready?” he asks as looks at me and starts the truck.

I lean over the console and give him quick kiss. 

“Always,” I mumble against his lips.

__________________________

We arrive at my parents’ house a little before 4pm.  My
nieces meet us at the door and I am surprised that they aren’t dressed like
little hookers.  They actually look like the newly turned 17-year-olds that
they are.  For once, their jeans are not painted on and they are wearing
matching maroon t-shirts – well almost matching t-shirts.  While Dani’s shirt
says ‘Team Santa,’ Daisy’s shirts says ‘Team Rudolph’.

So cute!

Before I can say anything, they both engulf me in hugs and
squeals.  Chewy even gets in on the action and starts barking.

“What’s all the commotion going on out here?”  I hear my
daddy ask.

I can’t see him because my nieces still have me hemmed up in
hugs.

“Auntie is here.” One of my nieces squeals loudly – right in
my ear.

I manage to extricate myself from them and step back to
stand beside Isaac.

“Hi Daddy,” I say, giving him a little wave.

“Sweet Pea,” he exclaims as he comes forward and engulfs me
in a hug too.               After releasing me, he shakes Isaac’s hand.

“Isaac,” is all he says.

“Mr. Simone, it’s nice to see you again.”

My daddy just harrumphed in reply.

“Daddy,” I say, giving him the evil eye as I mouth ‘behave’.

My mama then comes down the stairs and envelops me in a
hug.  She releases me and then turns to Isaac.  She reaches up and cups Isaac’s
face in her hands.

“Still so handsome,” she says before hugging him too.

I think Mama has a crush on Isaac.

During all the hugging, my nieces have unleashed Chewy and
Dani has him in her arms.  I can also tell that they are sizing up Isaac.

“Is he going to be our new uncle?”  Daisy asked cheekily.

__________________________

Olivia

I slowly wake up to a big warm hand slowly moving from the
undersides of my breasts, down to the top of my pajama shorts.  My eyes slowly
flutter open.  The room is starting to lighten with the rising sun, so it must
be close to 7am.  I reach behind me to the body spooning me and find Isaac –
hard.

I am still amazed that Mama is okay with Isaac and me
sharing a room.  When she instructed us to put our luggage in the furnished
basement, which is more like an apartment with its living room, kitchenette,
bedroom and bathroom, I gave her a questioning look to which she replied that
we were both adults who were in a relationship and she was under no illusion
that we were not intimate. 

That made my face heat up with embarrassment and Isaac had
looked decidedly uncomfortable as he looked down and scratched the back of his
head.  My daddy just muttered grumpily to himself as he stood in the
background.  Yeah – Daddy was not onboard with Isaac and me sharing a room, but
somehow Mama won that battle.

“Can you be quiet?”  Isaac asks me softly as he kisses right
below my ear.  I turn in his arms and nod.  He helps me take off my tank top
and my pajama shorts.  I help him take off his sleep pants before he pulls me
under him.  As the rising sun continues to brighten the room, soft touches give
way to quiet sighs, whispered words and soft moans as we make love.

By 8:15am, we are both dressed and heading up the stairs to
the main floor.  Before heading to the kitchen, I make a quick detour upstairs
to get Chewy from Dani and Daisy’s room (my childhood room).  Since they are
out of school this week for Thanksgiving, they are staying with their Nana and
Grandpa to get away from their parents.  Apparently, my brother and
sister-in-law are trying to have another child and my nieces are tired of
hearing them going at it. 

As quietly as I can, I pick up Chewy from the foot of the
bed my nieces are sharing and cradle him in my arms as I leave the room.  Isaac
is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. 

Isaac wants to get in a morning run.  We are going to the
neighborhood park that has a few walking/running trails.  While Isaac does his
run, I will walk Chewy.  The neighborhood park also has an enclosed dog park
with a couple of obstacle courses for big and small dogs.  After I walk Chewy,
I plan to turn him loose for a while to have fun. 

“Good morning you two; where are you off to this early?” my
mama asks as we walk into the kitchen.  She’s sitting at the kitchen counter
with a cup of coffee and her tablet – no doubt reading the news.

“Good morning,” Isaac and I both say at the same time before
I continue.  “We’re going to the neighborhood park.  Isaac wants to get in his
run.  I thought I would tag along and let Chewy play in the dog park after I
walk him.” 

Chewy is still cradled in my arms and seems to be barely
awake.  He lets out a yawn and looks up at me with sleepy eyes.

“Why don’t you get Chewy’s leash and stuff and I will wake
the little guy up,” Isaac says as he takes Chewy’s from me. 

Before going to bed last night, I stored Chewy’s stuff in
the panty.  I go to the panty and take out the little backpack that has his
leash and a few toys.  I grab a few dog biscuits from the cloth bag that
contains his food and dog biscuits.  After that’s complete, I make sure to grab
a few water bottles from the fridge for all three of us and put them in the
backpack too.

“Is Daddy still asleep?”  I ask as I bend down to clip the
leash on a more awake Chewy. 

“No, he’s up.  He’s in his home office.  He had an 8am
conference call,” my mama responds before looking up at us.  She has a slight
smile on her face.  “When you two get back, I will have breakfast ready for
you.”

