Pure Passion (6 page)

~~~

Sunday Afternoon

Lara

After getting the third degree from my mom about moving, I
went over to the house to check things out.  Max wasn’t wasting any time. He
had rented a U-Haul and was carrying in guitars and equipment when I arrived. 
Looking in the back of the truck, it was all stuff from his workshop, meaning
he still needed to collect his personal belongings from the apartment.

“Is Celeste gone today so you can get your bed and things?”
I asked, grabbing a couple of guitar necks to carry them into the house.

“She always works noon to six on Sundays, but she can keep
the damn bed.  I would never want to touch it again, much less sleep in it.” 

“I can see your point there.” 
Good thing I have a double
bed.

“Mattress Warehouse has a box spring and mattress on sale
for $199, so I’m going to go pick one up in a bit.  I’ll pick up a bed frame
later at a rummage sale or something, but I want a new mattress.”

“I agree.  Who knows what people have done on them?” 
I
hope to defile mine sometime soon.

The smirk on Max’ face told me that he was thinking along
similar lines.  I should’ve probably helped him carry things in, but I was
content keeping him company and enjoying the show.  It was fun watching his
muscles flex as he lifted and carried things into the house.  Unfortunately,
the trailer was soon empty, and the eye candy was over.

“Want to go mattress testing with me?”  He asked, throwing
me that look again. 

Oh hell yeah! 
“I don’t know, Max. I’m not sure my
mom would approve.”

“You’re funny… Get in.” 

You don’t have to tell me twice! 
“Alright, you win.
Let’s go try out a mattress or two,” I said, trying to hide my smile.

Max

I found myself trying to figure out what it was that made
Lara so irresistible. 
I think that maybe it’s the way she looks at me. 
It’s also the way she smiles.  It could also be the way she teases and flirts
with me.  Or it could just be her long legs and perfect ass! 

She was completely different from Celeste in almost every
way.  If Celeste would’ve been at the new house, all I would’ve heard was
complaint after complaint about how her bedroom wasn’t the right color or there
was no way she could live there with that horrible kitchen.  Lara just seemed
to take it all in stride.  Other than commenting that she might wait a few days
to move her stuff, she seemed at ease with everything. 
What a nice change!

“Ok, I see why this one is $199,” she said, bouncing her
hips on the cheap mattress set. 

God she’s sexy.  Lara bouncing on the mattress like that
is turning me on.  I need to focus on why we are here.

Diving on, I had to agree with her. 
I think I actually
bruised a rib.  I knew $199 was too good to be true.

“How about this pillow top version?” she suggested, bouncing
her hips up and down again.  “Oh yeah, this one’s much better.” 

I shook my head and ran my hand over my face to clear my
thoughts
.

“Yeah, I could definitely sleep on this.  I wonder if it’s
firm enough though,” I remarked.

“Firm enough for what?”  She teased, once again revealing
that sexy smile.

“Well, a mattress needs to be versatile you know.  It has to
perform under a wide range of activities.”
Two can play at this game!

“Oh really, what activities would those be?” 

“You know… pillow fights, wrestling, and stuff like that,” I
replied, flipping her over on her back.

“I like wrestling, and you seem to be pretty good at it,” Lara
commented coyly.

“Yes, Lara. I’m a great wrestler.  I’ll have to show you
some of my moves sometime.” 
Having Lara on her back right now, I’m just
about ready to explode!

“Find something you like?” asked the salesperson, shocking
both of us out of our moment.

“Yes, I’ll take this in queen.”
The perfect size for what
I have in mind.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t try out a few more?” Lara giggled
and winked at me.

This girl is definitely looking for trouble, and I’m just
the one to give it to her. 
“No, this one’s perfect except for the $329
price tag.”

As we walked toward the sales desk, I had that sinking
feeling in my stomach.  I didn’t have anything extra in my checking account
because the check I got this week hadn’t cleared yet.  My credit card could’ve
easily absorbed the $199 set, but $329 plus tax was going to be a stretch.  To
avoid any embarrassment, I asked Lara to go check out a rack of pillows while I
checked out.

