The saucy little tease intentionally tweaks her nipples through her shirt until the pebbled beauties beneath the fabric are making my mouth water.
“Lana, you’re fucking killing me. Go and eat some dinner. You’re going to need all the energy you can get.”
22
LANA
Love seems to highlight everything that’s undesirable. I love Bates, but I’m not a fan of sneakiness and secrets. I shouldn’t have to feel like a criminal for following my heart — the same heart that pounds like a thief’s with every glance I steal.
I pretend I’m fire-gazing instead of looking straight through the fire pit’s flames to where Bates is sitting opposite. He catches me staring, and the heat between us intensifies before he shifts his attention to his boots and laughs with Martha about something Dad just said.
I can hardly concentrate on the conversation. I’m too excited that I may have found the best way to flirt without being caught. The positioning of our camping chairs provides an excellent opportunity for a silent and private, steamy exchange with Bates.
I slowly open my legs to display the wet crotch I’m sporting from his cum soaking my jeans. Only he can see the darkened denim, and it’s not long before he pulls off his woolen hat and lays it in his lap. He acts as if he’s running his hand through his hair, but he’s definitely hiding an erection. He’s also trying to focus on anything that’s not between my legs, but he barely looks away before his eyes are back again, taking their fill.
“So the pump’s fixed?” Martha asks between mouthfuls.
With a frown, Bates reluctantly tears his gaze from my jeans.
“Uh… yeah. Yes. Good to go,” he says before clearing the roughness from his voice with a fake cough. He pounds his chest a little to sell the gruff sound as something other than desire. “Fucking cold tonight,” he mutters, throwing another log on the fire.
“Good.” Martha eases back in her chair with a swig of beer. “The pump, not the cold. Fuck the cold. And fuck Reed for returning our equipment in shit condition.”
“To be fair, it was near-dead when we let him borrow it,” Bates reminds her. “By the look of it, he had to do some twisted shit to keep her alive as long as he did. She’s all straightened out now, though. Purring like a kitten,” he says proudly. “All ready to wash rocks for the old glitter dispenser. I’ll haul it down there in the morning, chief.”
Martha sits a little taller and glances at Dad.
“Seriously? You’re letting me stay as head supervisor? Even with Kelly here?”
“Yes,” Bates replies before Dad can fuck it up. “Frees me up to do more maintenance than repairs. Have you seen the state of our fleet? It’s embarrassing. I’m always so busy rushing between fixes and shutdowns that I never have the time to take care of shit the way I want to. Time for a change. Isn’t that right, Hawk?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Martha snorts in his direction. “Nice enthusiasm.”
“Huh?” Dad looks up from his gazing at the fire. “Sorry. I was somewhere else.”
“Were you with a pretty young woman down in Dawson?” I tease.
Dad takes my beer away from me. “No more for you.”
“Interesting…” Martha leans in. “Spill the tea, Dad. Bitten by the lovebug again?”
“No,” he says, a little too quickly. “I’m too old for that shit. Your sister’s just being a know-it-all jerk. Wait till you hear what she said about you.”
Martha narrows her eyes at me. “What’d you say, Baker?”
“Baker-Hawkins,” I say calmly. “Don’t disown me because you know it’ll be a truth-bomb you’re not ready to hear. And I’d like the record to state that it was merely an observation made in good spirit and with love. I only intended for it to illustrate my point in that particular discussion,notto be used as a grenade in this one.”
Bates’s chair creaks as he eases backward. “Is this about to be family-only shit I don’t need to hear?” He looks around our small group. “Someone sayyesso I can leave this uncomfortable post-dinner chat and go to bed.”
“You are family, doofus,” Martha says, not taking her eyes off me. “But it may be best not to have witnesses if there’s going to be a murder. How am I going to take this, Lana? Will I want to kill you?” she demands to know as she’s glaring between me and my father.
I hold up my hands. “Okay, let me de-escalate this shit quickly. Dad’s just passing the buck so he doesn’t have to admit to us — or himself — that he is indeed in love again, and it’s with a woman who is young enough to make him feel very uncomfortable about his feelings.”
“Lana,” he warns, at the same time Martha leans forward asking, “Who?”
“Best we get this out in the open before she gets here tomorrow, Dad. That way we can be your wingmen — people. Wing-people. It’s Sadie Lawrence,” I reveal without delay.
