Erotica

Chapter 2: Reigniting Desire

Chapter 2: Reigniting Desire

“Remember me Julia?” a smooth, masculine voice affirmed, coming to stand behind her a few moments later.

She didn't recognize the voice, but the sexy timbre and the stranger's nearness sent shivers down her spine.

“I don't believe we've been introduced,” she replied, turning around to come face-to-face with an attractive wrangler. “Jeez, that was lame,” she thought to herself but tried to shake it off quickly. Something about him did look incredibly familiar.

“Oh, but we have. I started here just a few months before you left for college. Traveled the circuit a bit with one of your dad's wrangler's too. We may not have had the opportunity to spend much time together, but I've certainly heard plenty about you,” he responded easily. Julia's dad had been known to prattle on about his daughter incessantly on occasion, and she assumed that must have been what the stranger had been referring to.

“Then it seems I should apologize for my father's prolific praise of his precious daughter.” She was back on her toes.

“The apology is quite unnecessary. Your father wasn't the one with the prolific praise,” he reassured her huskily. Though instead of offering any reassurance, his statement only served to peak her curiosity.

But before she could inquire further, her attention was drawn elsewhere. The front door had opened and from across the living room, she could see the entrant clearly. It was her cowboy. Well, not really hers at all, but the one she'd fantasized over since she was a teenager.

But, her recollection of him had apparently waned since she'd left for college, or somehow he'd gotten even more attractive over the past three years, because her fantasies didn't compare to the man who stood just a few yards away from her now. His dark hair was cropped a bit shorter than it had been and his five-o-clock shadow emphasized his perfectly chiseled jaw and highlighted his crystal clear blue eyes. Below the rolled-up cuffs of his button-up shirt, every muscle exposed was immaculately defined as if he'd been hand-carved to perfection while she'd been away. Julia couldn't help but wonder if every other muscle in his body had been chiseled so perfectly.

She watched as her father approached him, reaching out a hand in welcome. Ethan smiled and grasped his outstretched hand, a smile spreading across his face as the two conversed easily.

The stranger in front of her followed her gaze and he smiled knowingly. “So, the feeling's mutual, is it?” he spoke, but Julia was so distracted by the man with her father that she couldn't process what the stranger was saying.

“You're being rude, Julia,” she chastised herself silently, forcing her attention back to the attractive man in front of her.

“Then I don't know which one I should want to know more; your name or the person you've been speaking to,” she teased, jumping right back into the conversation all the while fighting the urge to follow every movement Ethan made in the room.

“Well, I'll simplify your conundrum then,” he smiled. “I can tell you that my name's Michael. But, I'm afraid I can't share with you who I've been speaking to. It's a secret,” he gestured conspiratorially, moving a finger to cover his lips. The movement drew Julia's attention there, and her mind couldn't help but wander to what those lips could do to her body right then.

“Wow! Head out of the gutter,” Julia reprimanded herself. Ethan was going straight to her head already.

And then she remembered Michael; the cute, young cowboy her father had hired on Ethan's recommendation. “Wow!” she thought. He'd been a good-looking guy three years ago, and he'd apparently grown into a very attractive man while she'd been away.

“You know, Michael. It isn't polite to keep secrets. Besides, I think secrets are for children. Do I look like a child to you?” she queried seductively, leaning toward him. “So much for staying out of the gutter,” she acknowledged wordlessly.

“No Julia. You most definitely don't look like a child,” he replied, bridging most of the remaining distance between them. His dark eyes held hers and she almost forgot that she was standing in the middle of her living room, surrounded by a crowd of people.

“Michael,” a deep, sensual voice spoke sternly. She'd know that voice anywhere.

Michael backed up a little from Julia, smirking as he turned to look at Ethan. Thrown off by his sudden nearness, she turned to him wide-eyed, her lips parted slightly. “Ethan,” she breathed.

His jaw hardened and she could see his hands clench from the corner of her eyes but, as he spoke, the seductive timbre of his voice was the same as she remembered. She had no idea how one man could have such influence over her body, but even the sound of his voice drove her wild, arousal settling deep within her and making her throb with desire.

“Hey Jules. I haven't seen you in a long time.”