Lara

Okay, that was a rather odd request.
  Judging by his
facial expression though, I knew it was best to do what he asked.  Apparently,
his fear was realized, as his credit card didn’t appear to clear.  I was facing
the other direction, but could still hear what was going on behind me.

“Can I pay $150 with my debit card and put the rest on my
credit card?” Max asked in a hushed tone.

“We can certainly try that,” the salesperson said in a
condescending voice.

Walking around to the other side of the pillows, I could now
peek through and see what was going on.  The first transaction was a success,
but for some reason his credit card still declined. 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Max told the clerk as his
frustration began to build.

“Do you have another card, sir?”

“Not on me.”

Screw this, I’m not going to stand by and watch Max be
humiliated.
  I pulled my wallet out of my purse as I approached the sales
desk.  “Here, just put the balance on my card.”

Max refused, but I ignored it because Max needed to get it
today while he had the rented truck.  I told the clerk to go ahead and complete
the transaction.  “It’s no big deal, Max. I know where you live.” 
And I
plan to be getting my share of use out of it.

“I deposited a $5000 check yesterday for one of the guitars
I just finished.  I’ll pay you back as soon as it clears,” he assured me.

“Sounds good. I’m not worried about it.”  I shrugged my
shoulders and smiled.  I really didn’t want him to feel bad about the situation
and ruin the afternoon. 

Max fell quiet, however, not saying a word as we walked back
to the truck.  The silence became deafening as we picked up the purchase and
headed back to the house.  I wasn’t sure exactly what to do or say, but I just
wanted to make things better for him.  I found myself struggling for the right
words, because I didn’t want to make things worse. 

“Did you say you sold a guitar for five grand this week? 
That’s amazing,” I finally said, after strategizing in my head.      

 “Yeah, it was mahogany with two custom inlays on the neck
and body, along with custom pin striping on the back.  Those are pricey.”

“You wouldn’t have to sell very many of those to make a
really good living.”

“No, but I have to pay Charlie over a grand for making the
sale.  Then it’s about another $1500 for all of the parts and hardware.  You’re
right, though.  If I can catch a break or two, things could turn around
quickly.  That’s why I haven’t given up.”

“You know, Max, making money is pretty easy.  What’s harder
is making money doing something you truly love.  When this goes, you’ll be one
of the few lucky ones who make it work.”

“Holy crap!  How did you get so insightful?” he quipped.

“I just get it, Max.  We both see people going to work every
day and spending their time being miserable.  You’re one of the few brave ones
who chose not to throw your life away in exchange for money.  You need to meet
my Uncle Felix.  He’s a marketing whiz.”

“And where does this Uncle Felix live?” he asked, suddenly
reinvigorated. 

“He’s got a place right on the ocean in Fort Lauderdale.  We
should road trip.”

“Alright, after I finish helping Derek with the house, we’ll
road trip to Fort Lauderdale for a weekend.”

The look on his face eased dramatically as we talked about
how it was just a matter of time before everything worked out. 
All he needs
is some positive feedback and a little help getting some marketing in place. 
Ft Lauderdale will be a blast, too!  He will love my uncle, plus we can have a
little fun on the beach.

By the time we returned, Hadley was inspecting the house,
and Derek was ready to start ripping up tile in the upstairs bathroom.  I
offered to help Max unload the truck and was a little offended by his reaction.

“You hang out with Hadley while Derek and I take these up. I
don’t want you to hurt yourself,” he replied, seeming sincere.

Growing up with two older brothers, I had always been
tougher than I looked. I’m sure Max didn’t mean to offend me, and since I was
wearing flip flops, I let it go.  I pictured myself tripping and taking a
tumble down the stairs. 
It’s probably for the best, but I’m still
offended.  Why don’t guys understand that there’s a time to treat us like
ladies and a time to let us be one of the boys
.  

“Derek and Max are going to rip up the bathroom, so I’m
going back home to sort through my clothes,” Hadley informed me as I walked in.

“Yeah, I haven’t even started packing anything yet.”

