Gravel's Road (5 page)

“Only when I leave the house and forget to eat.”

“Woman, how the hell can you forget to eat?”

“Here it is!” She called as she pulled the bottle up and held it up in front of my face.

“Thanks, darlin’,” I said as I grabbed the bottle out of her hand, opening it and shaking two pills out into my hand. I grabbed my glass, popping the pills in my mouth and took a slug of my drink. I watched her shove everything back into her purse but grabbed the bottle out of her reach when she went to catch it.

“I can put it in here,” she insisted.

“I think if I let you put it back in there, I might never see it again,” I chuckled, setting it on the opposite side of the bar away from her.

“Ha ha,” she said shaking her head.

“Food will be up in five minutes. Need a refill?” The bartender asked eyeing my empty glass.

“One more,” I replied. I saw Ethel shaking her head at me out of the corner of my eye but decided to ignore her.

“Got your suitcase all put back together?” I asked as she set her purse down next to her.

“I’m not sure I like this Gravel. I think I might want to go back to when you were a grumpy bear and didn’t talk to me,” She teased as she toyed with the straw in her glass.

“No can do. This is what you wanted, darlin’.”

“Hmm. I don’t think I knew what I was asking for.”

“Most women don’t know what they want,” I said as raised my glass up to my lips to take a drink.

Ethel bumped my arm, sloshing half of my drink down the front of my shirt.

“What the hell, woman,” I bellowed feeling the drink soaking my pants and shirt.

“Whoops,” she said coyly, chewing on the end of her straw. Her beautiful green eyes were on me, filled with mischief and laughter.

“Whoops my ass,” I chuckled, grabbing a stack of napkins off the bar and patted my pants and shirt.

“Two mushrooms and Swiss with fries.” the bartender said, setting our food down in front of us.

“Good thing I like mushrooms,” I said, digging into my meal.

“I know more about you than you think I do,” Ethel said as she cut her burger in half.

“I doubt that, darlin’,” I replied.

“I do,” she insisted, taking a bite of her burger. The juice from the burger dripped down her chin, and she looked around for a napkin. I had taken the only stack by us to wipe up the drink she had ‘accidently’ spilled on me.

I reached over, swiping my thumb across the juices and licked my thumb clean. “Prove it,” I said, watching Ethel who had swallowed her bite of food but her eyes were glued to me.

“How?” she whispered.

“The rest of the night, we do whatever you think I would want to do. I’ll let you know if you’re right,” I suggested.

Her eyes roamed over my face, gauging to see if I was joking. I was dead serious. If this was the game Ethel wanted to play, I wasn’t going to run. She thought she knew me so well, well it was time for her to put her money where her mouth was.

“What happens if I pick something you don’t want to do?” She asked.

“Three strikes and you’re out.”

“What if I guess wrong three times?” Ethel asked, warming up to the idea.

“Don’t guess wrong and we won’t have to go there,” I said, not having a clue what would happen if she did guess wrong three times. I would think of something off the top of my head.

“Deal,” she said, holding her hand out to shake.

I reached out, my hand enveloping her tiny one and a shiver ran through my body. Her hand was soft and smooth compared to my rough and calloused one. “Eat, big man, because I’ve got plans for you after this,” Ethel said she pulled her hand back and started eating again, a mischievous smile on her lips.

Something told me this was going to be interesting.

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Chapter 7

Ethel

“Sit down,” I ordered as we walked through the front door.

“I thought you said you had plans for me?” Gravel said as he slowly sat down on the couch.

“I do,” I said as I walked into the kitchen.

“As much as I’d love for you to ravage me darlin’, I just don’t think I’m up to it.”

“You’re an ass and wrong,” I called, opening the cabinet above the sink and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and old fashion mix.

“You don’t come in here; I’m going to fall asleep,” Gravel threatened.

“I’m coming,” I mumbled as I reached in the fridge for the lemon-lime soda and quick made the drinks.

“Drink this, ya bear,” I said as I walked back in the living room and handed Gravel his drink.

“It’s getting better with a drink in my hand, but I don’t know how you think this was what I wanted to do tonight.”

“Tonight, I’m going to show you how to relax,” I said as I crouched down in front of the TV cabinet, opening it and looked for a movie Gravel would want to watch.

“What the hell do you think I’ve been doing for the past week? All I’ve been doing is relax.”

“Bellowing into your phone all day and pacing your room all night is not relaxing,” I replied as I grabbed
Days of Thunder
, opened the case and popped it into the DVD player.