“Hi Ethan. It's good to see you again” she spoke, feeling every fiber of her body respond to him and hoping vehemently he'd see her differently now.

“Shouldn't the guest of honor be out there mingling with the other guests?” he queried like an overprotective big brother, unhappy to see a new boy too close to his baby sister.

“Just great,” she thought dejectedly. He'd seen her as nothing more than a little girl when she'd left for college, and his viewpoint of her obviously hadn't changed. Oh, but if she could just show him...

“Oh, don't worry. I'm mingling plenty, thanks. In fact, I've already made a new friend,” she replied, motioning to Michael while wishing like a petulant child that she'd see some flicker of jealousy in Ethan's eyes. But his expression didn't change. She held his gaze while he stood there silent for a moment. And then he seemed to force his attention elsewhere, turning to her new friend.

“We've got an early start tomorrow, Michael. I suggest you call it an early night,” he told him, remaining still until he was relatively certain Michael had acquiesced.

“Damn!” Julia fumed silently. “All revved up and nowhere to go.” Ethan had no interest in her and now he'd gone ahead and made sure she couldn't have the attractive, hard-bodied man next to her.

Ethan nodded briefly to them both. “See you around,” he told her, a hint of a devious smile turning up the edges of his lips knowing he'd effectively squelched any plans she'd been hoping to make for the night.

He turned then and made his way back to the front door, Julia watching his retreat until he'd disappeared from her view.

“Wow. You've got it bad, don't you?” Michael joked, recapturing her attention. He started moving in toward her once again, looking into her eyes as if he were trying to discern something there.

“I don't know what you mean.” Julia immediately felt like a talking cliché, but Michael changed the subject, seemingly letting her off the hook.

“So, how do I talk you into ditching this party?” his tone turned seductive, obviously not as deterred by Ethan's obscure warning as she'd thought.

“But aren't you having a good time?” Julia teased, feigning innocent, as his hands moved to rest gently against her hips.

He didn't respond but his eyes met hers then. His fiery gaze told her that Michael wanted to do so much more; to move in closer, to touch her more. And given the arousal coursing through her veins in the wake of Ethan's unexpected appearance, Julia was just as sure she would have been an equally enthusiastic participant. To feel Michael's lips pressed against hers; his hands meandering away from her hips; it might just help to assuage the arousal that was seeking to set her ablaze.

As always though, even the sexy and desirable Michael would be yet another substitute for the man she craved perpetually. But, while Michael had no more interest in her than the pleasurable ride she could offer—just like any of her college substitutes—this seemed a little more complicated. Michael wasn't some college boy hundreds of miles away from home. He worked on her father's ranch...he worked with Ethan and rode the circuit with him, too. They had to be fairly close friends, no doubt. But her arousal spoke louder than her common sense at the moment.

“It sounds like you have a busy day tomorrow. Shouldn't you be getting to bed?” she continued flirtatiously.

“Only if you come with me,” he leaned in a little closer and her body swayed toward him. She was so tempted to say yes; to give her body the release it was demanding in that moment.

“Julia!” her father called from across the room, motioning for her to join him. She exhaled heavily, taking a step back from Michael.

“I suppose we'll just have to pick this up later,” he whispered, a wry smile pulling up the corners of his lips.

Michael turned to go, but Julia remained where she was, inhaling and exhaling in an attempt to compose herself. First Ethan interfering and now her father. The fates seemed to be conspiring against her tonight.

She forced herself to walk calmly toward her dad, feigning a look of interest as he introduced her to a newcomer to the area; a decrepit widower who leered at her surreptitiously. She listened as the newcomer prattled on about the woes of owning a new ranch. And she was eternally grateful when her father announced—what seemed like ages later—that it would be best to wrap things up for the night, knowing tomorrow would be a long day for many of the guests.

The crowd made their way out the front door within moments and Julia escaped to her bedroom shortly after. Ensconced behind closed doors, she breathed a sigh of relief. She wandered across the room, stripping off her dress and tossing it on her still-unpacked suitcase. Clad in a satin bra and thong, she paced the room, trying to walk off the night's frustrations.