“With all of the work that needs to get done here, it’s not
a rush,” she replied, with a roll of her pretty hazel eyes.

Hadley was one of those bubbly, fun girls, who could
fluctuate between dirty blond, black, and brunette based on her mood.  For the
time being, she seemed to have settled on light brown with blond highlights,
which looked great on her.  With her long manicured nails, high heels, and
white outfit, it was obvious she did not intent to do any work that afternoon. 
Other than my poor choice of wearing flip flops, I had come in jeans and a
T-shirt ready to pitch in.  So when Hadley left, I began helping the boys clear
tile from the bathroom.

“Owww!  Son of a bitch!” Max yelled, as he slipped and
tumbled backwards into the bathtub.  Derek and I each grabbed a hand and pulled
him back to his feet.  Walking it off, he was convinced he hadn’t broken
anything but had definitely thrown out his back.

“You most likely pulled a muscle,” I said, moving in behind
him to check out his back.  “Does it hurt right along here?”
I love touching
him
.

“Ouch, yeah, that’s really sore.”

Motioning toward his new bed I said, “Take off your shirt and
lie on your stomach.”

“You’re dying to try out that new bed aren’t you,” he
teased.

“Do you want me to help you or not?” I asked, trying to give
him a stern look. 
Fail…

As he pulled his shirt over his head, I was glad I had
decided to stick around.  This was going to be much better than chipping tile. 
While Derek muttered about losing his help, I walked around the side of the
bed.  I paused for a brief moment in order to mentally record Max’ broad
shoulders and perfect V-shaped back.  The sight of him lying there half-dressed
was something I had often thought about in my younger days.  Since seeing his
abs the other night, I had been thinking about running my hands across his
body.  Thanks to a few slippery, wet tiles, I was getting my chance. 
I’m so
glad he can’t see the huge grin on my face.

I started at the base of his neck and slid my hands down
along his spine until I reached the waistband of his faded jeans.  Running my
fingers along his waistline, I lightened my touch and traced the outer edges of
his back moving up toward his shoulders.  I could feel the heat generated
between us, as I once again ran my hands down along his rigid back muscles.

Each time I made my way down the center of his back, I could
feel the muscle tension easing and he began to relax.  Conversely, with each passing
moment, I could feel my internal temperature rising, and I was becoming anything
but relaxed.  Max had no idea of the depth or longevity of my desire for him. 
To him, I was just a girl from the past who hung out with Derek’s younger
sister, Brea.  It was actually painful to think about the disparity between his
feelings and mine.  He had been my primary focal point as I blossomed into a
teenager.  
At least things seemed to be evening out a bit these days.

“God, that feels good, Lara.  Where did you learn massage?”

“Wendy, an old college roommate went to massage therapy
school.  I was intrigued, so she showed me a few tricks.”

“Tricks, huh?  I can’t wait to see some of those,” he
replied with a chuckle.

He's probably thinking I’m referring to the infamous
happy ending.

“Hey, now! Get your mind out of the gutter. There will be no
rub and tug on my watch!” 

I laughed as I said it, but in all honesty, I would’ve loved
to give him one. Being a professional, Wendy always got mad when anyone
mentioned the topic.  In order to tease him a little, I decided to give Max
just a little taste of my skills.  The next time my hands reached his
waistband, I allowed them to slide firmly under it.  Pushing against his sacrum,
he moaned as it stretched out his lower back. 
He really has a firm ass. 
Holy crap it’s getting warm in here.

“Was that one of the tricks?” Max asked, as I pulled back.
“Damn, that felt good.”

“Umm, yeah, uhh… That’s one of them,” I stuttered,
struggling to maintain composure. 
I wonder if he can tell I’m losing it…

“Alright, his back is better,” Derek burst into the room, scaring
the shit out of me.  “I need some help in here.  Can you give me a quick hand,
Max?”

“Yeah, I’ll be right there.  Just give me a minute.”  He
rolled over onto his back, stretched and gave me an appreciative smile.  “I’m
curious about those other tricks.” 

The nice bulge in his pants confirmed his curiosity.