“I’m restless. I’m used to doing what I want, when I want,” he grumbled.

“Well, tonight you are going to relax and like it.” I grabbed a throw pillow off the couch, throwing it on the floor and set my drink on the coffee table.

“What are you doing?” Gravel asked.

“Yoga,” I said, even though it was obvious what I was doing.

“What the fuck?” Gravel said.

“Oh my god, Gravel. I’m going to lay down,” I laughed, sinking to my knees.

“Get on the couch.”

“I’m good here. Plus, you need to lay down, too. I know you have to be wore out. This is the most you’ve done all week; I’m sure you are exhausted,” I said as I leaned down to lay down.

“Woman.” I heard Gravel growl before he grabbed me by the arm and tugged me up on the couch, our thighs touching.

“What the heck?” I asked, looking up into his face.

“Sit,” he ordered, reaching down, grabbing the pillow I had just thrown on the floor and tossed it on the arm of the couch.

“You can’t just haul me around whenever you want,” I insisted.

“I just did. Now stop. What movie did you put in?” He asked.

“Days of Thunder,” I replied, still dumbstruck Gravel had basically pulled me into his lap.

“Nice. Haven’t seen this shit in years,” he replied, pleased with my movie selection.

I secretly loved this movie. I watched it at least once a month.

“Come here,” Gravel said.

“I’m here. I can’t get much more here,” I informed him, gesturing to our bodies that were touching.

“Woman, I swear,’ Gravel said, shaking his head, smirking. ‘I want to lay down.”

“I know! That’s why I was going on the floor so you could relax on the couch,” I pointed out. I swear the drugs were going to Gravel’s head.

“Do I need to draw you a picture, darlin’?’ Gravel laughed. I really didn’t see what was so funny. ‘Stand up,” he ordered.

“Are you kidding me?” I said, standing up.

“No,’ Gravel said as he stretched out on the couch, his head resting on the pillow he just threw up there. ‘Lay down,” he said, stretching out his right arm, I’m assuming where he wanted me to lay my head.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I replied, not moving.

“No, I’m not joking. Lay you sweet ass down next to me. All this arguing is not helping me relax at all,” he said, mocking me.

“You’re an ass.”

“I know. That’s not the first time you’ve told me that tonight. Now, lay down,” he said, leaning up, grabbing my hand and tugged me down next to him.

“You’re crazy,” I mumbled.

“You have no idea.”

I laid my head down on his arm and kicked my feet up onto the couch. “I think I need to cut back on your pills, I believe they’re getting to your head, making you do crazy things.”

My back was pressed to his front, the closest I had been to man in ten years. He wrapped his other arm around me, pulling me flush against him.

“Relax, darlin’,” he rumbled into my ear.

“Kind of hard to do when I’m worried body snatchers came in here when I was making a drink and took away ass Gravel and replaced him with you,” I said, only half joking.

“Just go with it. That’s what I’m doing; that’s what I’ve done my whole life,” Gravel said, as I felt his breath in my ear.

“Go with it?” I asked.

“Yeah. You and I laying here isn’t going to end the world or anything. I told you we had a truce this morning, and now I decided I’m not going to run from whatever the hell I’m feeling.”

“And what is it you’re feeling?” I asked.

“I feel like I want to lay down and have a warm body in my arms while I watch this movie.”

“So I’m just a warm body? Why don’t I call the clubhouse and see if Lo can send over a warm body to lay with you because I don’t think I’m what you are looking for.” I said, my body going tense and pulled away from him. I was so close to believing this was what Gravel wanted until I realized I was just the closest warm body. Idiot.

“Stop,’ he growled into my ear, pulling my body back to his. ‘That came out wrong.”

“No, I think it came out just right. Now let me go,” I insisted, trying to pull away from him.

“No, not till I get to explain.”

“Fine, explain,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest and stared blankly at the wall across the room.

“If I wanted some pussy from the club, I wouldn’t need you to call them. I want you. Here, with me. I’ve denied myself this for so long; I’m not letting it go until I absolutely have to.” He buried his nose in my hair and inhaled.

“What do you mean what you’ve denied yourself?” I whispered.

“You. I know I’m not what you need, but I just don’t give a fuck anymore. You’re the only woman I want to be with right now,” he confessed.

“So what now?” I asked.

“I don’t have a fucking clue. I know I’m not good enough for you, but I’m fucking sick and tired of running from the one woman who cares about me. I’m done running. The cards are going to fall where ever the fuck they may and I just don’t give a shit.”