The curtains at her window had been left open by the cleaning staff and she moved to close them. Peeking outside first, she caught sight of movement across the yard. The lights surrounding the training pen were still lit and she could make out a figure moving inside, guiding a reluctant horse around the pen. His confident gait; the gentle but firm way he handled the horse; she would recognize that tall, broad, muscular figure anywhere. “Damn,” Julia whispered the curse.

It had to be nearly midnight by now, but thanks to the bright glow cast by the overhead lights, Julia could make out the tight fit of Ethan's casual T-shirt, straining against his taut muscles as he moved. She watched, and a plethora of fantasies bombarded her anew; she imagined him in her bedroom now, stripping off his shirt and jeans, and using his expert hands to pleasure her in ways she could only imagine while she sampled the taste of every inch of his skin with her lips.

“Calm down, Julia,” she chastised herself, realizing that she could already feel her wetness beginning to soak her thong. There wasn't some college boy nearby to scratch her Ethan-driven itch anymore. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she'd remembered to pack her vibrator in her suitcase. Julia laughed aloud, thinking about how worldly she'd become in comparison to the naïve youth she'd been when she'd left home. And yet, just a glimpse of Ethan had her randier than an inexperienced adolescent.

She tried to tear her gaze away from the scene out the window, but her body fought her. Instead, her hands moved, seemingly of their own volition. She traced the upper swells of her breasts, gliding lower with every pass until her fingers grazed her n*****s and she moaned softly in response. One hand cupped her breast, squeezing gently while the other moved lower, skimming her ribs, trailing over her stomach, and then lower until her fingers found her satin-covered clit. Sliding the fabric out of her way, she rubbed gently at first, watching the man below and imagining his fingers were touching her. Julia's pace increased, rubbing faster as her head rolled back in pleasure. But her eyes remained on the cowboy outside, imagining all the wicked things he could do to her body, and her orgasm built quickly. She was almost there...

The figure looked up. But, caught in fantasy and pleasure, it took Julia a second to respond. When she did, her hands dropped to her sides and she scurried away from the window, her cheeks blazing in embarrassment. “Oh God. What was I thinking?!?” she whispered harshly.

But, maybe Ethan hadn't had time to figure out what was going on in the window. The dim light in her bedroom may have obscured his view. She'd probably moved long before his eyes could make out the indecent scene. She clung on to the tentative relief the thought brought and laid down on her bed, hoping to drift off before she could over-analyze the scenario a gazillion times. And though riled up even more than before, she was more tired than she had realized. Her eyes began to flutter close the moment her head rested against her pillow and she drifted off quickly.

Julia awoke just as the sun was beginning to lighten the sky. She'd never been able to drag herself out of bed without her alarm. But after a restless night plagued with images of Ethan in every possible scenario her aroused brain could conjure, her body was simply too revved up for sleep. She blushed as one particularly vivid dream came flooding back to her; Ethan standing bare-chested in the training ring as she stood before him. His eyes were fixed on her body as she grazed along her curves. He groaned as her hands moved lower, and his moan sounded feral as he watched her slide her fingers deep inside her wet slit...

She sat up suddenly and hopped out of bed, trying to erase the fantasy from her mind. As she stood, her thoughts were drawn elsewhere; Alice would be at the house early, no doubt, at which point she was expecting the two of them to head out together for the final day of the rodeo. Reluctantly, Julia rummaged through her luggage, searching for her favorite dress. It certainly didn't look fit for a rodeo, but she didn't care. The cream-colored, crepe-de-chine masterpiece had a halter-style neck and a low-cut back that plunged to her hips. And the A-line skirt of the dress brushed softly against her thighs, making every movement a sensual experience.

Julia laid the dress on the bed and made a dash for her ensuite, stripping off her bra and thong and turning on the shower faucet. She stepped beneath the rainshower head and then sighed at the delicious feel of the hot water cascading down her naked body. But, she forced herself to move swiftly, and less than ten minutes later she was back in her room, sliding the soft fabric of her dress over her still-damp skin. She dabbed on a seldom-used lip gloss to accentuate her rose-hued lips and ran a brush through her hair before checking her reflection in the mirror. Satisfied with the woman looking back at her, she hurried downstairs, hoping to rush through breakfast before her friend showed up and dragged her off for the day.