“Mama, you don’t have to do that, we can make our own
breakfast.”

“I know I don’t have to.  I am doing it because I want to.”

After that, she shoos us out the kitchen and we leave the
house through the garage door.  Isaac takes the little backpack from me as I
zip up my yoga jacket.  The weather is chilly, but not cold.  I have on a long
sleeve t-shirt under my jacket and a pair of yoga pants adorns my bottom half. 

“Are you sure you don’t want your hoodie from the truck?”  I
ask Isaac as we walk down the driveway and head towards the park.  All he is
wearing are a pair of shorts and some type of long sleeve thermal t-shirt.

“I’m good,” he answers as he grabs my free hand, twining our
fingers together. 

It takes us less than ten minutes to walk to the park.  As
Isaac stretches, I tell him that I plan to walk Chewy for bit then take him
over to the dog park. 

“The trail goes right by the dog park, so that is where we
will be when you finish up, okay?”

He nods as I watch him clip his iPod shuffle to his t-shirt
collar and put in his earbuds.  He leans down and gives me a quick kiss to my
forehead before he takes off and follows the trail to begin his run.  I only
walk Chewy for about twenty minutes or so before we meander over to the dog
park.  I spend a few minutes running him through the obstacle course getting
him reacquainted with the maze that he first encountered last year.  Once he
has the hang of it and is running around the course without my assistance, I
take a seat on the bench outside of the fenced-off area.  

I am not sure how long I sit and daydream as I watch Chewy
play.  Isaac runs by a few times before someone calling my name interrupts my
daydream. 

“Olivia Simone?” a woman asks as she peers down at me.  She
looks familiar and I scan my mental rolodex until a name pops into my head.

Audrey Moore.

Audrey Moore went to the same high school as me.  She was an
acquaintance of Jacqueline, but not necessarily a friend of Jacqueline.  They
were more like frenemies.  The one trait that I remember about Audrey is that
she was a bitch. 

A colossal one.

“Yes…Audrey Moore, right?”  I say, deciding to be an adult
and acknowledge her instead of pretending not to know her. 

“Yes!”  She all but shouts as she pulls me up from the bench
and hugs the shit out of me. 

When she releases me, she gives me a long look; so long that
it makes me a wee bit uncomfortable. 

“You look exactly like you did in high school,” she finally
says.  “I don’t think you have aged a bit!”

Okay – an actual compliment from someone who I remember
as the queen of backhanded compliments - very unexpected.

“You were always cute, but now you look less nerdy,” she
adds on.

See – backhanded compliment. 

I just raise my eyebrow at her, letting her know that I
caught the underhanded dig.

She sits down on the bench and I retake my seat as she turns
towards me. 

“Have you moved back to Atlanta or are you just visiting?”
she asks.

“I’m just visiting.  I live in Richmond, Virginia now.”

“Wow!” she replies.  Her eyes widen and she looks weird for
a moment.  “That is so cool!”

Really?

“Do you still live in the area,” I ask her finally because
she has gone silent and is just staring at me – with a creepy smile on her
face.

“Yeah,” she replies.  “I still live in area.  I own a
townhouse two blocks from our old high school.  So, are you visiting your
parents for Thanksgiving?”

I nod, not offering any more information than that and at
that exact moment, Isaac passes by on his run.

“Damn!” she says.

And I will agree.  Isaac is on his fourth or fifth lap and
he is looking all kinds of sexy. 

“He has to be new to the area because I haven’t seen him
before.  I come here a lot.”  Audrey comments.

“Hhhhmmmm,” is all I say.

“He’s not married either,” she adds.

I must give her a strange look because she gives me an
exasperated one and rolls her eyes. 

“I didn’t see a wedding ring,” she explains.

“He passed by so quickly, how were you able to check for a
wedding ring?”

“Girl, I am 32-years-old, I have developed skills to spot a
single man.  I can’t waste time - I am beyond ready to be married and have
babies.”

Oh!

We sit in silence for a while as we watch our dogs run
around the obstacle course.  Since there are only two dogs in the park now –
Chewy and a Yorkshire terrier, I am assuming that the Yorkie belongs to
Audrey. 

“The Yorkie is yours, right?”  I ask.

“Yep – that’s Princess,” Audrey replies proudly.

Of course, that is her name since her owner was a Queen
Bee in high school.

 “So, what have you been up to since high school?  If I
remember correctly, you went to some kind of design school, right?” 

I nod before speaking.

 “Yeah, I went to school in Savannah at the Savannah College
of Art and Design.”

She wrinkles her nose.

“What kind of work do you do with a degree from a school
like that?”

“I’m a jewelry designer.” 

When she laughs (which sounds like a braying donkey), I grit
my teeth because I know I am about to get a visit from the bitchy Audrey I knew
in high school. 

“Is that even a real job?”  She finally asks.

“It pays the bills,” I say, not looking at her. 

She must sense the chill in my voice because she goes quiet
and we sit in silence for a few minutes.  When Isaac passes by again, he gives
me that dimpled smile and winks at me.