“Um, ok,” I replied dumbly. I was in shock. When I had decided to just take Gravel home to relax, I never thought it would lead to me and him on my couch while he confessed he wasn’t going to run from me anymore.

I had no idea he had even been running from me. “Why were you running from me?”

“Because you are everything I told myself I never wanted. A home, the same bed every night, routine.”

“You make me sound so boring,” I laughed.

“Those are all good things, darlin’. I had those things one time, and they didn’t work for me. I didn’t want to come into your life, fuck it all up and then leave. Ten years ago, I can guarantee that would have happened.”

“So why now?”

“Because all those reasons I ran from you, now make sense and are things I crave. I want to go out, do my club shit during the day, knowing I have you at home, doing whatever the hell it is you do every day, waiting for me when I walk through the door.”

“So, now what?” I was seriously having a problem processing everything. Just this morning we had finally called a truce to be friends, and now it sounded like Gravel wanted to be with me. Hell, I didn’t even know his real name!

“Just go with it.”

“Really?’ I asked, rolling over to face him. ‘That is your answer, just go with it?” My eyes roamed over his face, taking in his dark blue eyes that were lazy and relaxed.

“Yes. Neither of us are getting any younger,” he said, smiling at me.

“Back to being an ass, I see. Next you are going to remind me I’m older than you,” I pouted.

“Only by four months, darlin’,” Gravel said, reaching up and brushing my hair out of my face.

His eyes were lazily roaming over my face while mine did the same. His skin was tanned, weathered from miles of driving in the sun but I still saw the man who had attracted me to him the instant we had met. His hand traveled down my arm and gripped my hip.

“Remember what I said about going with it?” He asked, his head leaning closer to mine.

“Yeah,” I whispered, leaning in.

“Just go with it,” he whispered right before his lips touched mine, and I forgot all the reasons why I was supposed to be upset.

His lips gently caressed mine, his hand squeezing my hip.

I instantly pressed my body against his, my hands reaching up stroking his face, not wanting to let go.

Gravel moaned, his hand slipping over my hip and grabbed my butt. “Fuck,” he whispered against my lips.

I moaned, missing his kiss and leaned into him wanting more.

Gravel pulled away, his lips only an inch away from mine, but so far away. “I should have done that years ago,” he mumbled.

“Yeah,” I agreed, completely relaxed now.

He leaned in, gently brushing his lips against mine again, but didn’t take more. “You ok?”

Such a weird question after I had just had my first kiss in ten years. “Yeah,” I said timidly.

“God dammit. I want to do that till the day I die,” he said licking his lips, his eyes glued to my lips.

His words sent shock waves through me, and I did a full body shiver. I may be fifty-eight, but I sure wasn’t too old to feel the need I have for Gravel.

I ran my thumb over his bottom lip, feeling its softness and wanted more. I leaned in, taking control and kissed him with all I had. Hearing him groan only encouraged me more.

Our tongues danced together, giving and taking what we had denied each other for so long. “I knew this was all part of your seduction,” Gravel mumbled as his mouth traveled down my neck, placing random kisses.

“I don’t mean to… ahh… deflate your… ego, but I … really only wanted to… watch a movie,” I said, trying to act like Gravel wasn’t affecting me the way he was.

“Lies,” he growled, his head coming back up and claiming my lips.

I held onto his biceps and let him ravage me. I finally had the man I had wanted for years in my arms, and it was even better than I had ever fantasized.

Nothing could compare to being in Gravel’s arms.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Gravel

Ethel was plastered against me, her arms wrapped around me and her leg cradled in between mine.

The movie was over, and I reached over and grabbed the remote to turn it off. The room was blanketed in darkness, the only sound the slow, even breaths of Ethel against my neck.

Half way through the movie she had fallen asleep and had rolled over in my arms, borrowing and wrapping herself around me.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had actually laid with a woman without leading to sex. After we had kissed, she had rolled over to face the TV and hit play.

I don’t know what had possessed me to insist she lay down with me. When I saw that she was going to lay down on the floor to give me room, it had pissed me off. No other woman I had ever known would give up being comfortable for me. Ethel made me a priority, and I had no idea how to deal with that.

Having her laying in my arms, I felt something inside me feel like it was finally whole. I always thought I had everything I needed. Now, with Ethel, I didn’t know if I would be able to leave. She gave me something I didn’t even know I was missing.

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